The sun., 1884-11-20


parsonage was warm in her praises.
He was a wealthy man, having inher-
tied fortune nom his father, and he
" IS eager 20 help the poor of the par
ish. Susy, having the children under
her control, was able t. point out to
INN many avenues for his charity, and
this added another link to the associa-
( tion that bound them together.
He waa grave. studious man, re-
fined in tasta, and of quiet manner.
and he shrank little from the noisy
DEMONSTRATIONS Of the country people
/ around him. It rested him. after
! round sof calls or the services of the
/ Sabbath, to talk with Susy, TO hear
her low, sweet Voice. and see her quiet,
| refined movements. He heard of the
/ gentle charities she performed when
| ever he was in the cottages of the
very poor, and memory told him what
little household fairy she had been,
even when child.
/ So III the winter evenings, In the
! spring walks. he let hisheart go out to
/ Susv, and gatleY her image into its
deepest reeesses, while she. unconscious
Of her own secret, felt that there was
no happiness. so profoand as Cyrus
broughtby his mere presence. 1t was
quiet. uneventfui courting for SIX
long months. but it bound two hearts
firmly together for life. And Joe, look
ing on, understood vaguely that Susy
was happy when Cyrus was near, that
"a service performed for Cyrus pleased
Susy as we'll. And as events pro-
gressed be understood that Cyrus
weum one day take Susy to the par
sonage as his wife, and that Susv
would be happy there. All this firmly
rooted in poor Joes clouded brain, and
he knew that trouble to Cyrus would be
sore grief also TO Susy.
So with an allegiance that was
touching, Joe transferred some of his
attention 70 the Young clegvman, and
when he was at the farm would mutter
often:
"Susy likes him, Joe must be good to
him, because Susv likes him.
He was grateful for the kindly words OF
Cyrus, his many gifts Of clothing and !
monev: but the great claim that he held !
over Joe was the fact that to please him !.
was to give Susv pleasure.
Summer sunshine was ripening the /
grain and the berries were In ripes. |
clusters, when Susy had an entire month |
of leisure for the school holiday, and /
Cyrus won from her promiss toresign |
her place and be lris wifein September. /
Her simple outit becameh r daily task, |
and the CoIlingvoods' lent willing !
hands TO prepare for the wedding Joe |
was made entirely happy By promise
OF a home at the parsonage, and the /
long summer days seemed too short Tor /
the happiness that filed them.
It was nearly two miles from the !
parsonage to the Collingwood farm, but
there were few evenings when Cyrus /
failed to walk from his house TO Susrs I
for an hour or two OF the sweet COM
panioGship he loved. And his way led /
him through lonely stretch of country, |
whare the farms were scattered far |
apart, for Mr.. Collingwood had bought /
a farm at some distance from the vii
lage
-- By what instinct Joe knew that there /
might be danger lurking In the road / |
can not e1 plain, but il became his habit, I
solely Of his own will to follow CYRUS |
Portman out of sight himself, till he |
saw him safely within his house, and /
then limp back again to his own barn
chamber. It NAV have been that the |
talk of the farm hands abont some of |
the crimes perpetrated by tramps con-
veyed warming TO his weakened mind. /
But whatever the motive, he was con-
slant III his unsupported attendance.
The Rev. Cyrus Portman, secure of /
his. peace in the love of his congregation,
thinking MS village home ever secure
from danger of robbery, or even the |
fear of theft. was careless of the fact
that it was known he carried about him
large sums of money. He drew his in
eome quarterly from a Boston bank,
and was apt to carry large rolls of bank
notes In his pocket book, ready for his
own expenses and charities. He wore
diamond studs and finger ring and
heavy gold watch and chain.
All these facts becoming known to
Bob Carter, Joe's old tormentor, led to
the fact that proved the idiots deepest
devotion to Susy. One of the tramps
seeking employment at Brent Hill,
proving a genial companion for Bob
Carter in his drinking frolics and idle
life. became his guest, and the two, un-
der inhaence of liquor resolved to rob
the parson.
He's bound to have a pocket full of
money" Bob said, "and we're half
starved! Well make it more equal
likel"
So it befel that one August night,
when there was no moon, Joe, faithfully
trudging upon his self appointed task of
seeing Susv's lover safe in his own home.
saw two men spring upon him as he
passed high hedge.
Taken entirely by surprise, Cyrus
Portman turned to his assallants and
fought for his possessions with the cour-
age of truly brave man. But they
were two to one, and had thrown HIM
down, when Bob, Carter, lifting form
liable club Of. wood, ordered him to
give up his money and@watch. Instead
of complying he struggled more fiercely
to free himself from the grasp of the
other ruffian. -l
3 "You will have it, then," growled
Bob. lifting the club, and surely there
would have been An end of all Susy's
dreams of happiness, had not Joe, with
a cry utterly indescribable, flung him
self between the heavy murderous wea-
pom and Cyrus Portman.
Down came the wood with - sicken-
ing crash upon the idiots back and
head, and Cyrus Portman, with sud-
den wrench, freed himself as the tramp
dodged back TO avoid the blows. At
this moment the voices of party of
village merry makers we're heard COM
ing mp the road. and the would be rob-
bers and assassins turned and fed.
The calls of the clergyman hurried
the stops OF the farmer lads coming
home, and the well-known voices of the
ColinGxood- boys were soon heard in
Eager exclNnations RI
:. La hurried words the young cler9y- I
explained the situsticr. s-S-s--E
Poor Joel' he said, looking up as he
knelt 70. examine the PROSTATE body.
am afraid his devotion has cost him his