The Washington times., 1901-08-25

maybe little bathing in the open Will
make a man of me. At least it will do
me no harm; and L can easily earn enough
to keep Edith and myself in comfort.
There are farm baiiffs, you know, who
get excellent money.
She Strengthened herself. and 1 could
hear a heavy sigh / sat gazing again at
the Minerva. 1t was trick of mine when
deep in thought: but for the sake OF
peace. l had better have ruffied my hair
or stroked my chin just then, for Ruth.
walking round the table, saw what my
eyes were fastened on. and the devil
broke out in her in the queerest way.
Why are YOU always staring at that
stupid bust2 Why do you barely glance
at me, and keep all your eyes for that
me "A sort of grasp-''is it because it has
some resemblance to your precious Lois?
I've noticed it before. Is it because of
that? Tell met she cried. all on fire.
Tell me-
Il was but thinking. Ruth 1 said
half-amused at this freak of her jealousy;
| somehow helps me along. Like Lois. is
| it: Hardly. About the brow. perhaps.
and the cut of the chin. too, now 1 come
| to think of 1t. That's why maybe I've
| linen you can get out of your habit, y
she. cried again: 'and you shall gaze at
| nothing to help you to Think
With three strides she reached the ped
estal; and taking up the bust in both
/ her hands. she raised 1t high above her
and dashed it to the floor, where it flew
L
| l started to my feet In speechless an
ger. She turned a blazing look on me.
| so 1 should like to treat the living
| facei Curse her and you, Curse you,
| say. Between you, you have blasted my
| life. You would have learned to love me
| had she not been here. L would have
! made you love me-yes. made you, But
| she came with her waxen, yellow haired
| prettinesS-came and won your heart with
| the first glance of her great baby eyes.
faugh! Marry her. Marry her-wfieri
Saying this, she swept from the room,
and the loud bang of a door a moment
later told me that she was gone from the
house.
With real pain did I look down on the
white debris of Minerva After all. she
| had only come by the fate which my
grandfather had wished for her. I remem-
| Der his crazy words, grimly smiling; then
L stopped to gather a few of the pieces
| one beautiful ear-half of the lovely
mouth-a chip of rouEded chin. Suddenly
| my eyes widened. and L picked up some
thing which was in no wise part of the
| Minerva L held it to the light and my
| myers, as l pressed il between them,
caused cracking sound. How my heart
| leapt. It was roll of banknotes. With
han.is all of trernble 1 slipped off the
| elastic band and began an ecstatic count
ing Twenty notes. each for one hundred
poundsi | shouted aloud, and shouted
again. Old Hannah came running in with
| Betsy the dairymaid at her heels; and
once more | shouted, frantically waving
| the notes. Indeed for the moment / was
| crazy with joy; and so almost became
poor frightened Edith when l told her
| through the door the news of my find.
She threw off her Illness. got into some
| clothes. and came beaming down TO learn
all about it.
What then told her, though part of ii
| was theory, came to this: My grand
| father. having noticed that Minerva was
hollow of head. had bethought him. before
leaving Warstone. OF putting the notes
| inside Of her for greater safety; but as
he had probably dined and toasted only
| too well. on reaching home he had for
| gotten all about it. and imagined that the
! hop-pickers had relieved him Of notes and
| gold and all. However on the morning
| following some memory had stirred in
his unhinged brain, and he had called out
for that wonderful bust. In it he happily
| found the notes; but the scare of the day
| before was still upon him, and he decided
in his whimsical way that for a time at
| least they could not be in safer place
than in the head of the image. 1t was fair
! reasoning in a way, because in the hop
season burglaries in our parts are fire.
stronger in the house than an ordinary
| cash box. So he returned the notes to
their hidtng-place, ramming well home the
handful of hay with which he had choked
the slender throat-a fact, which, strange
to say, We had never once noticed-and
there the money had ever since lain Thai
my father would have been told the sec
ret doubt net; but aIasi he had arrived
in the bedroom too late that day for the
passing of single word. Thus + reason
ed, and, l think, with a show of truth
| Sc the night of our dolour ended and
the day-dawn OF happier things broke full
upon US. And when Lois returns with tbs
youngsters from the schoolroom concert
will ask her IL the best part of this writ
ing be not a true history of what befel
us before the good bells rang out, and we
who had been two were made by the pow.
er of the church into one. Then | viii
show her the thing which set it all goins
again-namely. the newspaper announce.
ment. a copy of which here follows:
| THORNTON-MAITLAND- September g. a
st. Nemo's Church, W. by the Hon. Rev ST pit
mus Surman D. D. Hector Priam Thorton, Roya
Hopshire Regiment. to Ruth Maitland, onll
daughter of Guy Bartholomew Maitland NJ. D..
Of Copston. Hopshire.
J John Stafford, in Chambers Journal