The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1896-10-01

stairs to Joan's little attic, and took
hammer with her.
'Tt's the very kind of spitefnl thing
led be likely to do" she said, "but
I'll not stand it-robbing his own flesh
and blood for workhouse brat"
Mr.. Peter left her to her own de-
vices. He, Mr.. Craven, and the three
vexed (indeed, insulted) girls went
away together.
Then Mrs. Peter stu udiously searched
Joan's attic from wall to wall. She
turned out the girls one tin box,
looked in the drawer of the wash
stand, ripped up the palliasse out
rageously and threw the straw oil
about and treated the bolster with
equal brutality.
There was also handsome old oak
wardrobe that would have graced even
a royal bedchamber. This was for
Joan's three or four poor frocks.
1t WAS quite laughable to see how
mother ana son tapped and probed
this antique piece of furniture. They
even knocked off the head OF lion in
relief at the top of it, to see if there
was secret cavity behind the head.
But the wardrobe taught them no
more than the palliasse and the boil
ster.
"Well, I'm off to the Hen and
Chickens" said Walter Battersby at
length. "I've had enough of this"
So, too, had Mrs. Peter, for there
was not an article in the room that shc
had not thoroughly tested.
The sun was still we'll above the
cemetery hill when Seth called at No.
SO, in his workaday CRIME and his
workaday grease.
cart ready, my lass?" he inquired
of Joan.
The girl began to make excuses.
'It's not right, Seth, to leave the
house with no one in it. He wouldn't
have liked it," she said.
"It's not right, Joan, to make
promise and not keep it," retorted
Seth. "Come, now, I'm not going to
leave you to NOPE your eyes out. Do
you mean to make me marry you?"
She was persuaded with difficulty.
Then it was revelation of charao-
ter to see how she locked one door af
ter another and pocketed the different
keys.
"Anybody 'ud think the things were
all yourn, JOAN said Seth admir-
ingly.
"It's the same to me as if they
- h. xpikh ha -
fresh tears.
But Seth hurried her off before she
could break down again, and soop had
her in the little red brick cottage he
shared with his mother.
Old Mrs. Perry had, in her younger
days, been servant herself. She had
true woman's sympathy for Joan,
and discernment enough to know that
her son might do far worse than marry
such girl. -4--
1t was as comfortable meal as any
in Moxford, with the cat purring on
the hearth all time.
Afterward the talk turned solidly
upon old Carmel and his singular be-
quests to Joan.
'"The money and the furniture IL
be useful to you, child" said old
Mrs. Perry; "but the idea of leaving
you thing like that!" pointing to the
scrap book.
~ used to be SO fond of it," stam-
mered Joan. "The times we've sat to-
gether, him pasting and me cutting
what he'd marked" "
She rose and lifted the big book on
the table, united its strings, and
opened it.
"Why, what's this?" exclaimed
Seth, as bank note for 9100 ap-
peared.
Joan turned pale as she took it up.
1t was endorsed on the back: "Pay to
Joan Smith and no one else."
Ere they had finished looking
through the book they found twenty
one other notes of exactly the same
kind.
'They are certainly yours, my
girl" said Mr.. Cameron, when Joan
called on him in the morning; "and I
shall have great pleasure in telling
Mrs. Peter Battersby what has become
Of the mbney to her brother-in-law's
credit at the bank. "-Csssell's Satur.
Jo~ T>u~roI