Montgomery County sentinel., 1890-07-18

AN EvENTFUL DAY.


roof, said Mrs. Barr in the melancholy
half whine which was habitual to her.
"rhe 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
properly protected against tho elements !"
jamie tied the last puce-colored tulip
to its stake and Strengthened herself up.
"We 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 y
"She won't 90 away, mother, never
fear" said jamie, brightly. "Don't fret.
You'll see that things will come right" T"
"But the shingles must be fixed right
away" said Mrs. Barr.
"They shall be fixed, mother" said
jamie.
"Who will do it?" impatiently re-
peated the widow.
81 will |" said jamie.
"Thats all nonsense |" groaned Mrs.
Barr.
But jamie had never been more seri-
ously in earnest in all her life.
Mrs. Barr went to the parish sewing
society that afternoon.
Col. Addison, from the Valley Hotel,
who was paying his addresses to Mrs.
Lepell, the boarder, came in buggy to
take her to the sea beach.
"Now is my time" said jamie oxult-
ingly to herself.
But Mrs. Lepell came back before
she had got twenty-five yards away from
the house.
"Janio," she said, IL forgot to tell
you that left my three diamond rings
in the left hand drawer of the bureau.
| might lose them in the water. |
thought would tell you in case of fire,
you know or any other accident
EYES," said jamie "but there won't
be any accident"
Mrs. Lepoll laughed and ran back to
the carriage and the impatient colonel.
And not until then did jamie per-
ceive that tall, half-grown lad lurking
behind 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 go on TO the new
buildings about mile up the road. |
dare say they can find something for you
to do there"
The lad mumble1 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 Parsons
carpenter shop, some quarter of mile
by the wood path.
81 want few shingles" she said,
"and u pound of shingle nails .
"What for p said Ralph.
"No matter" calmly retorted jamie.
She nodded good-by and hurried away
under the canopy of pink apple BIOS
SONS.
Ralph looked admiringly after her.
"Shc's a regular clipper OF girl,
that jamie Bar" said he IL ever I'm
able to support 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 pocket
"Now, I'll show him whether can
mend the roof or not" she said, as with
hammer added TO her stock in trade
she assembled to the garret and climbed
an odd little door that led up through
the rusty trap door to the steep roof
The slant was abrupt, the odd shin
giles were wet with the recent rains and
slippery with green moss incrustations,
but jamie Barr was not one lightly 10
be discouraged, aad presently she found
herself neatly balanced, with her feet
braced against the broad gutter, ono
elbow leaning on the roof and the handi
busily tearing away the old shingles and
replacing them deftly with overlapping
rows Of new, fragrant wood.
The click of the hammer, the ring o
the nails we're like music in her ears
Suddenly, however, as she sat perched
like a squirrel on the slanting roof, thu
sound Of voices struck on her ear. Sh'
paused to listen.
"Three diamond rings! heard he
say TO herself Tn the loft hand drawe
Of some bureau" said the same accent
which half an hour ago had asked 70
her charity. "And no one but VIC
man in the house"
"Surc of that !" said deeper voice
"Yes, plum sure" was the answel
! "And | wouldn't wonder il there wer
| Al a.