The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-02-11
Continued
CHAPTER III.


The family waited for her to unbur-
den herself. She was breathless at that
particular juncture from rapid climbing
Of the three flights of terrace steps which
led up from the street to the Potts
house.
The Typographical peculiarities Of the
soil constituting Applegate county gave
every house builder his choice of gullles
or terraces. The more elaborate and ex-
pensive alternative Of grading was sell
dom resorted to.
The three high terraces Of the Potts
property, each with its own steep flight
of steps. really looked pretentious, IN
view Of the squat style of architecture
and the mdaest proportions OF the house
browning them, but there was nothing
pretentious about little Potts, his sister
or his daughters or anything that was
his.
His little white house was squat be-
cause his father had built it that way
before he was born. It's shutters were
green and It's walls were white because
at the time Of its erection no other col
ors were ever thought Of in connection
with house decoration.
No native Of Cloverdell would have
thought Of questioning ancestral tastes
or views, and if Mr.. Lester Potts had
come into ownership Of the tubbed ole
anders with which he had been familiar
all his lifetime. growing upside down,
with their roots in midair, he would
have conscientiously cultivated them in
that position because his revered moth
or had started them that way.
Perhaps an unquestioning acceptance
Of life as cut out for US by our forbears
makes for serenity. Something certainly
made fer it in that squat little house
with its rigid oleanders growing in ugly
green tubs
It may have been the sunshine that
came in unchecked at every door and
window; it may have been the blithe
presence of Potts two girls fresh from
school; it may have been the undimmed
eye and sweet nature Of little Potts
himself-at any rate it was there, al
ways there, and the dropping OF night
and the splashing Of rain on the old shin
gle roof were alike powerless to quench
it. It was good, wholesome article OF
home manufacture warranted to stand
any amount Of wear and tear.
When his sister, Miss Melanie Potts,
flung herself into chair with that en-
phatic "Well!'' Mr.. Potts laid down the
morning paper, which he always read
when he came home to his 3 o'clock
dinner, Miss Julia Potts swung briskly
around Oh the piano stool and Miss
Olivia Potts checked the whirring wheel
Of her sewing machine.
Miss Melanie preserved tantalizing
eilence while she smoothed out the fin
gers of her black taffeta gloves. She had
the important air of one who considered
her news well worth waiting for. 'Well,
if 1 haven't just been surprised half out
of my senses, she said finally, settling
2 herself comfortably to the task of mar
ration. "You know the Ladies' Aid So
ciety met today in the church rooms.
We are trying to get up some sort OF
church sociable at which Mr.. Moles-
worth can get acquainted with all his
people at once.
"Who's MIR. Molesworth?" little Potts
asked parenthetically.
Miss MeIanie cast mildly rebuking
eyes in his direction:
sNow, brother, he is the new minis
ter we have called from Memphis. %
"Ohl Well?"
"Well. he came to the meeting him
self and was just as sociable as could be.
He came down on the Red Wing, and
he says they had dreadful time. He
was Just chock full of a most outrageous
thing that happened on the boat. Reg
inald Belknap has actually gambled
away his plantation to a professional
gambler on the trip down. y
Chop said Mr.. Potts, aghast.
"Yes,'' said Miss Melanie stoutly,
ssbut Mr.. Wordsworth astonished US
more than that by saying that he came
down the river with beautiful Miss
Bascom. S2e says she is the daughter Of
our Colonel Bascoln, but that can't be,
you know. He never was married"
This was not exactly the way little
Potts had planned to tell his girls about
the colonel's daughter, but it was out
now.
Eyes, he said, smiling nervously,
t'I knew Bascom was looking for his
daughter, and meant to have told you,
Mellie''
Miss Melanie's lips came together
ominously.
"Why have VS. never heard Of this
young lady before?''
Little Potts girded himself up for the
conflict which good women are always
ready to wage against anything smack
ing the most remotely of mystery.
''Well, it would seem that Basoom
intended she should always live in the
north with relatives Of her mother
''Who was her mother"
ga Mexican lady, believe. But her
guardian died, and as we are on the
verge most probably OF a terrible war
Baacom naturally thought the best place
for her was under his own roof "
SCI think he has shown very poor judg
ment," said Miss Melanie in such IN