The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1888-02-25

noon was almost over, ana the gas, Just
lighted in the pubic house next door to
the Brady's shone out through the red
curtains and made the wet street darker
and colder. Cass looked out at the gray
water and the moored boats and shivered,
and up at the starless sky and shivered
again. There was no one to talk to and
nothing to look at. The Hard was desert
ed. Presently sailor passed Cass, and
said, Goodnight, me dear" familiarly.
Goodnight" said Cass, friendly ever,
whether to friend or stranger. GLOW long
have l been yer dear?'
Her mother, sewing in her shop, raised
her eyes from her work just then, and
called to her in fiat, level tones to come
indoors; and Cass at her leisure obeyed
"What be doin' there? You'm aways
in tn streets" said her mother. And the
remonstrance was spoken, not querulously,
not anxiously, in a dull, grim, even way of
her own. take an bide in, can't ZEE?
IS no good to be got in tn streets. An
Jim don't like to see 'ee Get an apern
an sit down descent"
Cass had some rudimentary notion of
filial Difference, but none of wifely. She
opened a drawer in the counter and took
an apron and some needle work therefrom,
aud doomed the former as symbol of de-
cency, whilst she threaded a needle with a
yard of cotton So much was in Difference
to her mothers prejudices; but she protest
ed against her lovers.
"If Jim don't like my ways" she said,
leaning against the wall to sew and putting
visible stitches in some cotton garment,
and speaking with a little jerk between the
stitches, che can find one whose ways he do
like. amt so bent on marryin' jim"
"He's stiddy man, said Mrs. Brady,
cheerlessy in an absent-minded way, as one
who speaks in the present with her thoughts
in the past 'They'm none so easy found.
"If Jim thinks care" said Cass, in
consequently, but fiereely, Il don't. Jims
took up with tn preachin now'-jerk, and
a bigger stitch than usual in the white cal
ico-"he'd bes' marry one o they"
Mrs. Brady was sewing, too, slowly and
monotonously, with an action as unlike her
daughters as was possible. "There was
yer father" she said; shed niver good
word for tn chapel folk; an as fur stiddi-
ness, he drinked 'nself to death, an that
you know
There was moral somewhere connected
with these "reminiscences, but Mrs. Brady
was too depressed to point it clearly. Clss
pursued her own line ofthought unchecked.
"There's Emily" she said. "If he
wants a saint he'd bes take up with Emily.
I'm willin'"
Conversation between Cass and her moth
er tended to become soliloquy. Mrs.
Brady took up the thread of her own re-
flections "The life | led within" she
said, "If TIL Lord d sin fit to take n
twenty years afore He did, twould been all
for tn best, an I'd been thankful. But
there! | lived with n; nobody else knew
n in same way. But Jim, he's a stiddy
man"
Cass smiled little involuntarily and
drew out her cotton with more gentleness.
1t was not unpleasing to her TO hear Jim's
praises sung.
AN serious thinkin', added her mother.
'sHe was fond O 'ee-a while back he was.
Emly's quieter spoken an not so took up
wi til men,
If there were gaps in her mothers train
of reasoning Cass was quick-witted and
filled them up. She was seized with
sudden restlessness and took her needle
work to the door, where, however, it was
too dark to sew. The wind swept in coldly
from the sea, and blew about her hair and
her dress, and increased her restlessness
She put up her arms and clasped her hands
behind her head and looked up the street,
where the lights seemed brighter. Pres
emily came a step she knew, and she turned
quickly and looked out at sea into the
darkness.
The step was firm and heavy-not
slothful and not hurried step-the step
of a man with goodly length and strength
of limb. 1t stopped where Cass was stand
ing in the doorway.
"Oh it's you" she said, looking round
for moment and looking away again.
''Its dull to-night-not soul about
The man before her was tall, broad
shouldered young fellow, who wore blue
darned fsherman's jersey, and whose face
and throat and brawny hands and wrists
were tanned with sea, air, and sun. His
eyes were frank, straight-glancing, uneom-
promising. His lips were firm and little
stern. Both eyes and lips looked as though
they seldom smiled.
"Come indoors, Cass, he said, and he
spoke authoritatively and little YEARLY
."Are you goin in? | shant, then,
said Cass. Its dulier still indoors.
Jim took OH his wooilen cap and shock
the rain from 1t, and did not speak.
"Emly's indoors, continued Cass; you
can 60 an sit wi her. She's lifted COM
pany n me. | amt no saint, an don
set up to be-
There's nothip' to be proud of in that,
Cass, said the man with grave, perhaps
irritating forbearance.
II don know said Cass. ''They'm a
poor set, poor pasty-faee' lot-if Emly's
pattern. I'd be ashamed to look on the
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