The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-01-30

had to stay that night, to keep Ann
tremors company with her own, which.
after all. was why she came over.
But when it was sunny. and only a
soft southwest breeze signing through
the old garden, Rhody's heart was as
light as THE wings of the birds that had
that old garden all their own way. Ii
was Il spacious place. long since run
wild. here and there Il bed of old fash
toned flowers or pot-herhs that RhOdy
gave the little care they needed, saving
the lunches of sage and mint. and balm
AMI pennyroyal. for she WAS already be-
coming the village nurse: and here at
odd times SHE sat in the back porch at
her sewing. the breath Of the undylng
old roses and honeyGuckleS blowing
about her. and all her soul as Tranquil
MS the summer seas where her fancy
wont ont and lowered over VIII plOWln@
his ship along under full flowing snowy
sails.
Rhody's father had been the lawyer
OF the shore burt he had not been par
ticularly obediemt to law himself, that
is. the law of healthy living, and he had
early left her to buffet the world rs she
could. with nothing but the old house
for her portion. 1t had long fallen into
diSrepair: but when it leaked too seTl-
Oussly in one room, RhOdy moved to
another. 1t was said that Ivy
Hodge once paid court to her till he
found in her complete unSuspiclOusness
OF his wearing the negative of his de-
sires. But he cherished no i'll will oh
account of that. On the contrary, with
considerable circumlocution, he induced
the other young men; once when VIII
was at home. to help him. and with
Will and Humphrey Lavendar and Tom
Brier and Joe Burns. he had the old
roof shingled and the back porch re-
built for Rhody. Poor Ivy, of course,
had small credit for it with Rhody. For
though she thanked him very prettiy.
in her heart of hearts she was sure that
it was Will who first Thought of the
kindness and put it into execution; and
she was the happier thinking of the no.
bility and generosity of his nature thus
manifested than she was in the repairs
themselves. And as she sat in the porch
now, this poor, silly Mss Rhody, she
had an unspoken sense that it was
Wills protection surrounding her. and
she dropped her needle and leaned back
birds regarded her no more than if she
were the silver aspen which had sprung
up wild in one of the old paths.
BY some virtue of her temperament
there was hardly any trail of selfshness
i'll Rhody's dreams. Now she was
building bark of which Will was
to go master; or now she was collect
ing bright strips to make the carpet
for AIMS new parlor; or best of all
she was having Wills portrait painted
and hung up in n big gold frame IN
the same splendid room. for all AIMS
belongings partOok of the character
with which Will had been invested.
And dream as she would Rhody could
do Ann no wrong. for in reality the
being of her thoughts differed from the
rude sailor that followed the sea and
drank his jorum of grog and swore his
round oath ON occasion, as a piece of
sculptured marble differs from a lump
of soil; except for bit of flashing color,
a big stature, and a name, they had
nothing in common.
SO. when in good time, Ann and Win
Mather were married and went off to-
gether on the next voyage. if there were
any tinge of melancholy in Rhody's
thoughts, it was only that sweet, poetic
melancholy which is almost Il pleasure
in itself And she welcomed them back
joyfully, and gave them little tea
party. to which Ivy Hodge refused to
come, and at which she served her
ounce preserves. that had candied
through long keeping. in the old
Lowenstahl ware that she sold next
year to a fancier for a sum sufficient
to let her have that portrait painted
the portrait she had so long felt the