The Savannah morning news., 1903-04-12
IContinued from Last Sundays News.)
CHAPTER XVII.
HELEN's TOAST.

HELEN'S TOAST.
Judge Briscoe was sitting out under
the afternoon sky with his chair tilted
back and his feet propped against the
steps. His coat was off, and Minnie
sat near at hand sewing a button on
the garment for him. and she wore
that dreamy glaze that comes over
wonen's eyes when they sew for other
people.
From the interior Of the house rose
and fen the murmur Of a number of
voices engaged in a conversation,
which. for a time, seemed to consist
of detected monosyllables; but present.
ly the Judge and Minnie heard Helen's
voice, clear, soft and trembling lit
tie with excitement. She talked only
two or three minutes, but what she
said stirred up a great commotion. All
the voices burst forth at once in ejac-
ulations-almost shouts; but present
" they were again subdued and still,
except for the single soft one, which
held forth more quietly. but with
deeper agitation, than any of the 9TH
ers.
You needn't try to bamboozle me-"
said the Judge in a covert tone to his
daughter. and with a glance at the
rarlor window, whence now issued the
rumble of Warren Smiths basso. Il
tell you that girl would follow John
HAIRLESS to Jericho"
Minnie shook her head mysteriously,
and bit thread with vague froWn.
well, why not?" asked the judge,
GROSSLY. 49,,
We'll. who knows he's asked her
YETI"
Minnie screamed derisively at the
density of man. What made him run
OF that way, the night ne was huIt
Why didn't he come back In the mousse
with herr"
"Pshaw!"
Don't you suppose a woman under
stands"
Meaning that you know more about
it than l do. 1 presume" grunted the
old gentleman.
Yes, father" she replied, smluhs
benignantly upon him.
Did she tell your" he asked, abb
ruptly.
NO. no. I guess the truth is that
women don't know more than men so
much as they see more; they UNDER
stand more without having to READ
about it,
That's the way of it. is it?" he
laughed. well, it don't make any diff
ference, she'll have him some time.
NO. father; it's only gratitude
"Gratitudel'' The judge snorted
scornfully. Girls don't do as much
as she's done for him out of gratitude.
Look what she's doing; not only run
ming the Herald for him, but making
it a daily, and a good daily at that
First time / saw her l knew right away
she was the smartest giT; 1 ever LAID
hulNr ggfaf
IL from her mother. Gratitude! Pooh-
Look how she's studied his interests
and watched like cat for chances for
him in everything. Didn't she get him
into Eph Watts company? She talk
ed to Watts and the other fellows. day
after day, and drove around their leas-
ed land with 'em, and studied IT UP
and got on the inside, and made him
buy. Now, if they strike it-and she's
sure they will, and I'm sure she knows
when to have faith in thng-why
they'll sell out to the Standard, ano
they can all quit work for the rest Of
their lives if they want to; and Hark-
less gets as much as any without lift
ing a finger all because he had a mt
tie nnoney-mighty little, too-laid VI
in bank and a girl that saw where Il
put it. She did that for him, didnt
she?"
"Don't you see what fun it's beer
49,
having the best time she ever had;
never knew any one half so happy"
Eyes; she went up and saw him a.
that party, and she knows he's still
thinking about her. / shouldn't be sur
prised if he asked her then, and that's
what makes her so gay"
"Well, she couldn't have said yes.
because he went back to his bed th'
next day, and he's been there most o
the time since"
"Pshaw! He wasn't over his in
juries. and he was weak and got ma
laria.''
well, she couldn't be SO happy whil'
he's sick, If she cared very much abou
him"
He's not very sick. She's happ!
because she's working for him, anC
she knows his Illness isn't serious
He'll be a well man when she say
the word. He's love-sick, that's wha
ne is; / never saw man so takei
down with it in my life"
Then it isn't malaria?" Minnie said
with a smile of some superiority.
YOU'RE just like your poor mother,
the old gentleman answered. growing
rather red. "She never could learn t.
argue. What / say is that Helen care
about him, whether she says she doe
or not whether she acts like it or no
or whether she thinks she does o
not" he added irascibly. do yo-
know what she's doing for him to
day?''
Not exactly
well, when they were talking to
gether at that party. he said some
thing that made her think he wa
anxious to get away from Plattville-
you're not to repeat this, child; sh
told me, relying on my discretion"
"Well?"
"Do you know why she's got thes
men to come here to-day to meet he
Warren Smith and Lands and Hor
ner, and Boswell and young Keatin
of Amo, and Tom Martin and thos
two fellows from Gaines county?"
Something about politics, isn't it?
Something about politics!' +" h
echoed. IL should say it Isl Wait I'll