The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1872-07-16

wonderful thick, and he writ to her regu-
lar ever so long after he went away, and
so did she to him"
"Do they correspond now ?"
mo, not now. There's the rub That's
one reason I'm looking out SO sharp arter
Bob Now, | want you to just take a
holt and try and keep Bob off till Scctt
gets back. 'Twon't be for long, and Irene
amt such bad company, nohow."
II don't know" said Joe. There's
Maggie and her mother. | couldn't be
particularly attentive to Irene without
their knowing it. And Bob Humphrey
III be sure to be around most Of the time,
and it won't be lorg before / htve the
whole village talking the matter up
Never mind that, Joe, never mind
that. It'll be all right when Scott gets
home. I'll give you the biggest kind of
fee."
"Wel, deacon" coolly replied the
young lawyer, 'it's pretty tough case,
but I'll take it on one condition"
whats that ?"
"Why, so long os its only fun, and all
that, I'll go ahead, but if it seems as if
| was doing any harm, any thing real
bad you know, I'm to be at liberty to
back out"
"Well, I don't mind, so long as you
let me know in time
And so the deacon and the lawyer dis
cussed their plot to their satisfaction, and
when all was settled the latter took his
way down the broad and grass grown
street OF the village
THE old shark" he muttcred, as he
strolled leisurely on. "What on earth
put into his plotting old head to pitch
on me for his tool He never was more'n
half decent to me before. | reckon I'll
earn my fee, but I'll be fair and square
with Bob Humphrey. What would Irene
say if she knew what was up? Wouldn't
those black eyes strike fire ~
Now, it happened that of late unknown
perhaps, to the deacon, there had been
growing up more than a little closeness
of intimacy between j oe Gains and Bob
Humphrey and thus it was treachery to
his friend as well as untairness to the
pretty heiress to which the young lawyer
had allowed himself to be brbed by the
deacon's promised fee.
A deep fellow was Joe Gaines, and a
marvellous manipulator of social affairs.
Again and again, as days and weeks and
months went by, did Deacon Pilsey con-
graduate himself on his admirable selec.
tion, and chucke in his inmost being as
he witnessed the well-coutrivcd success Of
Joe's manUuvres. There were picnics,
and drives, and parties and entertainments
Of various kinds, but in vain did Bob
Humphrey invite or propose, the young
lawyer was sure to be beforehand with
him, and it almost seemed as if sweet,
unassuming, quiet little Maggie Pilsey
herself, the deacon's daughter, had Joined
the secret league against her friend Irene
so often was some excuse devised by which
she was made to appear in the latter's
stead.
Then, too, there were the home even.
ings at the dcacon's house, when the sub
tie minded old plotter could have Rugged
himself with satisfaction as he sat by and
witnessed with his own eyes the admira-
BILE manner in which Joe Gains worked
for his foe.
1T takes lawyer, after all" he said
to himself 81 don't care much what he
charges only hope he'll keep it up
that way till Scot gets home again. And
then ! TO see Bob Humphrey Why, the
teller's got the perseverance Of the saints,
but he amt nowhere with Joe Gains"
AS for Irene Wyer herself, her red
lips pouted, and her bright black eyes
spnrkled and deepened, and her life SEEM
ed flowing onward very pleasantly, as if
no deep laid plots and schemes had any
power over her or her happiness More
over, through it all Joe Gains seemed to
maintain the most complete external
semblance Of frank. hearted friendship
with Bob Humphrey. Odd as it may
seem, the young lawyer also found that
his practice had undergone a very sensi-
BILE increase, caused mainly hy the warm,
though covert encomiums which the good
deacon's heart compelled him to utter
here and there, 10 his keen appreciation
OF his young friends tact and manage
ment.
Time will fly, however. and the mails
at last brought to the Pilsey homestead
the welcome news that its absent hope
and heir would shortly return. There
were letters from Scott Pilsey to his
mother and his sister Maggie, and to
Irene Wyer, and even to his old cronie'
and school mates, Joe Gains and Boz
Humphrey and to each one he had doubt
less some matter of special interest tC
: communicate
No noisy, smoky, disgusting railway
trains as yet vexed the retirement ant
repose of the village, but at last. on {
e morning when all things were in state
o. almost paioful expectancy of his arriv
al, not the ordinary stage coach, but {
private hired carriage, heavy with trunks
S and packages, bore Scott Pilsey to thu
= door of his fathers home.
7 In an instant the little veranda wal
full Of those who awaited him, but wheT
S the deacon's tall, sun.burned and bushy
bearded son sprang out upon the grass
J he turned his back TO the veranda for {
moment, while he aided the movement
: of graceful, well.favored, dark featured
young lady who followed him, and whom
e even in the first warmth of his welcome
I; home he introduced as "my wife, IN,
Lucia"
: Maggie Pilsey hugged her and kisse'
e her, and so did Irene Wyer, and SO, il
moment more, did old Mrs. Pilsey, AM
e the deacon was too wise nan to seem al
D together astonished while Joe Gains an'
s. Bob Humphrey were fairly boisterous
J. In fact, Scott Pilsey's California brid
G was so overcome by the warmth of he
e greeting, that the poor young thing for
II got her pride and burst into tears. Ii