Beverly banner. [volume] (Beverly, N.J.) 1877-1964, 1885-08-01
AN EVENTFUL DAY,


AN EVENTFUL DAY.
cts those worn-out shingles on the
roof said Mrs. Barr, in the melan-
choly half whine which was habitual
to her. "The rain leaked in Oh the
boarder's bureau all night long; and
she says she won't stay here if she isn't
to be properly protected against the
elements"
jamie tied the last puce-c olored tulip
to its stake and Strengthened herself
up.
eve 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 won't go away, mother, never
fear,' said jamie brightly. Don't
fret. You'll see that things will come
right"
"But the shingles must be fixed right
away, sali Mrs. barr.
"They shall be fixed, mother, said
jamie.
"Who will do it?" impatiently re-
peated the widow.
II will" said jamie.
"That's all nonsense !" groaned Mrs.
Barr.
But jamie had never been more SER
iously in earnest in all her life.
Mrs. Barr went to the parish sewing
society that afternoon.
Colonel Addison, from the Valley
hotel, who was paying his addresses to
Mrs. LeTMai, 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 25 yards away from the
house.
"Janie," she said, al forgot to tell
you that | left my three diamond rings
in the little left hand drawer of the
bureau. | might lose them in the
water. thought l would tell you in
case of fire, you know, or any other
accident"
"Yes," said jamie; "but there won't
be any accident"
Mrs. Depell laughed, and ran back
to the carriage and the impatient
colonel.
And not until then did Jane per-
ceive that a tall, halfgrown lad, lurk-
ing behing the porch rails, was waiting
to speak with her.
"Who are you p said jamie, brusque-
ly. "What do you want! No,
we haven't any old clothes. If you
really want work you had better 90 on
to the new buildings; about mile up
the.road. 1 dare say you can find
something for you to do there"
The lad mumbled out something,
whether thanks or otherwise jamie
could not discriminate, and shuffied
away. And our heroine, slipped on
her hat and boiling the front door, ran
across the back meadows to Raj phi
Parsons carpenter shop, some quarter
of mile by the wood path.
81 want few shingles" said she,
"and pound of single nails"
"What for?" said Ralph.
mo matter" calmly retored jamie.
She nodded good-by and hurried
away under the canopy of pink apple
blossoms.
Ralph looked admiringly after her.
"She's regular clipper of girl,
that jamie Barr!" said he. eff ever
I'm able to support wife, that will be
the one I'd choose"
Light as a thistledown, Jane hurried
back with her precious bundle. of
shingles, and the pound of nails in her
pocket.
"Now I'll show him whether l can
mend the roof or not" said she, as with
a hammer added to her stock in trade,
she ascended to the garnet and climbed
an odd little ladder that led out through
rusty trap door to the steep roof.
The slant was abrupt, the old shing-
les were wet with the recent rain and
slippery with green moss incrustations
but jamie Barr was not one lightly tC
be discouraged, and presently she found
herself neatly balanced, with her feet
braced against the gutter, one elbow
leaning on the roof, and the other hand
busily tearing away the old shingles
and replacing them deity with over
tapping rows of new, fragrant wood.
The click of the hammer, the ring
of the nails was like music in her ears
Suddenly, however, as she sat perchec
like a squirrel on the slanting roof, the
sound of voices struck her ear. She
paused to listen.
"Three diamond rings! | heard hel
say so herself. In the left hand drawer
of some bureau" said the same accents
which half an hour ago had asked hel
for charity. "And no one but woman
in the house."
"Sure of that ?" said a deeper voice
eyes, plum sure" was the answer
"And | wouldn't wonder if there wer'
other things for the picking up"
"Come on, then, said the other one
"an step lively. We can't stand her,
jawing all day. The door is bolted, il
it2 Wait minute I've got littl'
joker here as would start any staple
/ this side Of Denver.
jamie had listened in breathless hor