The Portland daily press., 1898-03-09
COPYRIGHT 1893. BY THE AurnoR.>

AItNS IGdEu6u Wuttb yONA pAoohSA 'eN' w
my father after they left here, although
in the few letters that,came back to me
my dear father always made affection
ate illusions to Captain Belknap. owe
very deep debt of gratitude to your
brother. I should be glad to pay it to
some member of his family
"Oh, but you forget-about"
81 forget nothing"
"And it is for Reggie himself. That
makes it all the more presumptuous.
"Why?'
because I once heard him say that
You entertained a natural and whole
sale contempt for him. Not that he
blamed you. He just thought you were
too good and exalted yourself to make
any allowances for such lapse"
Jessica walked on in profound silence
until they had reached the sycamore
tree at the forks of the road
"Would you object to waiting here
with me little while? The old evan
gelist who has been laboring over my
people is not very strong, and these
things may stand him in good stead %
Marianne threw herself Gown on the
messy roots Of the old tree.
''It is lovely here. 7 could spend
hours here with you. I am always ready
for the woods. Reggie says he is sure I
was dryad in a former stage of ex-
istence.
Jessica, too, had seated herself on the
spreading roots. She looked away from
Marianne with a thoughtfully contract
ed brow.
81 am afraid have been very AFRO.
CANT in my time. My Introduction to
Captain Belknap was not suspicious.
But my dear father loved him. They
loved each other. The men all write
that he offered his life to save that of
his friend. Do you suppose am utterly
devoid of common gratitude?'
sob, am SO glad I came! If that is
the way you feel, you will not object to
letting him come here.
Jessica looked at her with wide
stretched eyes.
"Come here? To my house, do you
mean? Why, where is hep
IuSu Mdl1duuO tOlo uCI cIOIy WlUl
many quotations from Miss Melanie as
to the utter impracticability of Captain
Belknap's being brought into Glover
dell while the Marine brigade was on
hand.
sBut-I-he''-
Jessica's hesitation threw her into
despair
"Oh, I knew It'll I knew It'll I said
you never would consent to have him
here. ?"
Her tears began to flow freely. Jessica
looked away from her with a frown
pickering her smooth forehead. She
was not given to hasty action or tc
making up her mind without any previ-
Gus consideration.
s'Don't cry, please, Miss Belknap. ]
want to think over this proposition. -
"Well you can think without calling
me Miss Belknap.' feel miles farther
away from you than did five minutes
ago.
"What spoiled little one it is!'' said
Jessica, smiling away the threatening
aspects of the situation.
''No, there is no one to spoil me since
Reggie went away. But must not let
you think that I am entirely without
any self control. I have been dreadfully
upset today. Please don't set me down
for a perfect simpleton. %
"When are you looking for him?"
cat 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.
"No, it is as you say, impossible to
be sure of anything. begin to fear 1
have missed my old evangelist. He ex-
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
man or woman, my dear, whose
mere presence seemed to raise your es-
innate of human nature?'
emo" Marianne answered rather
curtly. Shs resented this sudden efface-
ment of her brother in favor Of wan
dering evangelist. "But, then, I have
come in contact with very few people OF
any Sort
''The old man for whom am watch
ing is an unusual sort. If you and had
toiled all our lives for the betterment OF
mankind and found ourselves at the age
CT threescore and ten without home,
without kindred, without a single thing
or creature we could call our very own,
what sort of members of society do you
suppose we would maker"
81 should be perfect fiend. l don't
want to live long enough to settle that
question if those I love are to be taken
from me-
eyes, that is the way felt too. My
old man has given me broader sense of
what it means to be member Of soci-