New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-07-26
CHAPTER III.

The following Friday the Vicar and his wife
walked slowly home from the Dissenters Burlal
Ground, where they had left Anne oarter under
her coverlid Of damp black SOIL with her stall
wart sons two at the head and two at the foot
Of her narrow bed.
Mrs Keston had been weeping James,, she
said when they had gone short distance, the
way she faced death was credit to poor hu-
manity." .
YES" said the Vicar. "she showed admirable
fortitude"
They paused n moment near the top of the
hill to look back at the little burying-ground
The villagers had scattered. only the four young
men were left there sentinel-ke by the new
made grave.
"There was something antique in the splendid
sef-respect Of that woman" said Mrs. Keston
Il mean your sister to know she died as nobly
as she lived"
"Well-a'- responded the Vicar with kind
Of slow embarrassment II wouldn't force that
point We all recognized she had excellent
James Mrs Keston stopped short again.
How grudgingly you speak"
"No--a-no." said the Vicar absently, looking
at the sunset through the trees, she was re-
markabe person in her way.
you don't speak OF her as you used to-" Mrs.
Keston's tone was almost an attack.
The Vicar looked away from the painted west
and back at the little burying ground below. Al
ready 1t lay in shadow, and the sentinel sons
Now that she's dead, perhaps ought to tell
YOU" he said, FOR there 8 lesson In H.
Tell me what?"
You know how fdgetty I've been all my life
about any ones gNing into my study
pear me- yes-and the pig-sty it's been"
well. a year or so after Anne came to us
HIM He cleared his throat as though regret
ting he'd begun.
Mrs Keson smiled. did she dare to give you
a surreptitiOus dusting|
"After she came began to miss my books"
Heavens. james. You might as we'll suspect
me-"
laid them"
"Of course you had"
ESPECIALLY when after while I'd ind them
back In their old places
you see. Why I think ! remember one Of
those times You asked me about 1t. told you
then you'd simply overlooked It,
80 / imagined, till one OF my missing Mos
helms turned up with great coffee stain on the
front page"
You'd forgotten-it must have been there
always"
I'm sure 1t wasn't"
But you couldn't suppose that Anne"-
II didn't know what TO suppose. ! was NOR
bidly afraid OF accusing some one wrongfuly.
1t went on for years. off and on. The books al
ways came back. But two years ago. when the
fourth volume OF 'Wesley's Sermons came home
from an outing. it was brand new book instead
OF one like my old set
What earth did you think?'
THAT something worse than coffee stain had
befallen my fourth volume
You didn't say anything"
NO To tell the truth, had come to be hor-
ribly afraid that. in spite OF saying nothing.
should find some out"
"And you never did find outy' Mrs. Keston's
voice betrayed lurking relief.
We'll you shall Judge. The first Sunday after
gave up Lytteton- Marley. you remember we
went to hear the new Incumbent"
Yes but you had a headache. and came home
after the anthem"
Exactly. and left you TO make my apologies to
my successor. Well by the time got to the end
of the long drive home was better | let myself
in and went straight to tho study. ! heard a
commotion as reached the door. and the sound
Of a window being shut. When I got In. there
was Anne, standing In the middle Of the room
painfully embarrassed. and the place filled with
tobacco smoke,
"Anne-smoke?"
"Wait. stood still n moment as embarrassed
as she was II just came In to-shut the
window-in case Of rain.' she stammered. Oh
said, i don't remember leaving II open Yves,
STR she said. She never said Sir 70 me before.