Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1898-05-24
NECK OR NOTHING.
By JEANETTE Il. wALwoRTH.
Copyright. 1887. by the Au,hor.l

BY JEANETTE d. WALWOkTH.
copyright. 1887. by the Author.l
CHAPTER XIV.
"And you?''
The professors daughter suddenly
passed from recitative, slightly tinged
with apology, TO n challenging tone,
which made Strong Martins heart
thump heavily against his ribs.
Overawing Seth by an assumption CT
reckless indifference Was one thing.
Seth was slow and receptive. Satisfying
Mamie Colyer in the matter of his own
dubious inertia quite another. Mamie
was both fiery and exacting.
His cheeks famed holly, hut his lips
refused 10 frame the inadequate apollo
gies which he knew would bring that
larghirg scorn into her bright eyes
which had once been the terror Ut the
whole college crew. His sullen silence
irritated her. She had been alone with
him now for nearly two hours. Viney's
grabbed hospitality had eliminated in
preparing the one bedroom Of Neck or
Nothing for the white faced, pecvish
young mother and her tempestuous off
spring.
Annabel and the boy were sleeping.
intwined so closely in each other $ arms
that their pretty slumber flushed cheeks
touched, blending their soft roundness
into one curvnlg profile.
Seth had long ago climbed the cliff
and gone home, pror.isin2 Ia Fetch
sissy over first thing III the morning.
He had been an open mouthed sharer
with Strong in Miss Coly,r's explana-
ton Of her errand. The recital had
been, TO his simple, direct nature rev
elation Of astounding iniquity. Stront
received IL with CCntemltuous creduli-
ty. To him nothing that wcEt to prove
the darling Of Sans Souci fraud was
difficult OF acceptance.
In her own graphic style Mamie had
told them of Adricns marriage during
his college term to daughter Of the
woman from whom he rented room.
Good people. Just as good rs gold
Annabel is fool about him. Most wo-
mon are fools about somebody, i sup
pose The silliest part of the whole per
formancc was their giving their con.
sent to keep this marriage secret un-
til Adrien took the helm at Ia ihc. l
fancy he underrated his grandfather
constitution. BAH But that poor little
simpleton. nodLing vigorously toward
the sleeping apartment, cared for moth
ing in life so lcng ~ Adrion St.' AZ
came to sec her tolerably regularly and
was decent to her and the boy. Now,
however, that this rumpus has separat-
I'd them things have come To IN awful
pas. and / Just forced ADnabel tn a.
seIt herself and claim her rights
"You know She only has her mother 5
business for support, and now the
bonnet business don't amount to E..ch
Her brother, little Fr,d Wei h, is IL
the army. Only 10 years old Think OF
it! Father is in it, too, fighting IN Nir-
ginia." This with a proud uplifting Of
her head. Dear me, ] hope Eo isn't
faring any worse than we are at home
no lour, Lo cc.Iee, no srgar, lots OF
patriotism, sweetcned with glorious an
ticipation DRY diet. though. And, Us j
tell Annabel when she has got To
pa 4 when she can't even keep her boy
| muperly shod. il Is time she was prt-
ting him where he belonged, i'll the Il
fections Of his grandmother and his
great grandfather am going to leave
them in that grand house We passed
this afternoon really did not Lave
tho courage to stop with Annabel look
ing ~ frouzy and the boy acting like o
young Comanche.
She summarized the situation crisply
with practical acceptance of the ineyi-
table.
"Of course we must expect a scene,
but prefer daylight for pitched bat
tie always.
1t was then that Seth suggested Liza
Liza was the saving clause in the Mar
tin family. No c"air involving tact or
sensibility could be carried to an effect
i've climax without her supervision.
10th of tue mon regarded the resolute
face Of Anrabels little champion aiix-
iously. She looked supremely self reli-
ant and adequate, but would she prove
adC Cquate To the madame:
Il think III fetch our Liza. She's
got a headpiece worth havin, and if
there is nybody on this green football
that can stand up to the madam when
she mounts her high horse 1t is our girl
Liza.
I'm union there is strength. Fetch
our Liza, by al means" Mamie hao
said, with tragic eagerness, and Seth
had gone away, promising faithfully to
be back promptly in the morning with
that potent damsel.
1t was with u sense of infinite graft.
tude TO destiny, which so rarely played
him kind trick, that Strong had mend
ed the fire, surreptitiously blown the
dust off the wooden mantelpiece with
one blast from his powerful lungs and
tssayed general betterment Of his
shabby sitting room while Mamie took
peep" ut her sleeping charges i'll the
still shabbier bedroom.
| What beatitication the world had
magically undergone for him! Even the
|