The St. Johns herald., 1901-05-18

l
 spoke he confronted his shrinking daughter, Amber, who had just said
 goodnight at the door to gallant Will Camp, recently home from the Philip
 pine war, and still wearing his stained
 blue uniform.
 Old Carmelius FOote was a staunch,
 not to say rabid, advocate of universal
 peace. Some of his progenitors on the
 maternal side had been Quakers, and he had inherited enough of the pacific
 spirit of William Penn and his follow.
 CTS to combat everything that savOred
 of physical force with a fierceness and
 intolerance that would have made a
 captain of horse invincible. He had
 had great hopes of the peace confer
 ence summoned by the CZar of Russia
 and just now he was particularly indig-
 nant and disgusted by the fact that, i immediately after that conference, the two most enlightened nations of the world were each engaged in wars of no mean proportions. He had StOrmed for days against all men of war, and declared them to be, without exception, promoters of the devils kingdom. And now to have this young American sol dier, still clad in his iniquitOus livery, darkening his doors as a suitor for his daughters hand, was too much. No wonder the old man flew into ungod- ly and inconsistent passion. No won der he spoke harshly as he did to his pretty daughter, and no wonder she, knowing her fathers determined and immovable nature, burst into tears and stole away upstairs to face the shadow which had suddenly plotted out her happy dreams.
 As Amber left the room, sObbing, her mother turned, almost defiantly, toward Carmelius. "YOu know they have thought the world of each other ever since they were children" she cried. ''It isn't because Will has been to the war that Amber loves him, or even admires him, though there are lots of girls who are after him just for that. Amber and he were as good as engaged long before the war, and it is cruel for you to separate them just because Will obeyed his cOuntrys cali and went to defend it against those Philippine rebels"
 "Philippine rebels!' snorted Carme- Illus. Great danger this country was in from them I told Will Camp be fore he went that if he wanted to have anything more to do with Amber he'd better stay at home and tend to the employments of peace. But nO-off he went. with a lot of other crazy-headed young fellows, and now he comes back, stained with the blood of his brother man, and dares to come couri-iG Ol my daughter just the same as before I tell you, I won't have it!' The ol-. mans voice rose so shrilly that Amber heard it, as she lay sobbing on her lit tie bed upstairs. 'The next time he comes, I'll send him home. I'll tell him never to cross my threshold again. I'll give him to understand that when say thing I mean itP'
 The man of peace beat the air with his fist and then struck the table a re sounding thump. "No man who uses force against his brother man shall marry a child of minep' he repeated. "Let Will Camp understand that! Once for all, I say that l won't have him here courting Amber. I'll send him home if he comes."
 Old Carmelius FoOte was as good as his word. He met Will Camp at the gate the next Sunday evening, and Mrs. FOOte and Amber heard the voices of the two men raised in angry dispute. Then the young man whirled abruptly on his heel and strOde away. Amber buried her wOe-begOne face on her mothers shoulder, and her whole body shook with sobs. It seemed to her that that quick, indignant turning away of her lover meant the end of her first and only romance. For she said to herself that she could never love any body but Will. and if he and her father had come to be enemies, of course, the whole matter must end.
 For days there was scarcely a word spoken between the three members of the FoOte family. Carmellus was grim ly determined, and went about with face like flint. His wife was indig- nantly silent. She never spoke to him except when absolutely obliged to, and then in scarcely anything but mOnOsyl- fables. Amber attended to her house hold duties with dropping face and dark rings under her eyes, was like a flower that had been trodden on and was at length lifting itself pitifully, but never to stand erect again.
 Wednesday was pie baking day at the FOOte farm. Next to universal peace, Carmelius' great hobby was pies. He ate them three times a day, and seldom consumed less than half a pie at a meal. All kinds of pies were grateful to his palate, and he throve upon them famOusly, in spite of the printed protests of hygienists. Conse- pie-baking day was very i'm portant occasion in the Foete house hold. All day long the rolling pin dumped over the dough board; the spice boxes shed their aroma abroad; the piles of sliced fruit and mincemeat and the bowls of yellow custard and lemon favored starch were devoured by cavernOus crust lined pie plates, and the oven door creaked and clang- ed. By mid-afternOOn the "buttery" shelves and window sills were covered thickly with pies, and Carmelius would come in from his work, sniff of them,