The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-02-21

playing at this moment.
81 heroine! Oh, you precious old
simpleton!'
ST have written to him that demand
the courtesy Of months warning
should he desire to take possession OF
Belhaven early in the year. He does
not own our people. My idiotic deed
reads house and land That brings me
to another possibility. So far the ne
retain him. The other side fights to
free him. Should he become freed
man and I not here to provide for YOU
oh, my darlingV
81 should still not be friendless. l
should have the dear Lord to help me. "
'Such faith passes my comprehen-
sion, and I confess should much rather
think OF you when am away as hay
ing some wise and strong human friend
to turn to at any moment you might
need one"
'sWise and strong human friends are
none too plentiful, said Marianne,
shaking her head sagely. 81 am afraid
tQdG Q6lLu6I MOuhs6y ACl hdl1Ahy oNiaO
comes under that head. "
"Most emphatically not. -
"And have lived SO long on the
plantation that I have not very extern
sive visiting list. How would Miss
Melanie do at pinch?'
ga good natured little gossip.
est is to her credit that she can be
gossip and good natured at the same
time Don't worry about me, Reggie.
We have fallen upon serious times, and
if in the 16 years of my life have
learned nothing of self reliance must
be poor creature indeed. F"
ST know of one woman, and but one,
to whom I should like to commend you
in the hour of your possible need. -
He stopped, and Marianne, turning
to look at him, caught the illumination
of his face.
"And that one?'
"Is Miss Basoom.
"That strange Miss Bascom whom
people say is like frozen statue?'
"What fool says that?''
"Miss Melanie. She and the Potts
girls have called on her, and Ollie de-
clares she is afraid of her. F."
He turned and clasped both OF Ma
rianne's hands in grip that caused her
to finch.
ssPromise me, little sister, that you
will listen to no such nonsense. will
be going away from you tomorrow, per-
hans never to return. 1t would comfort
me as nothing else in life could to
think of Miss Bascom as your friend.
She is a grand woman, above, far
above the littlenesses that consume the
half of the women in the world. =
"And," said Marianne, smiling sage
" into his flushed face, ''my brother
Reginald is very much in love with
her,
"Your brother Reginald adores her. -
"While she"-
"Entertains natural and wholesale
contempt for him.
.fThen I do not want her for friend
of mine"
sLoyal, but foolish, my sister. Come,
must have your solemn promise before
we leave this spot that, should any
emergency arise after my departure that
you do not know how to cope with, you
will 40 to Miss Bascom for advice. -
eff she does not like you, she might
"Promise me, Marianne"
s'They say she is not in sympathy
with this movement.
.'That has nothing whatever to do
with the matter. want your promise.
She is too grand woman to let any
private prejudice warp her Judgment.
Promise me-
81 promise. Dear me, Reggie, how
desperately in earnest you are. You
make me feel that something dreadful
must happen to YOU"
CHOW you are talking like the dear
little goose you are. We will go back
to that bag, if it please your ladyship -
One more short day for loving offices
| and tender counsel and then the little
town of Cloverdell gave up it's men with
a gay fanfare Of trumpet and bugle,
much flag and handkerchief waving
and much flower throwing quite as If
its fathers, sons and lovers were going
to enter the tourney lists like knights OF
old.
Jessica Bascom had come into town
to say her final farewell to the colonel.
She stood alone on the balcony Of the
| towns one hotel-a statuesque, noble
figure. The Apologize sharpshooters
filed past her, with the superb figure OF
her father in the lead. She flung him a
kiss from the tips of her fingers. 1t was
hard to give him up-in such a cause.
| She wished she could share in the fool
| ish enthusiasm which was sustaining
all the rest of the women about her
| throughout what must be a fierce ordeal,
but she could not. By her fathers side
rode his first lieutenant, a splendid
specimen Of vigorous young manhood.
He lifted his cap as his horse brought
him under Jessica's balcony. One kind
glance from her lovely eyes would have
set his pulses to bounding joyously. 1t
did not come.
With lowered crest he rode past, won
dering if the day would ever come when
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