The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1897-09-08

Having reached this climax,
Mrs. Benson stopped to take
breath, and cast a triumphant |
glance at her neighbor.
Mrs. Flint looked rather un-
easy.
'There's something in what you
say" she remarked with q doubt
full air; "but it does seem hard,
us the Vicar says, that the poor
little fellows should never get a
sight of the country"
GIVE no belief in such interfer-
ence," said Mrs. Benson decls-
ively. "Why should they have
been born in London if they
hadn't been meant to be there?"
Mrs. Flint made up her mind at
last that she would not say any
more about it for the present, and
having filled her basket and taken
down the line, she prepared to go
back into the house. But some
thing in her face awakened new
| idea in Mrs. Benson's mind; and
just as her neighbor reached the
door, she called after her
''I say, Mrs. Flint!''
"Well?' said Mrs. Flint, turn
ing round, and propping her heavy
basket against the door-post.
"You don't mean that you re
going to have one of them boys
here, do you?"
Her manner rather rufled Mrs.
Flint. After all, her place was
her own, though it was only di-
vided from Mrs. 'Benson's by q
lath-and-plaster partition and 8
r wooden paling. She would show,
once for all, that she was free to
do as she liked.
81 am, then!' she said shortly
and hosting up her basket, sht
e disappeared into the house, leav
ing Mrs. Benson in a state of min
S gled disgust and astonishment.
eff she does, I won't have any
thing more to do with her, sh
said to herself, as she went in t.
get her husbands tea.
"a What was her amazement, a
she stood at her cottage door
G day Or two afterwards, to see Mr.;
Flint coming up the road with
! small boy at her side-a DO
whose white face, keen eyes, an
y general sharpness of bearin
-, marked him out at once as some
thing different from all the lac
Id of the village. In an ordinar
way she would have come out an
A' heard the rights of the story in
friendly chat; but her indign;
III ton at having been taken in ws
ha so great that she banged her doc
as the two came up the path,
ell token of her state of mind.
But though she might refra:
he from asking any questions of h
neighbor, her curiosity was neve
ep theless strongly excited, and pu
,- ting on her bonnet, she hasten'
down to the shop, which was t!
ny general centre of village new
She had no need to ask any que
'io tions, for as she entered she hea
Mrs. Flint's name, and found tn
- the subject was already und
full discussion.
"He's been i'll, MRS. Brow
the shopkeeper, was saying, as s
leant over the counter in con
>, Dental way; ''and so they did
=. want him to go with the othe
'iu and they asked Mr.. Lewis if
knew anyone who'd take care
ii' him for three months"
'n' "Well, [ wish Mrs. Flint Joy
"' her bargain, said the woman ,
"S dressed; "here's Mrs. Benson
no wonder how she'll like it'll"
noi Meanwhile the small boy abe
" whom such adverse opinions W
being expressed, was making hi
'A self very comfortably at hor
" Mrs. Flint's heart had warmed
'"1 him directly she saw his thin WI
>eo face and bony little hands.
'i'o "Half-starved, that's what
,oi' is" she said to herself. 81 do
he'll look different from that i
:, week or two"
~ She was rather taken back, h
~ ever, by the manner of his con'
- i."' sation; she found herself talk
'i0 to him as though he were gro
III up person, and meekly answer
the questions that he poured
ii9' without a pause. She was not
- customed to give reasons for
actions, nor explanations Of
ioeo @ circumstances, and the catech
~ II rather bewildered her.
s'a Presently 10 locked round
u9' provingly as she began to n