The Portland daily press., 1898-02-24
CHAPTER ,XI.

III CnOSe Gays OF storm ana StresS,
without any consciously defined purpose
Of obeying Scriptural injunction, little
Potts went about doing good by stealth.
In point of fact, the whole man ha'
gradually taken on an apologize man.
ner that amounted to stealthiness.
AS the leading commercial man of
the place, an authority on the crops, a
key to the state of the money market, he
had heretofore worn self respecting air
of pride void Of offense to his brother
man. Perhaps if it had been question
of man to man he might still have held
his blamelessi head well up in spite of
his Union pr ocliyities, but in a town
full of women, each individual one of
whom regarded herself as the particular
Atlas ordained to bear the universe upon
her shoulders, little Potts carried him
self with exceeding meekness.
If barrel of -four was to be added to
Mrs. Matthews store, it was surrepti-
tiously left Don her back porch under
friendly shelter of the darkness. II the
state Of the Widow Phipps' wood pile
was to be investigated, little Potts
strolled carelessly by her gate at an
hour she was sure to be at prayer meet
ing. Between them all he had come to
regard himself as a very insignificant
atom at time when the only current
value any man possessed was his avail
ability as food for gun powder or his
ability to dig mantraps for the other
side.
Perhaps some Of his depression came
from the altered atmosphere of the
home circle SO dear to his loving heart.
Miss Melanie and the Potts girls were
without question the most aggressive
patriots in the place. They went about
their self appointed tasks with vim
end farreaching vision which left no
time or place for little Potts in their
daily calculations. He was almost eff
faced. He accepted the rents in his I'M
derwear and the coldness Of his break
fast coffee with that meekness that had
become latter day feature of his char
acter.
With show Of magnanimity which
would have warranted the deposed head
of the house in any act of reprisal Miss
Melanie had promptly ''put things on
an amicable footing" early in the ac-
ton.
'You see, Brother Lester" she had
said, "we look at this thing from an
entirely different point of view. The
girls and I are good rebels, if that is
your designation for us Confederates.
You are loyal citizen, if we choose to
SO consider man who stands with the
enemies Of his section. We are in deep
sympathy with the cause. You cannot
consistently wish it success; therefore
in order that the harmony of our once
united little home circle shall not be
jeopardized we will agree that the SUBJ
ject of the war shall never be touched
upon under this roof. -
Little Potts clutched his hair with a
despairing gesture. 1.-THE devil and
Tom Walker, Mel, you may as well
paddock our jaws and be done with it.
There wouldn't be much food for con-
versation left, my dear, if we accept
your terms. I could stand it better than
you three women.
He had come home loaded up with
items CLEANED from various sources
touching the movements of the sharp
shooters; the name of the latest seced-
ing state; the imminence of the eman
cipation proclamation and kindred top
les just declared contraband by Miss
Melanie.
ooh, pray don't disturb yourself on
that account. We three women are kept
thoroughly posted on current events at
the daily meetings of the Ladies' Sol
diers' Assistant society,""
eyes, but d-n it,
"Father - Lester - father" in a
breath.
Pardon me, my dears, but there are
occasions when a little mild profanity
acts like gentle purgAtive-clears the
system. What was going to say when
all three of you jumped on me at once
was that the ladies' what you call 'em
society can't possibly know everything,
seeing there are no men cleaners among
them
sob, but I beg your pardon! You
forget the Rev. Mr. Brownell. He is
invaluable to us in every way-so full
of information and of suggestions -
eyes, had forgotten him. Then of
course he has told you all about the
Marine brigade. 1t promises to be the
pest of the river, and am afraid we
are going to suffer at it's hands.
"No," said Olivia, suspending work
on the wooden comforter she was knit
ting for Neddie Matthews, "I don't
think we've heard about any brigade. "
"No? Well, if Aunt Nellie hadn't
war topics 7 might explain its
pestiferous scope to you. AS it is, we
are likely enough to find out by expert
ence what it means. "
Chester, you are positively growing
malicious these troublous times" said
Miss Melanie, noting his preparations
for departure with frown of disappro-
bation
"No; only submissive. And with
smile that lacked much of it's old time
brightness little Potts went his way to-
ward the warehouses; which in his