The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1903-11-27
CONCLUSION

This was about as much impression
as the incident of the fire made any
Where-the town had come hear burn
ing down, but it hadn't. Old Blossy
had saved it. There was something a
little embarrassing about this. 1t made
the usual tone about him seem just at
the time ungracious. Yet what other
tone was there to take.
Anyhow Jane McGrath was taking
care of him, and if she wanted help
she knew where to ask for it, and
when were the men coming home from
Tullahoma, and how were things with
them?
Yes; it was well for Blossier that it
was Jane McGrath's house he had
saved; it was well that it was on her,
and not another, fell most directly the
debt of gratitude which the whole vii
lage owed him, but which the village
was too stupid and insensible, too pre-
occupied and too selfish, to realize and
acknowledge Jane McGrath was ac-
counted in Strathboro a particularly
dull woman. Strathboro cared a good
deal for what it called smartnesS and
carefully classified all examples there
of as either bright or deep, but Jane
McGrath, whom they had known all
her life, was, as was well known, not
smart, neither bright nor deep, though
she was clever-that is, good natured,
kindly, easy to get on with. Jane was
more than good natured: she was good
good with that positive quality Of
character that cheapens everything
else in this world by comparison-and
she was the furthest thing in the world
from fool; she was wise woman.
One day as Blossier. his swathed
hands on a pillow before him, sat in
big wooden rocking chair in wide,
dim, breezy hall, sunshiny outdoors
before and behind him, it occurred to
him that he was getting well too fast.
Janey, according to orders, was play
ing on the gallery within sound of his
voice, so that he could call her if he
wanted anything-not that Blossier
had been known to want anything
since he had been in the house.
Ant 'Cindy's voice, softened by the
distance to the kitchen, rose and fell
on the pleasant air in religious fervor,
and upstairs Jane McGrath's footsteps
could be heard. The men had all come
back from Tullahoma week before,
but Andy McGrath was not among
them He had been in the field q year,
and two more were to elapse before he
should return. Jane felt that the en-
tire weight Of their debt to Blossier
devolved for the time upon her.
Janeys moon face appeared at the
door. She felt it incumbent on her to
come and look at her charge occasion
ally. Then, seized with sudden i'm
pulse, she clambered down the steps,
disappeared and in a moment was la
boriously climbing back again with
very big marigold in her hand. She
trotted to Blossier, her bare feet softly
patting the bare floor, started to hold it
out to him, remembered the swathed
hands and held it up, tiptoeing, to his
nose. Flowers were to be smelled in
Janey's creed without petty distinctions
as to odors.
"Merci," smiled Blossier as she laid
the happy yellow thing on his pillowed
lap. NE compreneZ-vous pas? Non"
The child stood looking in his face,
grave and silent ready to see what this
odd creature would do next.
Jane had come down the stairs and
was standing looking on. At the same
moment, then and there, she and Bios
sier each became possessed of an idea
small ones, to be sure, but destined to
become pregnant.
Blossier's blinking little lashless eyes
dhe lashes had been white, so their alb
sence made no great difference in his
appearance) were fixed on the curl rags
that tied up Janey's straight brown
locks. Jane herself was a simple, plain
body, not given to considering the deco
rat1ve side of life, but she did sorely
want curly hair for her child. Bios
slers mind reverted to a hairdresser
he had once known in New Orleans.
Ii he only had such pair of tongs as
that man used, he was sure he could,
when his hands got well, curl Janey's
hair to marvel. And how pleasant it
would be to come and do it every day!
Vague vistas of usefulness to this wor-
shipful hostess opened up cheeringly
before him.
The dear dumb Jane was remember
ing certain Strathboro girls who had
gone to boarding schools where they
had studied French. Everybody knew
they had. 1t was often mentioned in
their honor. But she had heard some
very smart people-Judge Caldwell. for
instance-say they didn't believe they
could speak it, and Judge Caldwell
mentioned that he had northern kin
folk who got French nurses for their
children so that they learned to talk
French when they were little. Why
(this preface and conclusion came all
but simultaneously in James mind)-
why couldn't Janey learn it from Mr..
Blossy, and why couldn't other chill
dren learn from Mr.. Blossy (she had
pang here at giving up the hope OF a
lonely eminence of learning for Janey).
and thus Mr.. Blossy be lifted to the
dignity and prosperity of teacher?
That might indeed be a payment on
the debt of gratitude!
Janey looked at her marigold with
thoughts of reclaiming it Gt seemed un-
appropriated and unappreciated lying