, 1889-04-14

hundred now-an' it's goin' ter kill me
an all the rest of 'em ter run that. An
bout the money-ef ye amt got huff
why l have, an jist's soon let ye have
two or three hundred for a year or SOS
not. I'm somethin' of a hurry, Wilson,
but mind, ] mean what 1 say. Good
mornin'."
Good morning" repeated the aston
ished Wilson, as with open mouth he
looked after the ~retreating figure of the
farmer.
What under the SUMS got into him
can is really be the old man?' he thought
to himself. Yes, there was no installing
those home made suspenders-both fast
ened to one overworked button.
Though Neighbor Wilson was COM
pletely Thunderstorm, and rode with his
head twisted round, looking after the OBJ
ject of his establishment till he was
nearly thrown from his wagon by a bad
stump, he was still the happiest man In
all the Badger state. Then he turned
and drove f~uriously back home to aston
ish his family with the glad news.
All this time the cause of his past mis-
cry and present happiness was making
good time toward the dreaded interview.
He had not intended to stop again, but a
CHEEKY GOOD morning, Mr.. S~anbourn,"
from the yard of a poor renter near the
NAPLES, broke the current of his thoughts
just MS he was preparing himself to meet
the worst.
THAT you, Martha2 Well, good
mornin'. I'm in n hurry, but glad ye
spoke after oil. How'd ye like goin' up
an helpin' Mrs. Sanbourn for q couple
weeks or such a matter, p'ra'ps longer?
That is II yer mother can spare We. I'll
do what's right by ye-two dollars a
week-if thatn do. It's most too much
for Mary to feed an run us all. Go right
up IN help her get dinner, eff yer can,
N I'll pay ye from this mornin'."
The girl was as much astonished
us Neighbor Wilson had been. She had
helped them once before In "thresh-
ing time" and got only n dollar for q
weeks hard work. Compared with this,
the present offer was dazzling. So before
her employer was many rods away she
was off, with q light heart, to help at tho
great white house.
Naturally a bashful man, Farmer
John us he opened the gate almost wish
ed himself ut work again in the pasture.
But his mind was made up, and brush
ing the hayseed from his overalls, he re-
adjusted the old hat, rolled down his
sleeves and started in.
The neat appearance of the walk and
other evidences Of thrift which abounded
were not lost on the visitor. lie knocked
on the door and Mrs. Baldwin met him
with q puzzled look on her face, but
gave him a kindly good morning." and
when he entered Helen herself offered
him the great armchair.
The pale face and troubled eyes of the
girl were kind enough, but something in
them sent n pang of pity into the old
mans softening heart. He had always
said it was only the money Will might
get that made her partial 10 him, but
during the day he had thought there
might DO something else, and now he
knew there was.
Pretty fair weather for the time o.
year." he at length said, after an awk-
ward silence in which tho measured tick
of the old clock seemed to gain in vol
ume ut every swing.
He would not have said ever this had
he known what the weather was, for q
strong spring shower had beer gathering,
and was about to break on the cottage.
A moment later it did break, and what
to do or say next the old man did not
know.
When he came in they were about to
spread the table for dinner, and after
some delay country demanded
that they should proceed. Farmer John
watched them closely, hoping a third
plato would not make its appearance on
the snowy cloth. But it was placed
there, and when dinner was ready Mrs.
Baldwin with q pleasant smile asked
him to sit up and eat with them.
In vain the old man declared he was
not hungry-that he had just eaten a
very late breakfast-and that he hadn't
q very good appetite anyway. Tho rain
kept pouring down, and in spite of him
self Farmer John found himself seated
ut the table with Helen and her mother.
AS Don as they were seated Mrs. Bald
win glanced quietly at her neighbor, and
then proceeded TO ask a plain, old fash
toned blessing. Farmer John had asked
blessing-but that was before the new
barn was built-for somehow during the
hurry and worry of the time, blessings
were often left out, and finally dropped
altogether. To be sure they were re-
newed the spring little Ben's sleeping
place was changed from the warm room
off the kitchen to the narrow bed in the
old orchard, but only for q year or 30,
and now it was never done.
Perhaps the old mans conscience was
disturbed-by this omission-we cannot
say as to that-but somewhere in his
crusty heart there was n lingering re-
spect for those who did not omit it that
gave them n warm corner where warm
corners were exceedingly scarce. Nor
can we say whether it was this or the de-
sire to say something in the right place
that caused him at the close of the bless
ing 10 astonish MS hostess with n very
hearty amen.
OF course Mrs. Baldwin and her daugh-
ter were puzzled as to the object of the
old mans visit. Mrs. Baldwin thought
possibly it was some matter of business,
but his evident embarrassment about in
Producing it was inexplicable.
Helen, who never thought of John
Sanbourn except in connection with Will