Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-08-18

Ns.'vv''io "ili smallpox we're no longer mere
visitors. bat naturalized inhabitants, pre-
eented with the freedom of tho city, and
Tor one chicken that had formerly strayed
from Mrs. ADbo'ps fOwl-yard into the hut
ot hungry cOolio there were now seven,
PLAINLY showing that the moro equal distri-
button OF tho good things Of this world
IS the direct product o. civilization. But
TOT the prolon ,ation Of TIE line the simple
nativee OF Pegiri would havc been content
WITH robh'ng Mrs. AhhOtts hCnrCOsts once
week. Now tnc minis er and his wife re-
yelled no more frequently IN the cOnaump-
ton Of fowls. roast, boiled. or curried, than
the deserving natives who surrounded.
them. Another result, and one which
struck the Abb0tts IS being moro dis
tinc'ly advantageous, was that their
social circle had gained by the arrival
Of tho English engineers Not one
Of thom was Of the missionary's way Of
thinking on religious matters, but he was
q tolerant man. and permitted himself TO
enjoy pleasant chat with son OF Belial
now and then on topics purely worldly.
Indeed before long the bungalow became
q much-iavored resort Of several Of the
newcomers, with whom Mrs. Abbott was
doservcily popular, and hardly GA evening
passed 81 bout one or more turning IN at
tae cate for TN hours smoke ~ tho veran-
da and a bit % harmless gossip with the
kept herself "A good deal IN the back
ground on thcsc occasions, was happier at
pagirl than she had ever been be-
fore in her life. The soothing warmth
" the atmosphere. both moral and
climatic. had done wonderful things
for her, and she began at length
To- look her age. At two. years old
she might have been - hundred, Of fifteen
fhfrtv-tve, and at twcnty fifty. Now she
was twenty-five and looked Il. The PANIED,
drawn expression had LETT her face; her
smooth skin had taken FAINT tinge Of
pink: her white dress vas made with less
regard for economy than the gray. linen,
and she had developed latent genius for
housekeeping and handy, helpful way
which made her friends regard hey az .
valuable acquisition 10 thor household
and congratulate themselves upon her re-
lection ~ % Wissi0nary's wife.
She is reserved for sOme other late, my
dear" Mr.. Abbott had said TO his wife with
some s0leUnity as they sat together IN tho
vcrqnda ono afternoon six months after
Patience had become an inmate OF their
house. Predestlnation is at the bottom
of it. you may depend. Providence inter-
Ycuod on her bohalf.'
at was time somebody did" answered
his wife. rather irrcyoreuty. Poor child,
abe has had q sad life. and / think she must
have been half starved into the bargain,
now TINT see the difference being here has
made i'm her. I shouldn't be surprised If
she married and lett US after all. She isn't
80 very lame, and she's a nice, sweet
tempered, handy little thing"
Patience, who was layin. the dinner
table. uuintcntionGlly overho ri these re-
marks. and bin he'd and trcmbled, startled
boy the JOYOUS leap her heart gave. and half
afraid 10 contemplate the wonderful vista
of possibilities which Mrs. AbbOt's words
had opened ont before her timid eyes. For
she had lost her heart, and without the
slightest announcement. Among tho ell
ginccrs was one who had lived for some
years in the district. He had lost his wife
when his little bow w9g born, and the child
was now four wears old, strong and hearty
for one reared in the East. but to an eye
accustomed 20 English babies. only poor
little scrap. John Graham was crave he
vOnd his years, (Which were thlrty-hYe)
hut kindly and gently with women and de
voted d his little Jack. In his profession
hc Vas highly esteemed, aud by all held to
be an upright and honorable man, though
more reserved than many of his associates
quite understood or apprOved. His reserve
had broken down before Mrs. Abbotts
mothcrly concern for his child's welfare,
ard almost ever evening, when the little
fellow was in bid he would come over
from his unhomclike shantv and SIT
smoking, for the most part IN silence, IN the
missiOnary's Veranda. He never omitted,
however, to pay bis respects 10 Mrs. Alb
bolt and Patience, whom he treated with
IA much courtesy as II she were Il
Ouepu. and often allowed himself to stay
awhile when the others were gone, chat
ting on q variety of subjects with the two
wumen-subjccts on which with the world
a, large he kept his own counsel. II was q
sort of worship which the girl gave 10 the
tall, crave man. They We're too VIDE apart
for l0,o-indcad, thCre was something al
most ludicrOus IN the mere suggestion OF
such a thing. and Patience's cheeks burned
when she thought of 1t, and she rated her
self sOundly for giving way, even tor mo
mcnt. t. the wild flight her Imagination
had taken when she heard herself pro-
nOunCed not unmarriagc1ble.
