The Saint Paul globe., 1900-06-24

explanation if it were offered him now?''
asked Mr.. Smith.
''Ill tell you how he'd take It," broke
IN Mr.. Parks gruff tones II tried it
once and I'd no more'n got the word
Harriet out than he had both fingers in
his ears, walking away. AS for her, she
was too PROUD, l guess; she went off out
West TO keep house for her brother and
the old folks died, and now the brothers
dead, too They say he's left her pretty
well fixed, so she might be worth trying
for yet" finished the old man with
chuckle.
'Oh, mercy!-she'd be too big to look
at him now" remarked his wife. "Hare ct
always had great Ideas. Why, Mis-
Smith, you're not going to leave US so
early?"
Il think they had real good time"
she observed to Mary with weary
triumph, as they watched the departing
guests through the wire side door You
could see they enjoyed their vittles 1
dare say she isn't any great cook There
isn't SO much lobster left as 1 thought
there would be, but nobody can say we
spared expense to give EN- first-class
supper. Scrape up that butter and put
1t in the ice box, and let's get to rights:
l shouldn't want to have company steady
can tell you, and I guess pas good
temper's lasted about as long as it will
| with stiff shirt on"
Bickford was inclined to be somewhat
Scornful when it became clear than lob
Corey was to be made the object of spe-
cial pastoral attack Former ministers
had tried the same thing in a mild way
ana without result, but Mr.. Smith was
| perunacious. He sought Job out at his
work in the farmers fields, on the street.
! by MS own doorstep of an evening"
The man seems entirely human" ne
remarked hopefully to his wife 1T is this
narrow, gossiping, Bickford atmosphere
! that has made him such an apparent mis-
anthropy. L believe we shall get him here
before long,
Not yet,' she cautioned. at think
/ Har'et's perfidy wounded him too deep.
Better move slowly" But the pastor rash
ly ventured upon an invitation during his
next interview. Jobs face did not change
| or stltfen in the least; he simply answered
| doggedly, though not discourteouslv. ''I
don't go visitin'."
Mr. Smith did not press the matter.
reither did he give it up The next time
he visited the schoolhouse on a warm
| july night. he took Nanno, aged three and
a half; peachy young person with large
gray eyes like her mothers, and q rosy
mouth, less practical than the maternal
one. Ihelr host, standing with one foo;
On the wagon step. entered into conver.
sation oblivious of her presence
Nanno was not accustomed, even in
Bickford, to entire Indifference from the
other sex. She broke in, her head duckcd
a little to one side:
Does your mother let you eat candy?'
Job uttered a snort of amusement.
Mine doesn't" the young lady contin
ued' unabashed. You can have this pink
pepplenint if you want to. 1 got it al
the store" And she held out a sticky
mass. Her victim looked down at 1t help.
lessly.
You better keep It," he faltered, 'can
dy's nice"
mo it isn't" persisted Miss Nanno
You take 1t. Chew it hard and it won't
hurt YOU"
Fear of giving offense to parental ad
Grafton oVercame Jobs reserve for the
moment; he allowed the "peppIenint'' tc
be transferred to his horny palm upor
which Nanno hid her face on her fathers
arm, with a fine affectation of embarrass,
ment. Job stared at the candy as they
drove away then threw it into the grass.
They begin that way" he muttered tc
himself. It's born in women, more shame
TO en-
Nanno was in no wise daunted bv lack
Of cordially. A few days after, Job look
ed UP from his onion bed to see a small
round face peering at him through the
fence ptckets. 1t was the little girl from
the parsonage again.
How do you do?" she called socially
IT coined over to call, and I've brougi.t
my work. with that capable Western
roll of the r, which, to Bickford people
seemed like special precocity. She held