The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1885-06-25
An EVRNTPUL DAY.


It's those worn out shingles on the
roof" said Mrs. Barr in the melancholy
half whine which was habitual to her.
"The rain leaked in on the boarder's
bureau all night long; and she says she
won't stay here if she isn't to be prop
erly protected against the clements"
jamie tied the last puce- colored tulip
to it's stake and Strengthened herself
up.
1--WE must have the roof mended,"
said she.
who is to do it," sighed Mrs. Barr.
"And ii 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" said Mrs. Barr.
"They shall he fixed, mother" said
jamie.
"Who will do it," iMpatiently re-
peated the widow.
II will" said jamie.
'Thats all nonsensew groanetl Mrs.
Barr.
But jamie had never been more seri-
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 paving 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, II 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. I thought I would tell you in
case of fire, you know, or any other &C.
cident."
Eyes, said JAMIE; but there won't be
an accident"
Mrs. Lepell laughed, and ran back
to the carriage and the impatient col
onel.
And not until then did jamie perceive
that tall, half-grown lad, lurking be-
hind the porch rails, was waiting to
speak with her.
"Who are you?" said jamie. briskly.
"What do you want? No we haven't
any old clothes. If you really want
work you had better 60 on to the new
buildings. about mile up the road.
I dare say they 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, slipping on
her hat and boiling the front door, ran
across the back meadows to Ralph Par
sons carpenter shop, some quarter of a
mile by the wood path.
II want few shingles," said she,
land pound of shingle nails"
"What for?" said Ralph.
mo matter" calmly retorted JAMIE
She nodded good-by and hurried
away under the canopy of pink apple
blossoms.
Ralph looked admiringly after her.
E'She's a regular clipper of a girl,
that jamie Barr" said he. eff ever I'm
able to support a wife that will be the
one I'd choose"
Light as thistledown, jamie hurried
back with her precious bundle of shin
giles, and the pound of nails in her peck
ct.
Nov I'll show him whether I can
mend the roof or not" said she, as
with hammer added to her stock in
trade assembled to the garnet and climb
ed an old little ladder that led out
through a rusty trap door to the STEEP
roof.
The slant was abrupt, the old shin
giles 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 broad gutter. one ell.
bow leaning on the roof, and the other
hand busily tearing away the old shin.
giles and replacing them deity with
overlapping 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 perched
like squirrel on the slantlng roof, the
sound of voices struck on her ear. She
paused to listen.
"Three diamond rings! heard he,
say so herself In the left hand draw,
er.of.some bureau" said the same &C
cents which half an hour hgo had asked
her for charity. :And no one but !,
woman in the house."
'Sure of that, ?" said deeper voice
'Yes. plum sure" was the answer
"And I 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 oil day. The door is bolted, il
it? Wait a minute; I've got a little
joker here as would start any staple:
this side of Denver"
jamie had listened in breathless hor.
ror. In an instant, as it were, she com
pretended tho full danger that men
aced Mrs. Lepell's treasured eo,ee::ns-tn,
three diamond rings that the boarde,
bad once told her were worth thousand
qf dollars. And here she was alone
and helpless. Il, -
Hurriedly she turned over the crisi!
in her mind. If she were to re-entel
the house by the same way in which sh|
had left it; she must certainly meet tn.
taffi4nl. and any resistance which shi
could offer would be speedily oe,yerpow
erred . = = -,
jamie Barr was not one to hesitate
long. While the thoughts yet careeref