The herald., 1898-11-27
LOS ANGELES HERALD. SUNDAY MORNING,

AAAN<A@As 0OlN1h1 A"OA>A VA WI
dry, were appropriately red; indeed,
she had rubbed them till the infiamma-
| ton CT the sockets had extended well
| into the iris.
"You must try to bear up-be brave"
said Mr.. Murray, timidly.
She put her little white hand on his
arm and leaned upon him.
| "Oh, Mr.. Murray, I'm going to miss
him so much." she faltered, in tone
that, with the pressure on his arm, ap-
! pealed to his religious enthusiasm and
made him think of Biblical woman
sufferers.
/ II can easily understand that" he
replied. with increasing sympathy.
| Her hand frightened on his arm. Il
cannot bear the loneliness of the house
now that he is gone she sobbed.
There is no one there but my cook a
white woman, and she sleeps in the
rear, far away from my room."
| Perhaps" he suggested, perhaps it
would be well for you to get some lady
friend to remain with you at first"
There is actually no one I could call
on she whimpered. when you have
been here longer you will understand.
| These people have never been con-
genial-they are so uneducated, and
then because Mr.. Menefee had money
they thought l was stuck up and have
always talked about me, but l want
you to be my friend, Mr.. Murray. The
moment l heard you begin your first
sermon I knew you would feel the want
of intellectual sympathy here-oh. it's
simply awful! They will not under
stand you. and they will even hate you
for speaking dramatically"
THAT is indeed a bad state of af-
fairs Mr. Murray acknowledged,
gently leading her from the grave.
You were saying you would feel
easier if there We're a man at your
house. If you have a spare room and
would like to have me, can easily re-
main there tonight and longer, if you
need my services"
Gould you. really?" exclaimed the
widow. Il should be so glad-it would
be such a comfort and then they
moved away from the grave to the
street.
Two weeks passed. In spite of Mrs.
Wittekind's cautoning her husband
and sister against allowing the sus-
picionS of the latter to leak into the
current of public report. scarcely any
other topic was now broached in the
village. Intuitively. half the hamlet
believed that Tabitha was correct in
her theory, though few We're so incau-
tious as to openly proclaim the belief
Nobody couldn't prove a smidgin
agin err remarked the voluble Ike 10
Miss Hettie Melvin. for whom he was
weighing half a dollars worth of cof-
foo I 7
a hand to sue in court that it would
be better to drap the matter whar it
stands. A body kin believe what he's
mind to about a pusson. but goin'
round an talkin' it is another thing.
Now thar's the new preacher. he has
sech a high opinion of Lizzie that thar
is some that doubt that he has ever
heerd the will question mentioned"
"Sence he tuck to boardn' thar" re-
piled Hettie, a sneer playing over her
wrinkled face. "she hain't lowed him
to git out much mongst other folks.
She's been taggin' on to i'm everwhar
have seed i'm so far"
Il don't blame him fur maxim a sort
of favorite of her. said Ike. as he
tied up the parcel fur she is the pay
in member of the church. He knows
tion-an she wouldn't have the cheek
to lessen tive wouldn't be able to
keep no college graduate fur a preach
er He hain't no fool, an it wouldn't
surprise me eff he was workin' to try
to git his salary raised. We'd better
let 'er alone, l reckon. Miz Sprigs an
Hal Menefee ort to git Their rights. but
eff we driv' Lizzie hard she mought go
over to the Methodists, an then wizard
we be?'
The old maid stretched out her
scrawny hand for the parcel, and
dropped it into her egg-basket.
'Money'n do anything" she said, !
ironically EFF some pore woman had
been suspected O. that thar crime
they'd a-had Investigations a-plenty.
They say Miz Sprigs an Hal was heer
yistiddy consultin' with Lawyer Bates |
an that he sent 'em away without en- |
couragement. L reckon the report will |
die down now"
Tabitha came into the store from |
the living rooms at that moment. A |
red spot burning through the sallow-
hess of either cheek showed that she |
had overheard the conversation, but |
she said nothing, and made her way
behind the counter, into the little |
wooden grating where the village mail |
was kept.