The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-02-09

AAoAA Lulu w pun LUZ uhuoi ouo odio
q specialist, and Apologize county ha'
lost sight Of her for a great many years.
"All of which is strictly true.
there anything to set gossip's tongu
wagging over that2''
"Oh, now, Lester, all the uncharity ii
your soul Ia saved for minister's! Mr.
Molesworth was not gossiping. He wa
just trying to arrive at an intelligent
understanding Of people and their affair
in his new field, and as for Miss Bas
com, old Mrs, Stone declares that she il
wandering around the country alone. ;
"Rotl ! don't believe one COMPOUNDED
word Of such stuff"
"Old Mrs. Stone says that she stopped
at her house one rainy night last week
and she kept her, meaning to send word
to the colonel next day, but that when
they went to take her some breakfast
her room was empty and no one on the
place had seen her leave"
Little Potts looked troubled. He wal
genuinely fond Of the colonel, and il
seemed as if troubles were thickening
about his genial head. Piecing Miss
Melanie's story out with that unlocked
for call from DR.. Hillary Northcote, the
story of Miss Bascom's disappearance
took on an air of probability.
With airy inconsequence Miss Mela-
ME harked back to the story Of Reginald
Belknap's folly.
Gould he really gamble Belhaven
away, Lester-young Belknap l mean?"
II know of no impediment if he
wanted to play the fool to that extent. I"
"But his brother and sister-have they
no rights in the case?"
Unfortunately old Tony, with his
English notions Of primogeniture, left
the place to his Oldest son, with the
understanding that as the others came of
age they were to receive an equivalent
in money"
"And now there will be no equiva.
lent"
"Not likely, if he has beggared him
self and them, as your reverend reports. "
"But what can they dor"
Nothing. They weren't reared to do
anything. I'm sorry for the girl"
And then the call to dinner diverted
the attention of the Pottses in another
direction. The meal was an unusually
silent one for that cheerful household.
Mr.. Potts was thinking of Bascom's
girl. In point Of fact Bascom s girl had
been very much in his way ever since
he had looked into her pictured eyes,
with their haunting loneliness, and
beard her father almost pleading for a
kindly reception for her.
Mr.. Potts was grain and produce
,erchant. Wholesale" was painted in
large letters on his sign. 1t was a say
ing word. Being wholesale man, he
was eligible to membership in all the
clubs and other organizations patronized
by the cotton lords who composed the
best people of Apologize. If he had
his grain by the peck Or sold
his pork by the pound, little Potts
would never have occupied the social
position he did in Cloverdell, nor would
1t have mattered much if his daughters
smiled or frowned on Colonel Merriman
Bascom's daughter. As it was it did
matter, and he Knight as we'll take the
bull by the horns now as Later"
On the rare occasions upon which he
asserted himself in opposition to Miss
Melanie he did it with startling sud-
as if surprised at his own to.
nerity. His methods were jerky, but
effective. He asserted himself
low.
II say, my dearies, we might as we'll
'ome to an understanding about Miss
3ascom at once. 1t is my desire that
'ou call on her as soon as etiquette re-
Iuires. I should, of course, prefer Aunt
Nellie to go with you, but if she doesn't
are to-
Here be paused, with his head held
on one side, looking fear
essly at Miss Melanie.
"Why, of course, Lester, if you make
uch point Of it,
II do make a point of it."
Fortunately one can always drop an
ndesirable acquaintance
YES" said her brother crisply. !
md there Miss Bascom and her claims
, social recognition were dropped for
10 time being.
Cloverdell-a place which, having
'ken so years to double its population
/, was naturally given to sedate &C..
,ptance Of events as ordained-was
lus suddenly called upon to grapple
70 full sized sensations at once, re-
,ectively, the unsuspected Miss Bias.
I'M and the tragic loss of Belhaven.
The emergency called for an extra
amber of social gatherings, premeditat-
and otherwise. The imminence of
ar for the time was of minor import.