St. Landry democrat., 1883-06-16

lHelI pcttiuyy, WHICH was nuoA Aho
punishment, with heroism; if he stayed
away they hunted him out and brought
him home in triumph.
50 Those children might as well live
here,' said Jane.
8. And their father, too,'' added
John.
ssNot bite of sweet-bread can /
keep in the larder; and when they tears
their frocks they goes straight to Miss
Prue, and she mends them before
Bridget scolds 'em, just as if they'd be
her very own
A fine stepmother she'd be MAX
saying in the village that it's her cap
she is setting for the parson. -
''That's just the way of the gossips!
If a man takes to a woman it's always
she that is asserting of her cap for him.
The parson ought to ask EN- to pick
out a wife for him and suit their
selves
And then there's others who says
it's her money persisted John, who,
like fair historian, was bound to state
both sides; an that he come here
a-purpose to marry her."
"A great deal they knows about it, -
cried Jane. II heerd him tell her, with
my own blessed ears, that when he was
called to this ere parish he never
dreamed that she lived here. They must
hev knowed each other, you see, when
they was young, afore Miss Prue came
into her great-uncle's property, and
came to live at The Elms; for I hear
'em talking now and again of folks that
don't belong hereabouts. And he says:
DO you remember the day we went
hither and the day we went yon" And
he says: II remember, I remember
and looks away from her face. I thinks,
myself, he must be an old beau of hers.
/ sees them together heap, you know,
bringing in the tea-things, and the
lamps, and pottering round
At the key-hoie," laughed John.
s'And I've never found 'em love-
making onct, though I steps quiet-like,
John, as you know, and it isn't like
opening door to push the portiere
aside
1t is true the Miller children were a
great deal at The Elms, and gave their
father frequent excuse to follow them;
and it is true there were few congenial
souls in the parish or village, and what
SO natural that he should see more or
less of his pleasant neighbor, with whom
he could journey back to the past. In
deed, they never talked of to-day or to-
morrow; it was alwaa yesterday whose
praises they sang, whose skies they ex-
tolled, whose pleasures they coveted.
He was nothing like lover, to be sure,
except in preferring her society, and
yet it was happiness to Prue to see
him there, to know that he would come
tomorrow. 1t was toward night, one
SUNNY day, that Miss Prue, looking
out OF the lawn, where the shadows of
the leaves were dancing, saw Mr.. Miller
no unusual sight-coming toward her
door. He had been out of town week
on business; Bridget had confided to
Jane that he had ''gone away suddin',
after telegraph in yaller wrapper
come to him." but he had been at home
several days without darkening, or to
express her feelings better, Illuminating
Miss Prue's door. Naturally, she won
dered what his errand had been; if he
had had a call to leave the parish; and
at that thought her heart stood still.
'sYou have been away she said,
after the first greetings.
Eyes. hope you did not suffer from
an invasion of young Millers during my
absence
1--WE met. but we missed you," she
admitted II hope your vacation was
a rest and recreation to you. .
s.My journey was not a pleasure
trip, Prue, he said. s.My wife died
suddenly at the asylum on the 9th Of
the month. -
Your wife!" gasped Miss Prue.
..Your wife-diedson the 5th Of the
month! I thought-Austin - Mr.. Mil
ler-I thought she had been dead years
and years."
81 thought you knew he returned.
II supposed everybody had heard of it;
it was too sad a story too rehearse often
or needlessly. 1t was in all the dailies
at the time. You must have been
abroad then. Amy was in her cradle
when Lefty left me-eloped with her
music-teacher. Two years ago she
went to the asylum, mad as Hamlet.
Prue, Prue.n he cried, edo you think I
have hidden anything from youp Is
not the loss of fifteen years of happiness
enough? Shall her ghost divide us
stillP''
'sAnd I have been loving another
woman's husband all this time,'' she
said, moving away from him. Heaven
only knows how far her Puritan con-
science would have carried her, but
just then Jane burst into the room, cry
ing:
Its little Tom Miller-the peacock
fell into the river, and Tom jumped in
to save him-and the birds safe-but
Tom-the cramp took him-John's
brought him up the bank
And then Jane tainted away. It was
hours hefnre consciousness returned To