The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1900-02-17
MISS MASON'S FIVE DOLLARS.
[coNr1NuEp FROM rIRsr PAGE. i

rick, upon whose time the calls becam
greater and greater, was forced to SCI
Handy gradually usurping his old pre-
negatives as Hates attendant. He wa
man enough to suffer pangs Of something
closely akin to jealousy, but he was tot
much of a man to protest. There wal
some relief to his feelings in the fact that
in the new enthusiasm for good deeds the
young women seemed to have lost much
of their old weakness for gossip Yet, now
and then, he heard something which cut
like knife.
ssOh don't look SO tragic, one girl had
whispered in his ear one evening at the
club, as he stood watching Kate and her
proteee. eff he were her coachman it
would be different. But street car con-
ductor-why, he's everybody's property.
After such stab Herrick generally
planned evil things until the calls of duty
forced him to forget his private woes and
gave the wound time to heal. Sometimes,
though, it broke out afresh, as such
wounds will. Busy as he was, Tom had
some very bad half hours in his own com
pany.
The Major was proving unexpectedly
reticent on the subject of his daughter s
new acquaintance At the beginning he
had manifested signs of mild disapproval,
but latterly he had avoided any reference
to Handy. There was, as it happened,
more or less of the democratic in his make
up, and, besides, he had unbounded faith
in Hates ability to avoid Objectionable
entanglements An incident, too, had
occurred recently, which, in his judgment,
effectively barred him from trying to in
huence his daughter in this matter. He
was escorting Kate to meeting of the
club, and near the hall CHANGED to come
upon Handy, also bound for the same
destination. As the three were crossing
the street the Major saw a car bearing
down upon them at high speed, and stepped
briskly out Of danger. He supposed his
companions were close behind him, but
when he looked back from his point Of
safety he saw them halted between the
rails. Neither perceived the peril, for
Kate had called Handy's attention to a
grotesque Illuminated sign, and they had
paused to inspect it. The Major shouted;
the motorman tore desperately at his brake,
and sounded his gong with the energy of
man striving to atone for the hardness OF
his warning. Handy instinctly threw an
arm around the girl and half lifted, half
pushed her from the track. He leaped
after her, but as the car rushed past he
was hurled TO the pavement. He was up
in an instant. however, dazed and shaken,
but, luckily, not badly hurt.
''Oh, its nothing he said, in answer
to their anxious inquiries. ''The car just
erazed me, that's ALL That fellow didn't
allow enough for the slippery track. l
expect he was worse scared than | was. "
None of the three said much about the
incident Handy seldom referred to it,
and Kate also seemed to avoid the topic.
She thought of it often, though, and her
reflections were not altogether pleasant.
For one thing, it gave Handy new stand
ing with her-she could hardly keep up
her semi patronizing relations to a man
who had done her such service. As for
the Major, he few days later invited
Handy to dine with them AS an after
thought he also invited Herrick
To neither of the young men was the
dinner a season of unalloyed happiness.
Tom saw that the other fellow had gained
new footing in the Mason household,
and, not knowing the cause, fell a victim
to dependency. Handy, who had suffi
Gent reminder Of the cause in still pain
full bruise OF two, had reasons of his own
for rather serious reflections. Kate shared
her attention between them with care
which was in itself suggestive, and her
father, looking on and good deal at sea
as to the situation, grew thoughtful and
preoccupied. Contrary to his custom, he
remained with the young people that even
ing. 1t puzzled him that both of his
guests took an early departure.
Very little new light came to the Major
in the next month. The winter had nearly
worn itself out, and with the arrival of
warmer weather the labors of the chart
table organization and its helpers might
reasonably be expected to be lessened, but
in the mean time the workers were throw
ing themselves into their tasks with unre-
Taxed energy. Kate and her friends were
yet engaged with their destitute poor and
the club; Herrick was still the directing
spirit of their enterprises; Handy remained
their most active agent. Both the young
men were at his house occasionally, but
rather less frequently, it seemed to the
Major, than had been the case before that
dinner. Each of them had dined with
the Masons more than once in the last four
weeks, but they had not met at the house.
On the whole, the Major was satisfied that
they should not be his guests at the same
time Kate, so far as he could observe,
greeted each of them with equal cordiality
She was bit less cheerful than usual, her
father imagined, and he began to fear that
her exertions were telling upon her.
1t was fortunate for his peace of mind
that he was unable to read the yonng lady s
thoughts during that period. Matters
were hardly shaping themselves to her fan
cy, and she was full of premonition that
she might find herself in disagreeable
position. What to do with Herrick puz-
zled her almost as much as what to do with
Handy. As for the latter-well, her
early fancy for him had passed into firm,
well-developed liking. He had won on
her steadily, for she had found in him
many qualities that attracted her. Since
her rescue from the car he had told her
very little of himself; in fact, almost the
only thing of personal interest she had
learned was that he expected soon to re.
gain the position with the firm from whose
employ he had been dismissed several
months before. 1t was an important
house, and he would have excellent OPP.
portunities for promotion. Kate congrat.
ulated him honestly, and then fell to won,
dering if his bettered circumstances NIGH
xok ,oota bar onrr,r for harsolf Ha IL a.