Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1899-12-21
lext summers dresses, still thinking Of


spent every evening taking To men OF
his own ilk. emitting the common courte-
| sizes of clubmen.
No. is II unique institution on the is
land of Nantucket. IL derives its name
| from the fire engine which is its special
charge. Ii is an old hand engine and has
! had its nose put out OF joint by the new
steamer which the town in IA tit OF prodi-
gality purchased recently. Some people
say il is more ornamental than useful,
and it certainly does look pretty when il
goes through the old lanes.
No is still in commission. just the
same, and, while IL may be a little old
fashioned, IL there is ever n fire, which
is rare, the combination OF No. 4 and No.
As men is hard To beat.
But there Is good deal more 10 No.
than that. 1t has risen to a point
where il yields great social and political
Importance. Candidates for office like
to call No. As men their friends. 1t is
far from being Il Sunday school. and the
common run of the clergy would probably
not feel much Ut ease in the society Of
its members.
But this story does not deal with No.
As affairs so much as with one Of its
members.
unusually silent this evening.
Billy Newcomb. who had happened to
be rabbit shooting upon Coatue when
Tim had taken on his cargo. had been
keenly interested in the adventure
While others were seeking solicitously
for the cause of Tins silence he was
biding his time. All they had got out OF
Tim had expressed about as much as a
crows croak, but Billy got a rise.
''l'll tell you what's the matter with
Tim. He's in love"
"Neverw one declared. Tins the last
oner'
well, I'll bet you il is so. for | seen
him with that Hayward girl. scallopin.
today. So now"
"Now, jest want TO know" said an
other. well well, if it's so. I'm glad o.
it. It's high time. Tim, an | wish you
we'll"
Others wished Tim well, too, so thor
oughly and increasingly that he had no
time to explain. if he had had words to
explain himself, which may well be
doubted.
He returned home to his mother early
| that night and the next thing he went
to see Persis instead of going to No. 4.
He was received with n warmth that
brought the blood to his face and kept it
there for the rest Of the evening.
The conversation was mainly devoted
| TO the past season and the prospects OF
the next and the probable market quo
tations on scallops when Lent came.
1t was only when Tim started to go
that he approached the subject OF his Wis
il with trepidation that was plainly Wis
ible to Persis, as it might have been to
any one.
Il wonder" he began-that is. was
| thinkin sorter-that is. whether you'd
ever danced. Don't want to seem inquis-
| like to know"
"Why, yes. Tim, | can dance, an like
to, what's more"
well, I'm glad-that is, might be if
only Tins arms, in series of ges-
lures not modelled after the Delsarte sys-
TEN, were yainly trying TO help him ex-
press himself. You see" he continued,
I'VE No. 4 boys have a series o dances
every winter-that is. assemblies, we call
'em-an | kinder thought you might sort
er like to Coz
When he had at last sailed through his
difficulties of speech. Tim was standing
on one leg. and there was perspiration on
his brow.
why. yes: certainly I'd like to go.
You're real kind"
Tim quickly turned, opened the kitchen
door and departed without even saying
good night
Tim was himself again when he went
TO No. 4 the next evening. He showed no
resentment mt the gibes which were aimed
at him. and they finally ceased. He only
| said, you jest wait till the dances be-
| gin"
This they did. and there was not a sol
| emn face in the hall when he entered it
| the following week with Persis by the
hand
1t was a happy winter for Tim, almost
| the happiest he had ever known, and it
was not until summer came that he found
| u fly in his ointment. There had been no
expressed understanding between the
pair. but then understandings are not al
ways put in words. 1t was only when
Tim and Persis misunderstood each other
that they approached the subject Of their
relations with each other.
1t happened when the summer season
had begun. Tim had appeared in new,
trim surrey. and business was good, and
the world looked sweet and lovely to him.
But, however the extremely virtuous
may feel about il, jealousy is no respecter
OF persons. When Tim passed the Sea
View House, he always stretched his
neck and looked for Persis. Persis gen
orally saw him and waved and smiled.
The city people smiled, too. and thought
il was so pleasant TO see happy pair OF
lovers, even in humble life"
But there were times when Persis did
not see Tim. They were not many, to
be sure, but enough to crush the life out
Of him. That Persis could ever be seen
laughing and joking with a stranger and
not see him when he passed killed his
heart, summoned all the baseness in his
soul TO the surface and mt last made
him the sepulcher OF a once happy ma
ture.
1t was all done in a minute. He did
not often see Persis. but once in the mid
die of the summer he met her when his
resentment was hot within him.
'See here. Persis." he began-and
speech came easy and without hesitation
-"seems To me you're sometimes pretty
close to them city fellers An what do
they care for you anyway
He couldn't have done worse. She had
stopped suddenly.
'Tim Henderson. what do you mean?
What have you to say about what | do?
Say. do you think you're captain o. this