The Worthington advance., 1883-01-04

NOT GUILTY.
Th hst week In October.

"n1cn "e2o Or11ted up along the roadside
and collected In rustling layers under the
stone foundations of Exmouth Ia1l.
Overhead the sky was blue as sapphire.
and here and there along this woodpath .
stray Wild flower lifted its purple eye. the
last lingering relic Of the golden September
glow.
Dr.. Fitch rode along the lonely b1dlp.
path. thesound Of his horses hoots on the
dead leaves reminding hin, vaguely of the
days long ago when he was . boy and
secured these very woods In search OF nuts.
and hunted squirrels with delight which
no other sport could give him now.
III seould only be boy forever, n
aaid Royal Fitch.
"Hslloa! WHO'S tt,as' as bis horse SHE'D
sAghtly at sight of slender figure sitting
On fallen log few feet back from tho
road. 'Oh, It's you, Mary T1efoil. You
got your discharge this morning," he said.
Mary Tsefoil looked up-a da1k.eyed, psl-
ld.fsoed woman OF two CT three and twenty.
Dr.. Fitch knew her very we'll. She had
benin R1o4outh prison ior three months
br theft, and during two Of these mon .hs
che had lain nearly at the point Of death. in
IN the hospital ward, with low lingering
fever. Dr.. Fitch was rather proud Of the
sktl! which had rescued her flO1u the faWs
ofdeath.
He stopped his horse and looked at her.
Yea sir, said Mary Tr=foil spiritlessly.
I've got my discharge"
.;a Apd where are you going now:"
'.Whers are your fs'euda7" be asked, p&
onkindly.
4 have none. SIR
"But this won't do" said Dr.. Fitch, no.
Ding the troubled light In the girls eyes, the
deadly whiteness OF her brow and cheeks.
Look here; You must 60 somewhere, you
know. You can't sit here. Can't you think
Of any place where they would give you
iood and shelter Tor few days, until yoa
1t sfrone?"
Nary Trefoil shook her head. She did
not seem to be at all interested in the ques.
tion:: Dr.. Fitch 5 horse reached up bis
had and browsed on the still green leaves
OF Wild grapevine which the bo1ghs Of q
cedar had sheltered from the early frost.
Dr.. Fitch himself sat like q statue. and
looked at Mary Trefoi.
"a social problem,' he said inwardly,
snd It nusl bs solved somehow. Mary,
he,poke aloud, ''can you walk miller" -
y suppose 80, slr."
''Theu walk along BY my horses side. l
know . good old lady who wants a Rirl.
know who you are or whence you came"
II didn't put myself In Exmouth jail, I"
sullenly retorred Mary. "And have told
one story from the besinnfng-that had
nothing to do with die silver. / don't know
how It came into my trunk; I didn't
know it was there until the officer dragged
It out before my eyes,"
.'rhe law thought differently," said DIR.
Fitch, who, as prison physician, had
heard these protestations of innocence from
scores of lips before. However, that is not
question We are discussing at present. Will
Kiveyou oneP''
Heaven helping me. sir, will" aid
Mary Trefoil, evidently affected by his kind.
men.
She walked beside the horse for some lit
es distance, until, down side road which
seemed to piange directly into the woods,
they came to an old gray stone house, ali
mantled In scarlet c.eepers, with back
ground Of gnarled apple-trees, and the
whiE Of gzist-mjll sounding somewhere In
the background like the ceaseless hum of
some gigantic insect.
GOOD afternoon, Mrs. Glover" said Dr..
Fitch, "Have you suited yourself yet with
agirf"
Old Mn. Glover, an apple faced mat,on
rounu. silver.rimmed spectaclea.
sey Keene she's gone into the milnners
trade. and Lucy Hovey, she's-''
well, I've brought yOu One," said Dr..
Fitch "Con'e here, Mary. This is Mary
Tre!oil: With q Quick glance at the silent
fiji. II know who she is, and oan an.
sv:r that she will do her beet to please yor
and make herself useful"
Indeed I will, ma'am." said Mary tn {
.Fo!ke live about herePn said Mrs, Glover
have no relatives" said Mary. II
come from the northern part ofthe county. '
"All the better" said the old lady brisk
y. lyon won't have no followers. Well
Mary, won't deny that am awful glat
out with doing all the work myself TO be
evenings before he goes to teach deestricl
school-for he's scholar, my son is," will
what he can; but q i64n can't do much be-
ddes attending the grist-mill in place lik'
hi.. You look little white aud peaked
''Oh, she'll be all right in this pure air.
With Plenty OF your new milk and home
made bread" said Dr.. Fitch cheeriR. Anf
~ASAA - "OAO " S"O Ol ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS u
xesy Tretoil hs rode away.
Eaarly . msnth later he came back.
'Hulloal" said DR.. Fitch. why, Mary
you look like different creature"
Mn. Glover had gone to church with he
son Daniel and father" all undismaye(
by The occasional fakes of snow whicl
wese beginning to hutter through the air
and the bowling of the wind down th'
glen.
Mary Teefoil was tripping around tn
kitchen with an unwonted hinge Of colo
in her cheeks, and her soft brown hail
parted from her forehead, and o red rib
bon tied ut the side. She stopped with
n,ilk-ju9 in her hand and looked at Dl
Fitch brightly.
Il am different crea.nze, sir," said she
''thanks 10 you"
so its going right, eh?' said the doctor
"You like the placer"
II am perfectly happy here" safd Mary
'tBrt. oh, doctor, I have no one to consult
and Eve asked myself the question so man
dimes over that everything seem
distorted IN ny eyes. / wOnde
III might dare speak out of my mind t.
"wh.t on earth is the girl talking abouta
::lii could only SEQ the prison chap
''Come, I'll cf1lciate as PRISON chaplain 70
lifetime being" said Or. Fitch good-hu,uor
sd;y' :.5;, "out with your trouble. What
swell. 1t isn't exactly trouble" contesse,
Mary, busyins herself with polishing tn
great red apples which were to be the crown
lLg glory Of the dessert But think
almost certain-that-thetD Daniel Glover
-heetting fond Of me-"
:ts"Hal-lOl" said the doctor.
''Oh, doctor" faltered poor Mary, Tough
Ito tell him all?"
':Hold your tongue" said the docto,
fu,quelX. "A close mouth makes wis
bead. You say you are innocent Of al
thoee charga1" -. .,---..1..s.~
Il ": ~ ianooent!" cried Mary, II am In.
'.vay wslln said Dr. Fitch; ''then you
ARe - good % he Il"
a. And with lev kindly words be rode on
Bat = lr. and Mrs. Glover were comina
a'a's hous tton ehupeh With Dapisl