Mrs Abbott had carefully kept thesecret
OF patiencc's rejection from the gOssps ol
Pagiri, but she could not close the mouths
Of all those young witnesses
of the incidont-who were now scattered
broadcast tArOugh The district rs mission
aries wiyer. Graham rarely left Pagu1,
where he was in charge of the works; but
others went further atield, and one evening
vouny jameson came back from Pambn
with % wonderful tale 10 tell, and brought
n STRAIGHT 10 the engineers Office, where
they had just knocked OF work.
lyon know that girl up at old Abbotts,'
he said to his Chum. while Graham, unno-
ticol, was turning over some papers al ms
desk Weli-w0uld Won believe she
,y1s 81, wild TO get married that she left her
Good horne in Wales and came out here SIX
months 900 with lot of others, IN spite OF
her oeoulc's wishes, TO be married 10 ono OF
the bachelor ml.SlCn9rlC3-aud not one OF
Them would have her. | suppose they bad
been warned of the Eighty sort OF young
woman she Was. 50 she was IN NEE TX,
and Mrs. Abbott had TO ask her 10 come
and stay with her till she could md some
thing To DO. for She missionary society re-
fused 10 give the girl her passaSe-money
back { England"
wei. she's q deep ono. then; she looks
ne if butter wouldn't melt in her mouth.
Where did Won hear the story ..
"Oh. g. fcllo., who had been up a. katah
fold ne. The missionary has the only
bungalow i'm The place 50 he was staying
there. and Mr.. Missionary, who was one OF
the cargo herself. told him." ,...
"Exacueut authority. no doubt inter
rupted Graham. perhaps Won might near
10 the disadvantage Of the LACY
at katal If you asked Miss owen. II
would be q valuable addition % Your col
lection Of Oucot Stories and make You
welcome Guest nc some houses where gos-
ain ttlor0rghlv appreciatcd.' And Ora
lam. Who rarel, spoke 90 his suhordinates
ave on matters Of businos gathered mp
his panors. and LETT the two young men
unoiriaiu whether 90 DE more surprised or
offended bV his observations.
Graham himself WAC Gisgustcd. lie did
not believe that what he bad just heard was
correct ia AL .ts details, but lie feared that
The main fac. that of Pauence's hsyiaG
como ont 10 Shiharore TO bc mlrrled, Na53
likolvtohetrue. ItwasaShOckto HIM tohpd
thst tho demuro LITTLE woman with me
sweet voice and quiet WAYS. whom he nag
,e,t 10 Ike almost iuselsibly, was alter All
nothing (ut a vulgar Eusbaud-hun;er, and
ne WAS panied and lrrltated by the lcea.
His horror of gossip forbade ms broachlng
the subject to Mrs ABBOTT. so he put II
,way - the back of his mind, and, hut for
n sl.cht shade of GOODNESS IN his manner 10
Patience. IL produced no outward enect.
l}ut. keenN alive 10 all hat concerned Ora
hor's intercourse with herself, PATIENCE
immediately perceived the change. ana,
conscious of tho weak place in her armor;
concluded that the hated incident had
been made known to him. Her face began
nuco more TO assume the carcworn express
SON which her kind friends bad be
I;eved FINISHED forever, and she no
moor sapg ns she went about her WORK.
r-l1.o come no less frequently to