The Portland daily press., 1875-05-31

benjamin, VINO lOnOWeu his motHer III looks,
and turned out not over well, and Margar It,
Rymer died, partly of cold on the chest.
partly of broken heart, Margaret continued
to keep the business going. She understood
the drugs thoroughly. During the ten
months, or so, that had elapsed since, the
son had not made his appearance at home.
Timberdale would say, "Why does not Ben
tjamin come back to carry on the business in
his fathers placer" but it got no satisfac-
tory answer. Latterly, Timberdale had let
Benjamin alone and busted itself with Mar
garet.
Some six months ago the Reverend Isaac
Sale had come to Timberdale as curate. He
was an abrupt, dark little man OF sterling
worth, and some thirty years OF age-o.der
than the Rector. Margaret Rymer met him
at the Sunday school, where she taught regu-
larly, and he fell desperately in love with
her-it it's not wrong to say that of parson.
In position she was not his equal; but MIR.
Sale made no secret that he wanted Marga-
ret to be his wife. Mrs. Rymer opposed it !;
how was the business to be kept going with
out Margaret, she demanded; or herself
eitherp
Mr.. Sale had taken the curacy as only
temporary thing. He was waiting for some
expected appointment abroad. When it fell,
Margaret Rymer would have to choose be-
tween sailing with him as his wife, or stay
ing at home and giving him up for good. So
said Timberdale.
After standing to talk bit with Margaref,
who was out. she said, on an errand Tor ner
mother, ran on to the rectory. Mr.. Taner-
ton and his wife were in the snug little bow
Widowed front room. He, spare and color
less, yong, yet with cold gray eyes and thln
light whskers, sat by the blazing fire OF WOOD
and coal that went roaring and sparkling up
the chimney. Somehow Herbert Tanerton
gave you the idea of being always in chill.
Intending to be kind in the main, he was yet
severe, taking too much note of ohenses. and
expecting all the world, and especially his
own flock, to be better than gold.
Grace, his wife, kind. genial and open
hearted, sat at the window, stitching wrlst-
band for some one or other of her husbands
shirts-he was as particular over them as Ne
was over the parish sins-and gancng cheer
fully out between whites at the snowy land
scare. She was O capable woman, rather tai
and slender, with bright, dark hazel eyes, and
wide mouth that seemed always to be smIl-
ing to show its pretty white teeth. Seeing
me coming she ran to open the porch door.
They had no children.
"Come in, Johnny! Is it not lovely day
Herbert thinks it is the coolest morning we
ever had. But he has been put out little. -
"What about ?" l asked, as the Rector
turned in his chair TO shake hands with me,
"Mr. Sale is going to leave" said she, as
sat down by the table. 'The appointment
he expected has been offered to him; it is
chapaincy at the Bahama Islands. MIR. Sale
has known of it for week and never told
Herbert until yesterday
'.He spoke to me in the vestry after morn.
ing SERVICE" said the Rector, in an injured
tone. 'And he SAID at the same time that ne
was not sure he should accept it; 1t did mol
quite depend upon himself. saw as clearly
what he meant to imply, as though lhe had
avowed it: that it depended upon that CIR
Margaret Rymer. 1t is preposterous thing
The idea of a clergyman and gentleman want
ing to marry her! She kept chemists
shopv'
SIT was her father who kept it," I said, fol
liked Margaret and did not care to heal
her disparaged. '.And he was gentleman
born"
.What has that to do with it?" retorted
the parson, who was in one of bis touchy
humors. 'sHad her grandfather been Duke
it would make no difference to what she is.
Look at the mOther!'
Margaret is lady in mind, and looks, land
manners,"I persisted. "If loved Margare
Rymer 1 would marry her, though were an
ArchdeacOn."
'"rhat's Just like you, Johnny Ludlow; you
have no more sense than a child in some
things" said the parson, crustily. Grace
laughed and looked as if she would like to take
part with NE.
Il never could have suspected Sale of such
folly" went Oh the Rector, leaning sideways
to warm his hands over the blaze. "Grace
do you think that soups ready?'
81 will see," answered Grace, putting The
wristband down.
Herbert Tanerton sat in silence, knitting
his brow into lines. took the chair on the
other side the fireplace opposite to him, think
ing of this and that, and lingering the tongs
TO help me, a habit l was often scolded tor
at home-that of lingering things.
''Look here, Mr.. TanertOn: II they settle
at the Bahamas, it will not signify there who
Margaret has been here. Whether she may
have helped in her fathers business, OF
whether she may have been-as you saba
dukes granddaughter, and brought up ac-
cordingly, it will be all one to the Bahamas.
Mr.. Sale need not say to the Bahamas: My
wife used TO sell pennyworths OF rhubarb and
magnesia.'
1T is not that" GROSSLY responded the Rec
tor-"What people will think or say; it is for
Sales own sake that l object. He cannot
like the connection. A clergyman should
marry in bis own sphere"
Il suppose men are differently constituted,
clergymen as well as Others" said | with dep
recation, remembering that I was plain, in +.
experienced lad, and he was the Rector of
Timberdale. "Some persons don't care for
social distinctions as others do-don't even
see them: perhaps Mr.. Sale is one."
''He cares for probity and honor-he would
not choose to ally himself to crime," sternly
spoke the Rector. Remember what the son
did, that ll-doing Benjamin! You know
about it, Johnny. The affair of the bank
note"
And if Herbert Tanerton had said to me
fhe affair Of the moon and planets. could
not have been more surprised. "How did
you get to know of it?' asked.
''Mr. Rymer told me on his death-bed. l
was attending him spiritually. OF course l
have never spoken of it, even to my wife; l
should not think Of speaking of it, but con-
slider that it lies in my duty to disclose the
facts to Mr. Sale"
"Oh, no don't-don't, please. Mr.. Taner-
tonv' l cried out, starting up in sort OF dis
tress, for the words seemed to take hold of
me.
mo one knows oft; no one but the
Squire, and I, as you say, and Mrs. Rymer,
and you, and Ben himself; Jelfs dead, you
know. 1t need never be brought up again in
this world and l daresay it never will be.
Pray don't for poor Margaret's sake"
"But have said that 1 consider it my duty
to tell him." replied the parson, steadily.
'tHere he comesr'
l turned 10 the window, and saw Sale
trudging up to the parsonage through the
snowy field pathway, his black hair, and red,
rugged face presenting kind of contrast to
the white glare around. Ugly, he might be
called; but it was face to be like d, for all
that. And the ring Of his voice was true and
earnest.
The affair, alluded to by the Rector, was
this: Ben Rymer, who had received CLASH
cal and fairly liberal education, had been in
tended for surgeon. To give him a knowl
edge OF the properties of drugs and medicines,
Mr.. Rymer had first put him behind his own
counter at Timberdale, and then placed him
with chemist at TewksbuIy. There Ben
fell into bad companship. Later, when he
was again staying at home, he visited the
letter-bag one night, (Mr. Rymer was then
Postmaster of Timberdale,) opened a letter
thai was addressed to Mrs. Todhetley, took
out five pound note it contained, land which
he CHANGED to know was there,) and substitute
ed another for it. This other was note
stolen at Tewksbury by some of Ben's com.
panons; they had given it to him to get rid
off, and that's the way he did it. For some