The morning call., 1892-08-14


dancng with the keeneSt delight.
jim said the dumplings were first-rate"
she said. Thank you, Charlotte ever sol!
CHAPTER IL
1t was Sunday, bright Sunday in April.
and nearly three months bad gone by since
Mrs. Maylin'S death. To Barbara the weeks
in passing had seemed far shorter than aGy
weeks in her life before. Her time her
thoughts, her energies. had been fully oceu-
pied during every single day in each of them.
Besides her own great ana passionate long
ing to make Jim happy, she had an intense
anxiety to justify the trust for which she
bad pleaded, and to win from Liza an
acknowledgment that she was able to do
what she had undertaken. For the first
few days she had gone about her work with
a sinking at her childish heart and a ner-
vous dread Of finding something before her
too difficult for even her loving energy to
master.
Perhaps there's things as Pm too little
for" the child had said to herself teGrfully.
But her successful experience with the
washing had gone far To give Is sTbara
courage, and even the difficulty of ironing
and getting ND the shirts vanished under the
child's steady determination and CharlOtte's
suggestive hints. And Barbara's know
ledge of cooking was very taIly cOmpipte
now, thanks 10 her quick intelligence ana
minute remembrance Of her mothers WAYS
There's no pudding L don't know nowr'
she said joyfuiiy to Mrs. Smith. who had
come in one day TO see how the child got
on. IAN Jim amt found no fault with his
supper once, nor his dinner neither" she
ended, with flush OF happy excitement on
her pretty face.
Mrs Smith was by no means the only per-
son who came to see Barbara during those
spring days. Almost every woman i'm Meld-
ham found one excuse or another to veil her
curiosity, and came to see her house. Bar
bara received one and all with the simplest
welcome, and knew nothing of the critical
eyes that scanned her every arrangement
while their owner sat placidly by the fire and
"oassed the time Of day" But neither did
she know what would have gaddened her
little heart, indeed, had she done so,
namely, that all her visitors went away with
cordial approval in their hearts
That child O. Maylin's keeps the place
like a pictur." they said to each other at
the village pump and other meeting places.
And in the end of March Mrs Smith came
over to Meldham early one afternoon. took
a careful inspection OF the house and stayed
to supper.
You've KEEP things much as they should
be-" she said to Barbara. briefly enough.
but the child's heart was full of 10y at the
words. She felt that they contained the
acknow ledgment she had so often hoped to
win.
Barbara locked very happy as she stood
in the garden on this April Sunday at
O'Clock waiting for Jim to come TO dinner
And her face only family showed her feel
irgS. She was very happy, in spite Of the
loss Of her mother the child's whole life
was happy. She was, as far as she knew,
making Jim happy and comfortable at home
and there could be TO Barbara no greater
earthly Joy than that.
She looked up and down the sunny road
for jim, but he Was not in sight, and she
turned toward the violet border under the
hedge. They were out in quantities, purple
and white, and their sweet scent was filing
the air. Barbara had been watching them
for some days and she now kneli down on
the pe6bled path and began to pick them as
quickly as possible. She had gathered two
large bunches. one purple and one white,
when the garden gate clicked and Jim en-
tered. She rose TO meet bin with a bright
smile of welcome, and then ran quickly In to
the house before him TO set the potatoes on
the table, She made pretty picture as she
ran, her hands full OF flowers and her yel-
low hair flying about her in the soft west
wind.
Jim was very silent. unusually silent,
during the whole of dinner. Barbara made
one or two attempts 10 make him talk but
finding them fail she first wondered greatly
what he could be thinking OF, and then fell
back coDtentedly on some words of her
mothers 10 the effect that men always bad
"a deal more 20 think on" than women. He
went out very quickly after it was over;
but that did not surprise Barbara-Jim
always went out on Sunday afternoons-and
she cleared away and dressed herself for
the Sunday-schOOl with the quick precision
which was CHARACTERISTIC of the child. She
locked the door behind her as she went
out, put the great Key under the aper
and set out for school, carrying her yiolets
with her in little basket.
School was ended and Bar bara was walk
ing up the village at 4:30 o'clock. still
carrying the violets, when she met Mrs.
Smith, Charlotte Robins and several friends
talking In a littlp pr0up She pacsed them
with a smiling noe and she was far too in
tent on her errand to know that they all
stopped talking and watched her out of
sight with curious look almost of CON-
passion. She went on until she reached the
churchyard, and, pushing open the gate she
made her way TO The corner under the great
yew tree where was her mothers grave. Ii
had small white headstone. which Jim
bad saved money from his wages to put up.
Barbara sat down on the grass beside 1t
and taking out her vioiets lad them at the
foot OF the stone.
81 wonder" she said to herself musingly.
as she ar anged them. IF mother knows as
I'm getiln' along all right with doing for
jim. She'd like TO and then she wouldn't
be worrying. There's no worrying in
heaven. though. so she can't; still I'd like
to tell her. / told her I'd try and I'd like
her TO know It's all right; she'd be SO
glad"
Barbara rose from the ground and stood
looking into the April sky with dreamy,
childish wonder IL heaven were really only
behind that blue, until suddenly becoming
aware that the yew tree shadows were very
long and 1t must he fate, she picked up her
basket hurrledly and ran all the way home.
The door Was open when she arrived and
Jim was In the kitchen standing looking
down at the fire and apparently waiting for
tea.
'Oh. Jimp she cried, breathlessly dear
jim. IL III SQlrVI l took s0ma yiolats N