The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1877-07-04
Fworthy's attention was wholly; absorbed

worthy's attention was wholly absorbed
by a large sliceyof cold beef. :, q = gEva Eae
!" Whoever told you was mistaken said
Mrs. Garneey, quietly, though her blue
eyes sparklcd as she passed Katie cup
Of tea, She had seen the glance at Hi
ram and was annoyed. AS for Hiram, lie
felt that he was fast being placed in an
uncomfortable position, and, without lift
ing his eyes from his plate, he said, dog,
gedly; ...!. :,..n~,...o q
II s'posc I told him that Captain Ken.
rick was over here to-day. An I s'pose,
now, saw Captain Ken.ick afstandin'
under the sittin'room windcr. "SSs v
'1ndeed!' said Mrs. Quincy. cuttingly,
'sat what time of the day did you see him
tramping down my flowers, pray?D
Here was dilemma for Hiram; but it
has been mentioned that his mind was
eminently inventive, He remembered
the apparent freshness of the tracks. -, ~ !.
II should judge" he replied, with dc,
]iberate exactness-"I should Judge it
was five o'clock in the afternoon"
" You have remarkable eyesight,' said
Mrs. Quincy, smiling. II think you said
you were down in the lower corntield
back of the house, from before dinner till
nearly sunset, repairing broken fencc.'
All, Hiram, there is miserable pitfall
you have not thought of! tits absolutely
necessary to perfection in lying, it is said,
that the liar should have good memory.
This essential qualification Hiram lacked ;
and, accordingly, he grew very red in
the face, and stammered an indistinct re-
ply, which Mr.. Quincy cut short, by say
ing, coldly:
1T is of small consequence, Of course,
whether Captain Kenrick has or has not
been here to-day. However, Helen,
noticed that some one has been tramplng
down your flowers sadly, and, by the
looks, should say recently"
Mrs. Quincy flushed up. But at that
instant Katie gave wild scream jumping
from her chair, and nearly overturning
the table,,
"The barn the barn!'' she exclaimed,
pointing throlg oh the window. All ewes
turned in the direction indicated. The
barn was on fire! c.f
Mr.. Quincy and Hiram dashed out of
the house. The horses and the cows were
soon driven to a safe distance, and when
they were running out the carriages the
nearest neighbors began to arrive. Cap
tain Kenrick was Just in season to help
remove a heavy wagon, and, as he was
pushing in the smoke behind it, his foot
struck something soft on the stable floor.
He stopped to examine the obstacle. Then
he gave shout, and dragged out on the
grass, away from the heat ofsthe flames,
the body of a man. He was ragged and
dirty, with frowsy, red hair, and repul-
sive even in death; for the tramp'sS ram
bles along dusty roadsides were stopped
forever, and he was away on q journey
whose length is unknown to man, and
whose end is shrouGed in uncertain shad-
| ows. Captain Kenricks bent over him. f
ellis neck is broken" he said to. the
wondering group about him. Il hardly
see how it happened, unless he was on the
NOW and fell to the. door, blinded by the
smoke. He looks like q tramp well,
we'll, if he isn't the same fellow that my my
aunt gave a pair Of my best boots to this
afternoon See, he has them on now"
Those standing by saw that the dead
wanderers feet were, indeed, encased in a
pair of fine new boots. Mrs. Quincy,
beside her husband, saw them and said,
pityingly, at the same time giving Mr..
Quincy peculiar glance: n -
1T was he, then, poor fellow, that trod
down my flower garden"
Hiram saw them, and, shrinking back,
said to himself: Well, if that don't
beat ALL" s.>sS 2a,s sa.a ~ SS.a5-s.s,s:.S
MI. Quincy saw them, and, spressingllis
wife's and,,ssaid, under his breath i 5
Helen, forgive me! I will never be
Jealous again"