Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1899-04-13
CHAPTER XXvI.
A DISCOVERY.

CHAPTER XVI
DISCOVERY.
I have grim will when. ! choose to
exert it. After Mr.. Gryce left the hotel
] took q cup of tea with the landlady
and then made round of the stores /
bought dimity, sewing silk and what
not, as said would, but this did not
occupy me long Ito the regret probably
of the country merchants, who expected
to make fool of me and found it by
no means easy task and was quite ready
for William when he finally drove up.
The ride home was more or less ST.
lent one. had conceived such horror
of the man beside me that talking for
talks sake was impossible, while he
was in mood which it would be char
ity to call communicative. 1t may
be that my own reticence was at che
bottom of this, but rather think not.
The remark he made in passing Deacon
Spears house showed that something
more than spite was working in his slow
but vindictive brain.
There's man of your own Sort"
he cried. "You won't find him doing
anything out of the way; oh, no. Pity
your visit wasn't paid there. You'd have
got better impression of the lane"
To this / made no reply.
At Mr.. Trohm's he spoke again.
81 suppose, said he. "that you and
Trohm had the devil of say about Lu-
cetta and the rest Of us. I don't know
why, but the whole neighborhood seems
to feel they've right to use our name
as they choose. But it isn't going to be
SO long. We have played poor and pinch
ed and starved all I'm going to. I'm
going to have new horse, and Lucetta
shall have a dress. and that mighty
quick too. I'm tired of all this shabbi-
ness and mean to have q change"
wanted to say, "No change yet;
change under the present circumstances
would be the worst thing possible for
you ALL" but 1 felt that this would be
treason to Mr.. Gryce and refrained, say
ing simply, as he looked sideways at me
for word:
'Lucetta needs ANEW dress. That no
one can deny. But you had better let
me get it for her, or perhaps that is
what you meant
The grunt which was my only an
swer might be interpreted in any way.
took it, however, for assent.
AS soon as I was relieved of his pres
ence and in that of the girls again al
tered my whole manner and cried out
in querulous tones:
Mrs. Carter and. have had differ
ence." (This was true. We did have a
difference over ourcup of tea. I did not
think it necessary to say this difference
was forced one. Some things we are
perfectly justified in keeping TO our
Selves "She remembers certain verse
in the New Testament one way and L in
another. W. had notitime to settle it
by consultation with the sacred word,
but I cannot rest till it is settled, SO
will you bring your Bible to me, my
dear, that l may look that verse up?"
We were in the upper hall, where /
had taken q seat on the old fashioned
sofa there. Lucetta, who was standing
before me, started Immediately to do
my bidding. without stopping to think,
poor child, that it was very strange ]
did not go to my own room and consult
my own Bible as'any good Presbyterian
would be expected to do. AS she was
turning toward the large front room
where I knew the one Bible wanted
could not be 1 stopped her with the
quiet injunction:
'Get me one with good print, Lucet.
ta My eyes won bear much straining. "
At which she turned and to my great
relief hurried down the corridor TO-
ward Williams room, from which she
presently returned. bringing the very
volume I was anxious to consult.
Meanwhile I had laid aside my hat.
1 felt Hurried and unhappy and showed
it. Lucetta's pitiful face had q strange
sweetness in it this morning, and felt
sure as I took the sacred book from her
hand that her thoughts were all with
the lover she had sent from her side and
not at all with me or with what at the
moment occupied me. Yet my thoughts
at this moment involved, without doubt,
the very deepest interests of her life, If
not that very lover she was brooding
over in her Garkened and resigned mind.
AS realized this heaved an involun.
tary sigh. which seemed to startle her,
for she turned and gave mo quick look
as she was slipping away to join her
sister, who was busy at the other end Of
the hall.
The Bible I held was an old one of
medium sizI and most excellent print.
I had no difficulty in finding the text
and settling the question which had
been my ostensible reason for wanting
the book. but it took me longer to dis
cover the inGentation which had made
in one of its pages; but when I did yo''
may imagine my awe and the turmoil
into which my mind was cast when I
found that it marked those great verses
in Corinthians which are so universally
read at funerals:
Behold l shew you a mystery. We
shall not all sleep, but wo shall all be
changed.
I'm moment, in the twinkling of
an eye"-
CHAPTER XVII.
AN INTRUSION.
was so moved by this discovery that