Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1900-03-30

suffering. 81 did she sulcmnly swear
,n herself that she would stand Icy the
last Of the name.
\ rurtiyr hut thorough examination
of the ulurrS Jimmie Martin had found
had led her TO believe that they were
of decided value To Tom. Whether Ia
give them To him on the first chance
meeting with'him ar whether TO hold
ON Ia the most important ones until lie
came of age was the knotty point Win
her One Of her innumerahlc theories
WAS that il Horace Matthews had not
been willing for them 10 he lost he
would have made a more thorough
search for chem at the time al Their
disappearance.
The discrepancy between this view
and the idea of Jimmie Martin having
reSold himself did not concern her III
the least. The average woman does not
understand the necessity for doNetali-
ing her theories and rises superior TO
consistency.
The old woman sighed and pecred
restleSSly toward the front gate. She
had half mind when MalNina did
come back to tell her all about the
finding and the losing of the papers,
first. of course, swearing her to inVio-
liable secrecy. but she had entertained
and discarded that same half II mind
scores Of times already. MalNina would
lust get angry with her and put on SUI
perior airs of rectitude. Malvina got
angry with her every time she cast
any discredit on Horace Matthews
management of Toms affairs. He GER
tainly had bcwitchcd Malvina, as he
had others before her. Only that morn
ing at the breakfast table. when Nal
vina had described the beautiful pearl
necklace that Matthews had claSped
about his girls neck and she had
| promptly recognized it as having been
! Lucetta's, given to her as birthday
! gift by her brother Rufus, and had de-
nOunced its appropriation by the law
yer, Malvna had flown all to pieces
and had just stopped short of down,
right disreSpect to her mother in de
Tense of him.
AS If did not know him better
than anybody living" the old woman
grumbled, striking one wrinhled fist
angrily against the other. AS If did
not know his soul TO be rotten to the
very core"
Tom Broxton, cantering gayly down
the sun fecked road on his way to
Vaudeville, caught a glimpse of the
bright spot OF color In the cottage door
way and drew rein with friendly i'll
tent. lie consulted his watch and
laughed.
at is Mother Spillman. | ought TO
pay my respects TO the old lady. |
have more time this morning than |
am likely to have again. | was asked
to n o'clock dinner, and 1t is only a
little past l. now. I'm showing my
hand pretty plainly"
He sprang out of the saddle threw
his bride over n picket of the fence
and made his way quickly between
Miss Malvina's hollyhocks and lark
spurs. The old woman peered forward
eagerly at sound of the gate latch.
That amt you back already, Nal
vina"
Her hands were caught in warm
cordial clasp.
mo; it's only Tom BrOXton, Mother
Spillman. I've stopped by to ask after
your eyes. Miss Malvina tells me you
have had n dreadful time with them
this winter, and, as if that wasn't
enough to keep both of you in work
you had to go and sprain an ankle
All Of which was shouted SO mmedi
, ately into the old lady's ears at the tor
Of Toms vigorous young lungs that
she recoiled in physical pain. But she
, held his hands with answering warmth
;, and smiled glad welcome up at the
great stalwart fellow
"My dear boy, my good lad, to think
OF your taking the time to stop and
, call on an old woman like me. But il
was like you - like the BroXtonS,
mean. They never forgot other peo
pies feelings. Sit down, Tom. close
to me, laddie. where | can touch your
shining brown hair if | want to- But
don't yell so, Tom. They try to make
out that | can neither hear nor see
yet-no, not yet-not too helpless to bt
a good friend to the last of the BroX
tons, Tom. Eh!".
Indeed. no. maam," said Tom cheer
fully. Il don't know of anybody
would turn to quicker if needed hell
"a to nj ,,ip
He was thinking of derelict buttons
and failing sock heels. She was think
ing Of much weightier matters. Sh'
gave a chuckle Of unmistakable tri
umph.
Say that again, my boy: say /
again. 1t does one good after bein.
i snubbed and laid on the shelf 70
years. You mean it, don't you, Tom?
"Of course | do, every word of it,
said Tom kindly. But you must no
talk of being laid on the shelf yet 70
: a great macy years to come. Mother
Spllman. You have got plenty wor
to do in the world yet"
ooh. I'm not getting younger, AM
I Pm not getting brighter. Pm willing t
20 when my time comes. But, Ton
;. I've been wanting to talk with yor
n lad. You're right. I've got work t
/. do I've been wanting to say som
J. tc'ngs to you that no one else cOul
= say as wei nor rs safely. things nc
body else would dare to say. Sit her
+ on this hassock, close by my feet. DO.
= and try to use the trumpet when 70
) answer me. Then you won't have t
5 bawl so that they can hear you all owe
y the county"
Is 80 far as can see," said Tom, ey
perimenting gently with the trumpe
= there's no one to hear us unless it
y Miss Malvina's canary bird or that oil
= red rooster Wonder scratching up til