The Tupelo journal., 1903-05-15

aware for the first time that he had
been observed. and hesitated as If he
bad MATE up his mind to walk away.
Don't 60" l said, and my voice
! reached him easily in the quiet au-
tnmn air. You see / can't do you
any harm. / only want to speak to
you for a moment"
He left the ratings and came up
to my chair, and then | saw that he
was really a very nice looking boy
with an open, pleasant face that just
now was slightly flushed.
Would you mind looking down
that street." l began by way of
breaking the ice, land telling me if
| you see a servant out of
livery-coming this way?" He
stepped aside so as to obtain a view
down the side street and said that
no such person was in sight.
Would you like me to wheel you
a little way?" he added.
mo, l think l will stay here. But
your kindness in offering to do that
encourages me to ask you to do one
small favor"
"Oh certainly"
"Then will you tell me why you
touched every fourth upright in the
ratings as you passed along just
now?"
The young mans cheek flushed with
shame and annoyance, and he re-
| piled rather sharply, 81 can't con-
~ - L-.xx %l&4 - ,~,, l,auc
of yours"
"You are perfectly entitled to
make me that answer" said l with a
smile. land, to tell the truth, 1 quite
expected that you would. But as
you see / am an invalid, and, being
unable to go about as you can, little
things + apt to acquire an I'M
natural Importance in my eyes. My
curiosity has been reused, and if you
can see your way to gratifying it l
should really feel obliged to you.
Besides, you know you promised to
do me a favor"
"Oh, WE'LL" said the youngster in
an offhand way and with a toss Of
his shoulders hat l thought became
him vastly. "if you care to know,
the fact is L was seeking for a mark
on the ~railings-a signal"
"Yes?"
you see that big house opposite?
1t is a girls school, and M of the
young ladies there"
He stopped and hesitated for q
word, blushing furiously.
with whom you are in love??"
Il suppose you would call it that.
She is very i'll. and 1 daren't go to
ask how she is. They wouldn't tell
me if I did"
But why?"
Because she 10 a ward in chan
Gerry, and they have got an i%njuno-
ton"
Against you? Upon my word, my
young man, you are beginning early"
Don't make fun of me, please, sir.
1 can't stand it, and l might say
something that would not be respect
full and be horribly sorry for it aft
erward."
Il assure you l am not laughing at
you nor thinking of such a thing
said 1. And as l looked into the lads
ingenious face L wished I could have
had such a boy to call me father.
But 1 don't understand yet about
the signal" I added.
ut was Carrie Embleton, one of
the little girls, who promised that if
Winnie was better she would make
a sticky smear on n of the rail
ings, but | haven't been able to find
it. And l am afraid she will not get
better; she may die, and I shall
never see her again"
How would it do if I were to go
to the house and ask for her?"
"Oh, sir, if you would! And do you
think L might go with you?"
[ pondered for a moment, and Just
then jenkins, my man, came round
the corner of the street. That gave
me an idea.
Suppose you take my mans place
and wheel me up to the h~ouse?" l
said. Then you will have to help me
up the steps, for / can't walk by my
self, and | can make the excuse that
L want to have you within call to
bring you into the sitting room. If
you are not afraid Of being recog.
nized, that might do"
81 don't think Mrs. Melrose would
recognize me coming as your SER
want, and if she did it wouldn't much
matter. she could only turn me OUT
AS he spoke he laid his hand on the
long handle of the chair.
I dispatched jenkins on another
errand and the young mar wheeled
me up to the big house. On the way
l asked his name, and he told me 1t
was Edward Hetherington.
We were admitted without diff
Guilty, and as we waited for the mis-
tress of the house to appear nv
companion whispered to me some
thing rather important which l had
quite forgotten. The young lady's
name, he said, was Winifred Gordon,
and she had neither father nor
mother.
Mrs. Melrose swept into the room,