Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1898-03-08

.Q-AT\
"Y0u rung that bell IKE you Wds In a
hurry"
by passing the backs Of them carefully
down his trousers legs, that no moisture
could possibly cling to them. His wife
stood silently at his elbow. gazing wist-
fully nj the white thruated. delicately
featured face Of the disconcerting pic
ture. The overseer's long and silent in
spection eliminated in prolonged
whistle Of amazement.
THAT our girl That our little Eliza
used 10 take afeld on the pommel Of
my saddle? You're foolin me, Becky
Why, this here's the picture Of queen.
She looks like young empress.
"She does, indeed. That's what's
pesterin me. -
"Pesterin you?"
"Yes. What are we goin to do with
q queen in this hole, Martin? Look at
that slim white neck Of hers and that
round bit of waist. She lady, Eben,
from them purity waves falling over her
forehead down to the tips Of her toes,
which we cam zee in the picture.
Eben was still studying the fair, un-
familiar face of his only daughter. The
sweet, serious eyes looked at him un
smilingly. They did not know each
other-that burly man and dainty girl.
II hope she won't be too fine for the
home that's b,en good enough for her
mother all these years." Eben said
gently.
Her and me are cut out by different
patterns, Eben. She amt goin to nit in
here. It'll he a shock TO her, old man,
positive shock. We've done wrong
more than oncet by our own daughter,
Martin, and I'm just in tremble all
over since I've seen what she's growed
up to be. y
Done wrong? How do you make that
OUT
He placed the photograph conspicu-
ously on the dining room mantelpiece,
lodging IL on top the wooden turrets III
which the eight day clock eliminated.
THAR. Leave il thar till the boys
come in and make 'em guess who II Is.
I'm bound to eat and cut. "
Where are the boys, father"
Down in the new cut. Seth said
he'd rather finish that bit o fencin
while he was down thar than { halter
90 back t'morrer, and Charles turned
in t help him. 1t amt likely they'll
get through before sundown.
He dragged a chair To the table. II
grated harshly across the bare floor.
Mrs. Martin disappeared with the coffee
pot She went to put 1t ON the kitchen
stove. The boys liked their strong black
fluid hot. Eben was cutting liberal
wedge out Of the circular pone OF egg
bread when she got back. He accosted
her with u full mouth.
| "You amt never explained yet what
| You meant by Us doin Liza wrong.
thought we was givin her the bes' chance
| in the world. Mrs. Strong said We didn't
have no right to deny her the blessin's S
Of good education.
"Mrs. Strong! That's just it. Mrs.
Strong. She's been runnin the big
house and the governor and the boys
and the yard hands SO long that she
can't keep her finger out Of anybody's
pie.
"You sound sorter snappish, Becky.
You know they set q heap Of store by
book learnin up at the gov v'nor's, and
our girl was uncommon bright and
purity. II was a sorter freak of nature
our hayip such a child given TO Us.
With her yellow curls and her great big
ives and little hands and feet. p"
"Strong is just as good lookin in his
way"
"And l don't think it's for us to com.
plain when the governors KEEP Strong
at Shingleton college these years at his
own cost.
| THAT is because Strong is named for
him. and he wants the respectability OF
the name KEEP up. But Strong and Eliza
is two different people, Eben, and I'm
not sayin college is goin to harm our
boy. He's got his way to make in tie
world. and all three Of the boys can I
oversee for Adrien when the governors
gone. Strong don't expect to come home
and spend the rest of his days starin out
ut them niggers' cabins, listenin To that
eyerlastin slambang in the blacksmith s
shop, and at lot Of mules switchin the
flies of close to our very bedroom win
dows. Sometimes it sorter CRATES even on
me, old man. specially if I've just come
back from the big house, where it's all
30 different, but I've got used TO 1t, and
she's been out of it now for eight blessed
years. And there, Eben, / done wrong
In lettin Mrs Strong send her all poor
Gabriella's fine clothes and things.
"Gabriella was dead. She didn' I want
the frippery no longer.
eyes, l reckon knowed that as well
as you do. But it has helped to spoil
our Liza. She's got on silk dress right
there in that picture now, Eben. She
used to say when she was q little girl
that she loved to hear Mrs. Strong's silk
dresses go swish swish along the hall at
the big house. ! remember that very
dress. It's little blue and white check
silk with lace-real lace, old maD-in
the throat and sleeves. I don't think
she'll care to hear it 60 swish swish
over these rough plank floors, Martin.
do you?''
She caught her breath and went on
more anxiously: "And then, Eben, the
worst wrong Of all I've done her was
lettin Mrs Strong do all the letter writ
in, and when she comes home her moth
er-her own mother'll be the worse
shock Of all to her, old man." The
words eliminated in . hard, dry sob.
"But somehow when her first letter
came home, lookin 20 sweet and clean
and prim, I Just couldn't bear to send
her back one Of my awful scrawls, and
when MrA Strong said 1t sorter comfort
ed her by maxim her feel - II she was
writin to her own Gabrielle, ! just let
things 60 on, never lookin far enough
ahead 70 zee the time when the child