Democratic messenger., 1881-09-10

pair, the sleeve ripped All up WHERE
you caught it getting honeysuckles for
May-wilIful little thing"
"My coat sleeve, said Leslie, coming
with start ont of his sad reverie.
Yes, certainly, Mrs. Tibb. You can
take away the tray: I'm not hungry,
and I'm rather tired"
"Dear heart, sir but you don't eat
near enough; and no wonder if you are
tired, seeing all you do" murmured the
sympathizing Mrs. Tibb, as she re-
luctantly removed the tray.
81 don't do half enough" said the
curate, when alone. "If L did more,
perhaps, I should eradicate this wicked
folly. 1 WONDER" he added, abruptly,
"if he really knows the splendid quail
ties hidden in her being. But, me0
MARINA culpo :" and he resolutely
turned to his examination papers,
writing on until long after the church
clock chimed midnight.
The morning came, glorious Sum
mer one, with a cool breeze rustling
through the myriad old-fashioned village
flowers. The curate, after broken
night, had an apology for breakfast
he was always careless about food-and
went off to see some of his poor people.
Mrs. Tibb cleared the table, signing
over her lodger's small appetite, and
Jimmy, her eldest hope, was sent with
the best coat to Thacket, the tailor,
who. as not unusual, was gone off with
some boon companions for the day, and
would not be fit on his return to pull
his own coat off, much less mend any
one else's.
Mrs. Tibb sat down and lamented ;
there was the meeting Ill the evening,
with numerous critical and foreign Ito
Bransley) attendants, and it was an alb
solute necessity, for the credit of the
cloth and the parish, that the clergy
man should have decent coat on. She
couldn't mend it. She was callers a
botcher, and all they idle gels in the
village was gone to thic there club
feast" Mrs. Tibb felt distracted, and
was contemplating the coast despair
ingly. when a silvery voice called her,
and starting up, she saw the squire S
beautiful daughter, in the most exquls-
ite of summer costumes, holding little
basket.
"Here. Mrs. Tibb," said she, "are the
eggs l promised you from my Ham
burgs. Put them under your Dorking
hen, and you'll have brood which WILL
Law all the year round, and then poor
Mr.. Leslie-I know he's out; / saw hlm
cross the meadows-can have new laid
eggs every morning"
Mrs. Tibb was profuse in thanks, be-
moaned the curate's appetite, told Miss
Meldon two or three instances OF his
simple heroism and unpretending chari-
ty, which made the young lady look at
her with lovely, startled, serious eyes,
as one hearing unsupported truths, and
then explained her present difficulty
about the coat.
"I will help you, Mrs. Tibb," smiled
Flora "though people don't know it,
can fine-draw and repair wonderfully.
Give me the coat" and the young lady,
seating herself in Mrs. Tibb's old-fash-
ioned arm chair by the empty cottage
fireplace, made a charming picture as
she deftly repaired the damaged sleeve.
Mrs. Tibb standing by in open-mouthed
wonder at her dexterity and conde-
scension.
"There," said Flora, as she gave it
back-'I'm proud of my work. Mind
you don't tell who did it, she added,
with a faint blush, and Mrs. Tibb vowed
she wouldn't, as she courtesied the
young lady out of the pretty cottage.
OF course she did, within half an hour,
and to the very last man she should have
done so. Gerald Marley, coming in with
some botanical specimens the squire
asked him to leave for the curate, found
Mrs. Tibb in ecstacies over the coat,
and she, thinking Floras praises could
not be too loudly sounded, told her
visitor.
His face was Immobile while in her
presence, but, as he went down the
pretty garden to the road, he frowned
savagely. To his shallow and conven-
tional nature, morbidly selt-absorbed,
this act of Flora's was dire offense--
"setting all the fools tongues wagging, P"
he said, viciously, cutting at the hedges
with his stick-and then, turning COR
ner, came on his .fancoe, and notwith-
standing her charming completeness,
told her his mind in tone and manner
quite new to the high-spirited girl, who
at first opened her violet eyes in quiet
astonishment, and then, resenting the
authoritative manner, and seeing with a
clearness of perception inherent in her
how artificial was the nature she had
deemed so genuine, retorted proudly on
him, and at last, taking off her ring,
gave it to him, at the same time cancel
ing their engagement, feeling somewhat
surprised at the slight feeling of regret
it occasioned
Mr.. Marley lost his usual composnre
and raved. Ultimately this struck him
as ridiculous in a public road, and he
sulkily followed Flora to the house,
where, in her usual frank fashion, she
had told everything to her father, who
of course - yielded to his petted
daughter, sympathized with his neph-
ew, but agreed that the best thing he
could do was to return to London, which
he did. Flora, unseen, saw him go, and
thought of-the coat.
Meanwhile the curate had returned,
and heard the story from Mrs. Tibb.
His color changed, and he stood, when
she had retired, looking at the rent
which Flora's deft fingers had so dain-
tily repaired, as if he could read story
there. Suddenly he threw the coat
down with a murmur of self-reproach,
and tried to forget it. But it was hard
task, and the meeting that night had a
very inefficient chairman, much to the
village establishment, and their rival
neighbor's secret exultation.
But the summer days went on, and