Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1901-05-21
By J. Ii. CONNOLLY.

summer. Until now she mad Kept him
talking about himself and what he had
been doing when away from her. Finally
she said:
Something very strange has happened
here, John. Yesterday morning, the
Reverend Mr.. Mcleod sent over note,
asking for the spoons and watch you
found up on the Backbone
How did he know l ever found any
thing there?'
THAT is more than 1 can tell you.
All know is that he asked for them;
and, more than that, he knew the in
itials on the spoons-'R. w. Band the
number of the watch"
Il suppose he has in some way found
out the owner. You sent them to him, Of
courseP'
yes. I sent them all"
THAT was right"
''And he sent again to say would l
please, when you came home, send you
over, too"
Mel Is there anything more he
wants?"
81 don't know. But l shouldn't be sur
prised if there were. The clergy are al
ways great hands for asking, you know"
"Well, I'll meet him at church to-mor
row, and see about it then"
Maybe"
"Why do you say maybe, mother"
''Tm thinking it's little you'll see or
hear tomorrow but Hetty Mulveil."
Il do want to see her, that's a fact,
mother. I've been away such long
time"
Don't 1 know it, my boy? Haven't
you been away from me for the first time
in your life? Oh, yes. l know it has
been long time
well, I won't go away from home
any more, for anybody or anything. I'll
just marry Hetty, and settle down to be-
come a regular old mOss-back farmer"
why do you speak that way, John, of
what your father was-a farmer?"
He looked at her and hesitated. Should
he tell her how he sympathized with his
Uncle David's admiration for the manly
work of iron-making? The fascination
it had for him? No. 1t would only make
her uneasy, perhaps, with a fear that
some day he might go away again to the
mill. So he only laughed, and replied
lightly:
why. mother, don't the rocks and
trees and everything that stays long in
one place get a coat of moss? Can't you
imagine there is a sort of invisible but
real moss creeping over us, too, when we
keep quiet in one spot a good while?"
"What a notion! When are you going
to marry Hetty?"
'The very first chance can make after
church tomorrow"
The old woman meditated in silence for
a little while; then, strOking his hair
with an affectionate, caressing touch and
suppressing a sigh, said gently:
Il shall have to be the best mother |
can for both of you. Mrs Mulveii isn't
as taking any more kindly to the
than she did when Hetty
ran away with you"
Say, tell me, mother; don't you think
1 should have married her then?"
Il do not presume to say, my boy. But
1 think, if your father had run off with
me, there would have been a wedding be-
fore either of us got back"
John silently gritted his teeth. She
went on:
Mr.. Roger McFarlane is said to be
making very serious advances to the
widow Mulveil. | suppose some folks
Will say SuCn SoluSS-O0 are Snameful be-
tween two like them, who are at least old
enough to know better, but for my part
do not see that it is anybody else's bust
ness than their own. And l would be
very glad of it if the effect should be, as
it very we'll might, to soften her and give
her something else to think about than
crossing Hetty."
The old ScOtchman would make her a
really good husband, l have no doubt,
and whatever influence he might have
would certainly be used in my behalf"
Il don't question it; and l don't doubt
Mrs. Mulveil would be quite a decent
body herself if she could only be induced
to forget that Hetty's father was a Null
veil. | should think she'd want to. A
Mulveil. indeed. Not that l have any
thi1s against the Mulveils myself. I'm
sure Hetty could not be any prettier, or
better girl, whatever she might be. But
oh, dear! l do wish sometimes, John.
that she were a Cameron
80 do l, dear MOTHER" replied John.
and mean that she shall
be, just as soon as possible"