The Worthington advance., 1900-09-28

! "Well." said William. II reckon shl
must stop here till he, strength comea
back, anyhow" s..
~ knew you'd ray that, WILL" 70.
sponded the old woman, .'for you wera
ne'sr one to shirk doin' ! kind deed.
Ay, we'll look after her; you see, tn
little birds as good as said fine news
were comm, an it Id be ungrateful
none to reward her. NJ
Later In the day Guiseppa's talk be
came soswild and unintelligible that
William was dispatched to the village
for DR.. Hattersley. When he came and
found that the girl was in high fever
he suggested that the workhouse, am
bulance should be fetched. Mary heard
him with some impatience and fatty
refused to take his advice.
9TH poor things goin' to bide here
till she's BETTER" she said. "I've al
ways been reckoned decent nurse,
an can look after her as we'll as any
young madam wi q white cap"
"Eh!" said the doctor, with a grim
ace. II suppose you'll have your own
way. But you must know that it will
be q great responsibility. You're fa,
from strong yourself"
20, I'm right enow at last, DOCTOR -
replied Mary. you see, it's come to
me as our lads alive after all and so
I've gotten summat to look forward
to. 1t Id be unlucky, besides bein'
wrong, to turn away Guiseppa, when
she made her way here, Lord knows
how, because she thought we'd help
her."
The kindly doctor had nothing more
to urge, and so Guiseppa became an
inmate of. Scraperlowe. She was Sc
riously ill for several weeks, but her
constitution was good (she came of fine
Tuscan peasant stock), and before the
time Of the first snowstorm she was
able to be moved downstairs and to sit
in big armchair by the fire. AS she
grew stronger she began to speak of
her departure, but Mary always 81
lenced her tenderly.
Its for you to choose, wench," she
said at last. my master an I'd be
main sorry if you left us, for we've
come to care for you more than lit
tie. Why none stay wi us for good?-
there's many an many a thing as you
can help wi. You see, Guiseppa, be
gettin' owd."
The girl thanked her with luminous
eyes and from that day began to work
in the place as if it were her own home,
taking such an active interest that the
old folk could scarce express their ad-
miration. The healthy life developed
her southern beauty until she was re-
garded as the loveliest woman of the
countryside. The respect and devo-
tion which she showed toward her pro-
tectors was really touching, and as the
months passed they began to look upon
her as their own flesh and blood. She
had the daintiest imaginable hand for
butter making, and the poultry under
her care was reared with admiral BILE
success.
Mary's idea of her having brought
luck was confirmed in the following
spring, when William received a let
ter from London lawyer, declaring
him heir to the property of an almost
forgotten kinsman. The fortune was
large enough to keep them for the rest
of their lives without working; but
neither cared to give up the life on the
old farm, and they resolved to leave it
untouched till Will came back. Their
faith in his existence was rewarded at
moving time by letter addressed in
the lads own bold handwriting. In it
they found that he had been cast ashore
on the South American coast, and that
he had lain some months in hospital.
He had written as soon as he was able,
but he feared that his letters had mis-
carried. His left arm, shattered in the
shipwreck, had been amputated, and
eveh if he had desired it he was no
longer fit for seafaring life. In short,
he was longing to see his old father and
mother again and to work on the lit
tie farm with all his. might.
After that, not day passed without
their expecting his arrival. 1t was not,
however, until the harvest that he
appeared at Scraperlowe. On the third
night of the Wakes, just year since
Mary had dreamed of his return, as
they sat together at supper, she heard
his hand upon the latch. She rose and
ran tremblingly to throw her arms
around his neck, and clung to him so
fervently that William was obliged at
last to beg for sight of his son. And
Guiseppa, when her eyes fell ON the
comely young man, felt her heart be-
gan1to beat very wildly; whilst Will,
after. embracing his father, thrilled
with the curious pang that comes to a
travelled man when he sees the most
wonderful woman he has ever met.
The long and the short of it was
that they fell in love at first sight, and
that to-day, with their robust ban
things, they are the happiest couple il
Peakland. They do not live at Scraper-
lowe, but William bought the next farm
for wedding present and gave him
his own land to work, so that the old
folk have naught to do save to delight
themselves with looking on.-Black
and White.
0XE0RDSS WITTY RISu0p