The Delta independent., 1896-04-29
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when the talk turned to the tent. 1t
was young Hiram who brought about
this boon He was interested in the
tent, and he wanted to know. Two
things seemed TO bother the boy First,
he was anxious to learn what diabolical
cause had been at work to induce two
apparently sane men to give up the
comforts of home and live in this ex-
posed manner, IL they were not COM
PEELED TO do so. Second, he desired to
hnd out why people who had the privi-
lege Of living in large cities came of
their own accord into the uninteresting
country anyhow. Even after explana-
tions were offered the problem seemed
still beyond him.
After the meal they all adjourned to
the veranda, where the air was cool
and the view extensive. Mrs. Bartlett
would not hear Of the young men pitch
ing the tent that night.
Goodness knows, you will have
enough Of it, with the rain and the
mosquitoes. We have plenty Of room
here, and you will have one comforta.
BILE night ON the Ridge, at any rate.
Then in the morning you can find .
place in the woods to suit you, and my
boy will take an AK and cut stakes
for you and help to put up your
precious tent. Only remember that
when 1t rains You are to come to the
house, or you will catch your deaths
with cold and rheumatism. 1t will be
very nice till the novelty wears of;
then you are quite welcome to the
front rooms upstairs, and Hiram can
take the tent back to Erie the first time
he goes to town"
Mrs Bartlett had O way of taking
things for granted. It never seemed
TO occur to her that any of her rulings
might be questioned. Hiram sat gaz-
ing silently at the road as If all this
was no affair Of his.
Yates had refused Q chair and sat
on the edge Of the veranda with his
book against one Of the pillars in such
. position that he might, without turn
ing his head, look through the open
doorway into the room where Miss
Bartlett WAS busily but silently clear
ing away the tea things The young
man esught heeting glimpses Of her as
abe moved airily about her work. He
drew . cigar from his case, cut off the
end with his knife and lit match on
the sole Of his boot, doing this with an
easy automatic familiarity that re-
quired NO attention on his part, nll of
which aroused the respectful envy Of
young Hiram, who sat on a wooden
chair, leaning forward, eagerly watch
ing the man from New York.
Have cigar?' said Yates, Offering
the case to young Hiram.
mo, NO; thank you," gaspcd the
boy, ayhast at the reckless audacity of
the proposal
whats that?" cried Mrs. Bartlett.
Although she was talking volubly to
the professor, her maternal vigilance
never even nodded, much less slept.
"A cigar? Not likely! I'll say this for
my husband and my boy, that, what
ever else they may have done, they
have never smoked nor touched drop
Of liquor aince I've known them, and
please God-they never will"
''Oh, guess it wouldn't hurt them"
Aid Yates, with lack of tact that was
not habitual. He fell several degrees
In the estimation of his hostess.
Hurt emp" cried Mrs Bartlett, in
dignsntly. 81 guess it won't get .
chance to-" She turned to the profess
sor, who was good listcner-respcct-
full and deferential, With little to say
for himself. She rocked gently to and
fro ~ she talked.
Her husband sat unbendingly silent,
IA . sphinx-like attitude that gave no
outward Indication of his mental un-
casiness He was thinking gloomily
that IL would be just his luck to meet
MIRA Bartlett, unexpectedly, on the
streets of Fort Erie, ON one uof those
rare occasions when he was enjoying
the pleasures Of sin for q season. He
lad the most pessimistic forebodings
Of what the future might have in store
for him. Sometimes when neighbors
or customers treated often in the VII
lsgc, and he felt he had taken all the
whisky that cloves would conceal, he
took . hve-cent cigar instead of .
drink. He did not particularly like
the smoking Of It, but there was . Ger
tain devil-may-care recklessness in 60
ing down the street with lighted
cigar in his teeth, which had all the
more fascination for him, because of its
manifest danger. He felt Mt these
times that he was going the pace, and
that IL is well our women do not know
Of all the wickedness there Is in this
world. He did not fear that any neigh
Dor might tell his wife, for there were
depths TO which no person could con-
vince Mrs- bartlett he would descend.
Hut he thought with horror Of some
combination Of circumstances that
might bring his wife to town, unknown
70 him, on . day when he indulged.
He pictured, with shudder, meeting
her Unexpectedly on the uncertain
plank sidewalk Of Fort Eric, he smok-
ing . cigar. When this nightmare
presented itself TO him, he resolved
never to touch . cigar again: but he
we'll knew that the best resolutions
fade away when . man is excited with
two o. three glasses Of liquor.
When Mrs. Bartlett resumed conver-
ssGioa with the professor, Ystes looked
up q yosng Hiram and winked. The