The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-02-23
By JEANkErrE H.WIALwoRrh3,
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COPYRIGHT. 1898. BY THE Aurnoa.) /


"Vvhat spoiled little one it isl" said
Jesgica, smiling away the threatening
aspects of the situation.
mo, there is no one to spoil me since
Reggie went away. But must not let
you think that am entirely without
any self control. have been dreadfully
upset today. Please don't set Inc down
for perfect simpleton.
"Whon are you looking for him?'
"At any moment--tomorrow today,
this hour. Nobody knows anything &C.
curately. Maxwell, my younger brother,
you know, has been gone nearly three
weeks now. He went to bring Reggie
home."
She would have liked to embody
Lemuel Streets name in this statement,
but something held her tongue.
ono, it is as you say, impossible to
be sure Of anything. I begin to fear l
have missed my old evangelist He OK
pected to be we'll on his way by this
time. I am sorry to have him wander
ing about the county, depending on the
humor of people for chance meal or a
bed. Did you ever come in contact with
a man or a woman, my dear, whose
mere presence seemed to raise your es-
innate Of human nature?'
"No," Marianne answered rather
CURLY. She resented this sudden efrace.
ment Of hor brother in favor of wan
dering evangelist. "But, then, I have
come in contact with very few people Of
any sort"
1.-THE old man for whom am watch
ing is an unusual sort. If you and I had
toiled all our lives for the bstterment Of
mankind and found ourselves at the age
Of threescore and ten without home,
without kindred, without single thing
or creature we could call our very own,
what sort Of members Of society do you
suppose we would maker"
II should be perfect flend. I don't
want to live long enough to settle that
question If those I love are to DO taken
from me-"
Eyes, that is the way felt too. My
cid man has given me broader sense of
what it means to be member of soci-
ETY."
II didn't think you cared much
about society,"" said Marianne, begin
ming to wonder if Miss Bascom possibly
had a frivolous side to her.
In a narrow local sense, no. Per-
haps should have said that had come
to realize that we are all members Of
one great needy family and that have
no right to ignore its claims on me-
She got mp from her NOISY seat at the
foot Of the tree and peered anxiously
down the road.
1T is too much to ask You to walk a
little farther with me, am afraid. but
I should so like not to miss the old man
if he has not already gone by"
Not for moment had she lost sight
Of Marianne's request. The matter was
surging through her thoughts while she
kept the old evangelist to the front as a
topic. Should ale or should she not
open her doors to Reginald Belknap?
She made no pretense Of ignorance as
to the state Of his feelings when he had
left with her father. By this time his
fancy might have lightly turned to other
faces in other quarters. Then 1t would
be safe to have him thrown upon her
for daily oompanionship. On the other
hand, he might be one Of the vainly
constant sort. What then?
Marianne had risen with her, and to-
gether they sauntered slowly past the
hedgerows, white with the Cherokee
roses, and under the wild orange trees
that dropped their green balls at their
feet A rising tide Of resentment was
surging up in her girlish heart. She
had come at considerable personal peril
to ask great favor of this strange Miss
Bascom, who had admitted that she owed
debt Of gratitude to her brother, and
yet here she was resolutely ignoring him
and his ambassador while she searched
diligently for an old man whom she
had never seen before a few days ago
and was not likely ever to see again.
A plowman swinging along the road,
singing hymn at the top of his lusty
lungs, put an end to Jessica S search for
her gentle pilgrim. From him they
learned that the old man had last been
seen sitting in fine carriage by the side
of fine lady.
"My friend, Mr.. Whitney's sister,
doubtless has given him a lift.
II am glad" said Jessica. 1.-THE old
man was more feeble than he would
admit. They drove out by the lower
road, suppose
Marianne stopped suddenly, with her
hands pressed to her breast.
Listen, don't you hear something
like human being in pain?"
Jessica, too, came to startled stand
still in the middle of the road.
"Off that way to the left. 1t sounds
as if it might come from the very thick.
est Of that clump Of blackberry bushes"
said Marianne in an affrighted whisper.
There is pond Of water in that di.
reotion. Some one may have gone there
for water who did not know its treach.
erous, slippery banks and got hurt. We
must investigate.
As she talked Jessica hurried in the di.
rection Of the blackberry thicket. Mari.
anne followed slowly and reluctantly.
might we not just as we'll call that
man back, Miss Bascom?''
"He is singing SO Justify he never
would hear us, and we cannot spare the
time to go after him. Every moment is
precious"
With every step Of their progress the
sound of distress became more audible.
Jessica pushed the clinging brambles
aside with generous disregard for her
own delicate flesh. Marianne pressed
close after her. Immediately about the
little pond the bushes grew thinner. 1t
was made apparent that other hands
than theirs had forced a passage through
them. Immediately OIL the edge Of the
water their efforts were rewarded. Mari
anne's were the first eyes to discern the
dark mass lying prone, with arms out
stretched toward the water they could
not reach.
lit is mana man in Confederate
uniform. Oh, Miss Bascom!" Jessica