Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1890-11-28

was strongly suggestive of pies-pumpkin
pies. Miss Melinda, standing elbow deep
in -four, and the tall, handsome figure
leaning In the doorway was looking on
with much approval
"How very fortunate that 1 did not leave
with the summer, or L would never have
known Thanksgiving feast in your charm
ing homeland prepared by your charming
self" the young man said, smiling blandly.
swell, you might not have missed much"
she answered with sidelong glance that
seemed to invite further compliments.
Miss Melinda was not q bad looking wo-
man for one who was dangerously near the
forties, and was as strongly inclined to
spar with Cupid as she had been in her
younger days. But then, urged perhaps by
the innate cruelty and bouyancy of youth,
she had fought that smiling god too savage
ly; now, in later years, with growing APP
probation of his many charms and graces,
she tried to woo him back by gentle, coax
ing ways.
In the garments Of more than one fash
ionable tailor he had returned to trouble
and torture her, invariably retreating with
broken engagement to his credit of
which she had not been the breaker. A
new guise-as a summer boarder-and
Miss Melinda, feeling sure that this was
the right man at last, had fixed up her cap
with new strings and set it for his wander
ing feet
AS She was known to possess a small
fortune besides the farm, and had some
personal beauty to boot, man might do
worse than alloy himself with a self-sup-
1t1ra 4
Mr.. Remington Hall, their summer
boarder.
After n careful survey of the field and
of the one opposing force, in the person of
Mr.. Jefferson Blake, an awkward but hon.
est villager who had been the favored one
before his advent, the enterprising Hall
entered into the pursuit Of fortune with
all the ardor and zeal of foreign prince.
His rival was fairly well-to-do, bore an
excellent character, and had shown an
ability to care and do for himself, all of
which qualities were enough-and more
than enough to blast his matrimonial hopes
in America
''Do you intend to marry this Hall, and
still keep on a workin' the farm yourself,
millRin' and maxim butter, an him a sittin'
round smolSin' all the timel" JEFF. had asked
her quite plainly one day.
"Who says intend to marry Hall9" she
asked.
"The village,n said jeff, decisively.
"Well," said Miss Melinda, after think
ting awhile, "s'pose was to marry you, as
we once planned, what could you do for
mer'
JEFF. IS big brown eyes filed with tears.
s'Do for you'll" he echoed, II could work
4 al ,,t,,,,
lovin' an worshipin' you"
Miss Melinda, with the average woman's
fondness for honeyed words, whether from
the right man or wrong man, listened with
much complacence, finally dropping her
hand down carelessly by her side, not far
away from her lovers mouth, for he was
leaning up against the porch on which she
sat.
JEFF, whose sense of vision must have
been blurred with trouble, did not notice
1t, and with little sigh he went on;
e"And what can Hall do for you, I'd like
to know, when he hasn't laid by penny
for himselfl He's the kind of chaps thai
expects other folks will lay by for him.
He's after your money, Melinda, that's
what he's after as sure as / live" de-
clared JEFF, with unusual holiness.
The lady drew back her hand with an
offended air.
MAYBE Hall don't do anything, but
can tell you where he's far ahead of you,"
she said with queer look in her eyes
che don't miss anything" and with this
strange reply she left him.
Notwithstanding the GOODNESS between
them JEFF went up to Melhda's quite often,
determined TO keep a watch on the new
conner, and IL the latter's fortune showed
sians Of waning TO try hi ovr again.