St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-08-19
AN EVENTUAL DAY.
The Incidents That Led up TO
Proposal.

stay here if she isn't to be properly pro-
tected against the elements"
jamie tied the last puc-cOlored tulip to its
stake and Strengthened herself up.
1--WE must have the roof mended," said
she.
''Who is to do it?" sighed Mrs. Barr.
''And if Mrs. Lepell goes away what shall
we do about the interest on your fathers
old note?"
''She wont go away, mother, never fear, 3"
said jamie, brightly. Don't fret You'll
see that things will come right"
But the shingles must be fixed right
away" said Mrs. Barr.
''They shall be fixed, mother" said
jamie.
''Who will do ito" impatiently repeated
the widow.
''Iwill"' said jamie.
''That's all nonsenser' groaned Mrs.
Barr.
But jamie had never been more seriously
in earnest in her life.
Mrs. Barr went to the parish sewing So
ciety that afternoon.
Col. Addison, from the Valley hotel, whs
was paying his addresses TO Mrs. Lepell,
the boarder, came with a spirited horse and
buggy to take her to the sea-beach.
Now is my time" said jamie, eXult
antly, to herself.
But Mrs. Lepell came back before she
had got twenty-five yards away from the
house.
jamie" she said, 81 forgot to tell you
that l left my three diamond rings in the
little left-hand drawer of the bureau. |
might lose them in the water l thought l
would tell you in case of fire, you know, or
any other accident"
U''Yes," said SAME; ''but there wont be
any accident"
Mrs. Lepell laughed and ran back to the
carriage and the impatient colonel
And not until then did jamie perceive
that a tall, half-grown lad lurking behind
the porcll-rails, was waiting to speak with
her.
''Who are you?" said jamie, brlskly.
'What do you want? No, we haven't any
old clothes. Ifyou really want work, you
had better 90 on to the new buildings, about
a mile up the road. / dare say they can
find something for you to do there
The lad mumbled out something, whether
thanks or otherwise jamie could not dis
eliminate, and shuffled away. And our
heroine, slipping on her hat and boiling the
front door, ran across the back meadows to
Ralph Parsons carpenter shop, some quar-
81 want few shingles" said she, ''and
pound of single nails"
what fOr?" said Ralph.
mo matter" calmly retOrted jamie.
She nodded goodbye and hurried away
under the canopy Of pink and apple bios
SONS,
''Sho's regular clipper of a girl that
jamie Bari" said he. IF ever l am able
to support a wife, that will be the one I'd
choose
Light as a thistledOwn, jamie hurried
back with her precious bundle of shingles,
and the pound of nails in her pocket
''NOw, I'll show him whether / can
mend the roof or not" said she, as with a
hammer added to her stock in trade, she
assembled to the garnet and climbed an odd
little ladder that led out through a rusty
trap-door to the steep roof.
The slant was abrupt. the old shingles
were wet with the recent rain and slippery
with green moss incrustatiOns. but jamie
Barr was not one lightly 10 be discouraged.
and presently she found herself neatly
balanced with her feet braced against the
broad gutter, one elbow leaning on the
roof, and the other hand busily tearing
away the old shingles and replacing them
deftly with overlapping lows of new, fra
grant wood.
The click Of the hammer. the ring of the
nails was like music in her ears. Sud
denly, however, as she sat perched like a
Squirrel on the Slanting roof, the sound of
voices struck her ear. She paused to lis
ten.
Three diamond rings! I heard her say
so herself. In the left hand drawer OF
SEINE bureau" said the same accents which
half an hour ago had asked her for charity
And no one but woman i'm the house -
''Sure OF that?" said Il deeper voice.
Eyes. plum sure" was the answer.
"And [ wouldn't wonder if there were
other things for the picking up"
Come on, them" said the other one:
land step lively. We can't stand here
jawing all day. The door is bolted, is it:
Wait a minute; I've got little joker here
aswould start any staples this side of Den
YER"
jamie had listened in breathless horror.
In an instant, as it were, she comprehended
the full danger that menaced Mrs Lepell's
treasured gems-the three diamond rings
that the boarder had once told her were
worth thousands of dollars. And here she
was alone and helpless.
HuTliediy she turned over the crisis in
her mind. If she were to re-enter the
house by the same way in which she haC
left it, she must certainly meet the ruffians
and any resistance which she could Offer
would be speedily overpowered.
jamie Barr was not one to hesitate long
While the thoughts yet careered through
her brain, she sDrang from the caves int
the blooming boughs of the great cherr,
tree which grew SO close to the house thai
its branches Scraped the roof on windy
March days.
twas hazardous thing for any one t.
dO who was NOT swift of limb onJ ooo,,.o ~
of eye; but jamie alghted, like cat. in tn,
fork of the tree, climbed lightly down unit
she reached its lower bOugh. and thence
leaped breathlessly to the ground. spring
ing swiftly across the meadows to Ralph
Parsons carpenter shop.
Jamie. what is it?'
Ralph Parsons himself rose up out of tn,
green hedges. directly across her path
Il was drinking at the ice-cold spring.
he said, when L heard your footsteps
What is it?"
She told him as well as she could for ex
element and breathlessness.
eco me-" she cried. ''Oh, do max,
haster'
lie paused only to blow a small willow
whistle which hung on his steel watch
guard.
That will bring my worl1men." he said
It's signal we have agreed upon, anon.
ourselves, for just such an emergency a
this. You and Jones, jamie. shall o,
around TO the back door Hall and Robin.
will watch the front, and I'll 90 up ant
settle the fellows"
jamie glanced with shy admiration int.
his set, determined face. After all. it wa
something to be man.
The little campaign was skillfully con
Quoted. The two thieves were taken rcd