The Portland daily press., 1898-03-05
4 By JEANETTE .VlhLwoRTH3
copRHHL 1898. BY THE AUTHOR. )

ly drawn strings that bound it with
reverent fingers. Presently in an awe
struck voice she said:
81 do believe it is from my brother
Lester. The handwriting looks like his
at its worst and he always was SO pre-
else about knots. -
Timothy answered suggestively:
Shouldn't be- surprised if it were
from little Potts, though the Lord only
knows how it got here. 1 reckon there
amt but one way Of making sure, and
that's by outlying them knots. I'd like
nightly to hear how the little man is
getting on. Want any help?''
Miss Melanie drew her parcel farther
back from his proffered aid with cold
dignity.
II will wait until the Misses Potts
get home, thank you, Timothy. They
are in attendance on a meeting of the
L. S. A. S. am much obliged to you
for bringing it, Tim
'sNot for worlds Miss Melanie told
the girls later, 1could have united a
single one of those knots with an alien
eye resting on Them
By devious ways, passed from hand to
hand, the precious package had reached
it's destination, and the girls must share
with her every atom of pleasure or Of
pain it might contain.
It contained very little in material
way-three black finger rings, with
gold hearts and arrows imbedded in
them by way of setting; carnelian
heart, with I'M. P' rudely carved on
! it's face; three tiny golden disks with
three dates engraved on them, respec-
lively standing for the birthday anniver-
! saries of the three women who examined
each article of the package with stream
ing eyes.
! But it was over little Potts letter
that they wept most copiously, Miss
Melanie insisting that he must be
very miserable indeed because he wrote
SO cheerfully, which was rather astute
of the little woman.
cit is impossible for me to say" lit
tie Potts wrote, chow this package is
to reach its destination, if it ever does
I comfort myself by thinking that if it
is lost the world will still wag on.
| 81 wish knew how it was wagging
with my three dear ones just now. Sew
eraI prisoners are to be exchanged to-
morrow, and among them is young
fellow from Mississippi, the northern
part, who expects to be sent to his home
as unfit for further service. He will
leave us pretty well laden with letters
cd fao1;cI, 15f+1r 1c s,c
this. am glad he is going to be re-
| leased. He is not strong, and this eli
mate is trying to him.
Here little Potts had stopped in the
writing of his letter to tie piece Of
old carpet about his neck to protect it
from tho cold blasts that were shaking
his enfeebled little frame as with chill.
"When tell you what the rings and
other things are made of, l am sure you
will be proud Of me, although 1 may
come in for scolding too. You see,
my dears, there is not much dandyism
among this colony of southern gentle
men rusticating at Johnson's island,
and such requirements Of an effete CIV
! ilization as gold studs and sleeve but
tons are ignored among us. -
A wan smile fitted across the little
mans thin face as he wrote that SEN
tence. 1t would never do to tell Melanie
and the girls that he had no shirt to
wear the studs with, for Of course they
could never be brought to consider him
a gentleman again.
Therefore I have converted mine
into little souvenirs for you three. ]
hope you will observe the niceness of
the workmanship. think it rather cred
liable to an amateur goldsmith; but
then, you know, I always was con-
ceitcd fellow, ready to place the high
est possible estimate on my own per-
| foTmances.
ITO be continued.)