The herald., 1896-12-20

cred upon the former Though Tom
Flowers had his admirers. even friends
| What jolly, good natured fellow has
not?) We're the respective valuations OF
results, the method not being taken in.
to consideration.
With all his faults, Tom Flowers was
still noble enough to believe that Mary
from primitive nature, was better than
himself. The result was before him.
and his was a nature that took every
thing else for granted so he could never
be set down for a grumbler He would
have preferred that Mary had lived, and
in the face of this new responsibility
shed many genuine tears over the wife
who ever had been as true in her love
for him as the deep green color had
been to the tall pines that stood like
grim sentinels about their humble door
Tom Flowers was wifeless now. and
his baby was motherless; he told him
self as much. as he endeavored to quiet
the sobbng child. performance that he
was quite unused to-
1t was upon them that SERVER had
walked ten years ago. Whether it was
because he was without shelter that
night, or the pathetic tones of a child's
voice that cried repeatedly and passion
ately: Il want my mommy! I want nv
mommy!" that caused him to turn up
the path leading to the cabin, he never
knew, perhaps never asked himself
However that may have been,
Tom Flowers was very glad to
have his company. let it be of
what kind it might; besides, he was new
er very particular. He had always
ready, appropriate songs for every oc-
casion. which people said he invented
and set to music himself; one of his ia
vorite ones began with: "Oh, you'd bet
ter keep an eye on the particular man.
which he reeled off in as gay, rollicking
voice as was ever heard away from or
behind the footlights.
AS for SERVER. even after he had spent
years in Tom Flowers cabin. no one
knew anything more about him than
that he was SERVER. and owned a violin
and could give you information about
any place you might be inquiring about.
Strange. some might think, but Nina
was drawn to him from the very first.
And under the soothing strains of the
quaint old violin. after so long a time.
forgot to weep, though there was often
look more pathetic than tears in her
large solemn black eyes as she crossed
her little hands on SERVERS knee and
listened intently to the strains issuing
from under the violin bow
SERVER would have frightened most
children, but Nina saw nothing about
him but the large black eyes that she
persisted in calling her "mommy's'
eyes.
When Tom Flowers saw that his child
| clung to the chance visitor with a sense
| OF security that he nor any Of the viii
layers had been capable of inspiring her
with, he solved the problem of her flu
ture by saying a day or so after Server
had been in theScabin, i say, stranger, if
you haven't any particular home, what s
your objections to staying on in the
cabin and booking after the baby and
tending the patches? I've biz that calls
me to the city every day, but I'll look
in once and awhile, Sundays, anyway;
and III furnish the provisions, all the
patches won't bring in
A look of scorn and misery that Tom
Flowers could not have understood had
| ne observed it crept over the dried
| swarthy face of his chance guest at the
| suggestion, but at the same time Nina
! had crept close to his side, and was nat
ting him on the cheek saying in sweet
paby tones: 'Yous dot my nanny
| eyes, and, without hesitation, Seryier
said dryly, "I'll mind the baby. / cannot
1 work the patches" His eyes sought his
| frail misshapen form as he said the last
and on his face was doubt of Tom Flow
| ers that he never got over.
| But SERVER did work the patches
when he found that Tom Flowers prom
Use to furnish them with food never ma
| terialized into the actual stuff; he took
| lessons from the villagers. and soor
| learned enough about farming to till the
ground around the cabin, which he die
we'll and faithfully.