The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1894-02-16

ing, Mrs. Potter's heart sank CORE.
spondingly.
Presently, however, she came to
Clara with tcarsin her faded eyes
ooh, Clara" she faltered, chow
can thank you enough foryour kind
ncss-you noble generosity? Mr., Pot
ter is as grateful as | am, but his voice
is simply gone. He can't speak
The deacon Rugged himself.
81 knowod that dollar bill would be
a plenty" said he. "Bless me there's
that young Lawyer Harrison, the par
sons nephew, goin' off to the study
with Clara. He once had quite no.
ton to the gal. Wonder if they're
goin' to company keepin again? Kind
o. singular he should be here tonight.
Folks says it was him who brought the
handsome black walnut desk in par
sons study. Strange how extrayagant
folks will be- Specially young folks.
Eth! what's that they're sayin? A
ireland in our direction! Now, l
wonder if Clara didn't leave the taller
candle burnin' in her room, an the
cat knocked it over? And there was
that hundred dollars. Doctor Petit
bone paid me for hay, in the house. l
swan to gracious I'll put it in the bank
afore I'm day older. dunno how
l come to be so careless. Polly, look
here" to his wife "do YOU see that
blaze? Ny eyes amt as good as they
was. Is it anywheres out our way?"
LA, no, deacon!' said his wife.
cts only little Peter Pettibone's bon
fire. The doctor said he could hev
one tonight of those dead trees an
brush on Catamount Pond. Our
house is clear west o. that"
'I'm glad on IT," said the deacon.
"Polly, what did you do with that
hundred dollars [ give you to keep for
me till / got chance to bank it?'
Mrs. Cummings looked puzzled.
81 put it in my little reticule-the
one Clara gave me-" said she-''in the
bureau drawer. It's safe locked up.
[ looked arter it the last thing before
l left the house. Where you goin',
dencon?"
The deacon turned as many colors
as a dying dolphin.
81 Jest remembered that I didn't
fodder the COWS afore started" said
he. 81 guess I'd better jest step home
an look arter 'em. Gimme the key of
the bureau drawer, Polly"
On the outer doorstep he paused,
however. There was little buzz and
hum of gossip in the air.
'Mrs. Potter has been cryin' ever
SINCE" said the Widow Purkiss.
Tears o real, Sinooine JOY, youknow.
She somehow can't get over it. A
hundred dollars! I don't s'pose she's
seen so much money all together at
one time since she was married. And
from little Clara Cummings that
teaches school over to Green's Mills.
Folded away in leather bag with steel
trimmins'."
For a second or so the deacon stood
motionless as the Sphinx. Then he
turned and went back into the house.
81 guess, muttered he, ''ther amt
no use in my goin' home to git them
cattle foddered. [ may as well stay
an eat my supper. It's like to cost
me enough.
Clara's face was radiant when she
come to breakfast the next morning,
and yet it was a little overloaded
like the sun behind golden Noyem-
Der mist.
''Father,. said she, 1.-TWO such
| strange things have happened! Aleck
Harrison has asked me to be his
wife. "
Mrs. Cummings leaned over and
kissed her daughter.
"And," added Clara, "our two
leather reticules somehow got mixed
up last night, and instead of the ten
dollar gold piece l had intended, !
gave Mrs. Potter mothers bag with a
hundred dollars in bills in it. OF
| COURSE you luJSuOlcu IL lOl IL SUI pllSCj
for the gold piece was gone out of the
other bag. Father, dear, it was q
noble act, and shall explain it all to
Mrs. Potter"
'No, don't do that !" precipitately
uttered the deacon. Jest let things
be as they are. I'D ruther not hey
no more said about it'll"
! And he could not repress a sepul
chral groan.
81 always knew father had gener
GUS heart" said Mrs. Cummings
"And the Potters deserve it, if any
body does. And now, Clara dear, We
must talk over your wedding things.
From that day on, the deacon KEEP
his own counsel, but he always had
lurking suspicion that Clara hsc
fathomed his policy.
THE least said, the soonest mended,
said Deacon Cummings. Zone thing
plum sartin, though. You won't