The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1899-11-03
AN EAYESDROPPER.

Store in the gathering dusk, when a
TOman's figure turned the corner ana
nloyel hurriedly down the roid 1t va;
only distinguishaDie as dark. gliding
bass, but the very outlines had an in
definitely tragic look. as if she were
fleeing from destiny
There goes Xetta Banister She don't
get no younger. see" observed one OF
The grocery wits, in a tone of amused
insolence.
Her bcaull never come back To her,
asserted the fellow opposite, without
taking the pipe from his mouth.
The storekeeper young. powerful
man. was just locking the door, and a.
he caught these remarks his eye spar
klsd with unnecessary anger. The first
speaker went on with increasing unC'
ton:
ITS no loss TO him. guess for She
a little devil for temper, AMI always
WAS"
Keep your ring mouth ~Au,. air
you? and let a woman'S unc alone
kald an enraged voice over his IA
Its owners fist doubled up ~ hr ,plN
Eith the fighters instinct. 'G %
thought better of il. anu. SIR. --.u. lis
Shoulders, thrust bands AM s.s-s.
bis pocket and strobe III W 81. ua.a-
He direction from that taken uy IN,
elfl he had champ,oued IA. o.2s
n the rear Were soon luu~.ued ANA 8
fore he was out Of sight a round 0.
outlaws made his muscles twitca and
his neck burn.
Il never did quite see thru Xejta
Banister," remarked one of the circle
modestly when the laugh had died
away. Why don't she take Joe Crates
y he wants herr You'd think she'd
jump the chance"
"Oh, she'll come to it before long"
predicted a second, confidently.
shes smart enough, and cookbook.
Ing, too, but there's something queer
about her They say she knows what
fou're thinking before you open your
head"
They say she's got some sort of
spcrrlt that tells her what TO do" ven.
tured another with n half laugh, as Of
uan who declines to commit himseN
why, they dew say she's KEEP track
Of Dave Mallet all these years without
hearing word from him."
''Wall, I know one thing: that her ma
never saved a cent, ana that she's past
g. and was glad enough of chance
to get a distric' school to teach" oh.
served a loud-voiced man-one of those
men who would glory in "hitching up"
Pegasus and using him to pillow a three.
acre lot.
'Sho, she'd better get married while
shes got the chance. Her grandmam
can't last long and Joes smart and
stlldy, If he does hold his head high"
''Ye don't suppose Dave will turn IN
finally, do ye?" hazarded the least of
the solons-the same who had con.
Tossed that he could not quite see thru
Getty"
No, | guess not; not Dave Mallet. +
Dunno why, but | never did cxpec
much O. him"
David Mallet was at that very mo.
ment hardly 10 miles, and lessenine
ehe distance 1T his best pace. II w9s
eariE 1all. and the sky, which seemed
e. large and high at that season. was
HiIeG with fragments of blackish
CLOUD continually breaking under ,be
northwest wind. The few who met
In SdW ohly q spare, ShOrtiSh man
tot ilu'h under 20 whose preponderat
~ brow ana hna eyes but Just re- |
Heri'eu the commences of his Other |
tn,uIeS' one or two were perhaps |
sttucK by his expression. sugoe.tiil~ |
some pleaSurahle crisis. David was ~
Isct' Ieellng huuyantly hupefuI ouJ
even boyishly gay in this momept ~
his home coming. alfbougb ho 1,a ~
passed through many yIcissitudes Uc
Ielt as Jacob did at the end If bis
seven years service. and louyed ia IN.
terView old Banister almost nc mudh
as 10 see Ietta. His confidence in 10,
was OF no common character. and 10
uoup's winch mad occasionally troubled
nm nm were an asleep now He rnmfm
oeleu' Haii smiling, that she had prom.
i'eu 10 llatnt him 70 his dying day. ana
so raf certainly she had made her
words good. Though letters We're for.
hidden, though there was no formal
compact between them. vet he had re.
celved In his own unhroken fidelity n
spiritual assurance that she was faith
fuL too. The old man had been unrea
sonahle. of course. but let bvgones be
Qygoiies; and such daughter who
could wonGer? And at the thought of
Zetta, of her sweetness. her impetuoSi.
ties, her cleft chir. her long hair that
rippled but would not curl-ay thought
of her, say. all other emotions were
rapidly resolved into the mother cur
rent of love.
SO David covered the miles, and II
dtt1 not seem long until he stood, with
Ouickening breath, ut the familiar side
step. He raped gently, hoping that
Zetta herself would answer the knock.
but instead a high-pitched voice called
out a brisk "COmc in"
Obeyng almost unwillingly, David
opened the door and entered a small
sitting-room, where sat Zetta's grand
mother alone, and rocking vigorously |
In chintz-valanced chair.
"Come in! Step right up! Take
seat, won't your she said cheerily. 81
can't see who 20 he, for l don't have |
much use of my eyes nowadays, but ]
never was afraid Of man or ghost vet
"Does-does Milo Banister live here|
stammered the traveller, disingenuously
running bis eye eagerly over the home,
" interior. he felt lis spirit dashed
already, poor fellow; he had pictured
Such different welcome there.
"AIilo Bapister? Why you must be
strange in these parts! Milo died three
years ago last january"
For moment the lamp wavered ana
the walls seemed to Contract Adopt
David He would never see the old