The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1904-12-28

might be goin' to have n stroke of pal
sy. Either of 'em Is likely enough;
might one or both on 'em carry me Off
any time" concluded Uncle Joachim.
"Oh, hope not" replied Jack, con.
solatory, but alarmed, as he followed
Content to the sunny portico.
A trysting place that portico had
been for many day. There the house
across the daisy field had just been
planned, and the promise given that
made it not "mine," but ours" Room
by room, window by window, 1t had
been dreamed and talked of, larger
and fairer than it now could be in re-
ality, but that only Jack and Content
knew. Jack was skillful and energet-
ic; he had laid up some five or six
hundred dollars, and that was not all.
you see, Content" he had said,
gaily, when they talked of ii in the
spring time, with the old apple tree
showering itS pink blossoms around
them where they stood-"you see,
there is that work for Regan, if it sue
ceeds, and l think it will. 1t is some
sort of pumping apparatus. you
know. He had got the idea in his head,
but wasn't workman enough to carry
II out, and so he came to me. l dug
into it until fancied l knew what he
wanted, and improved upon it a lit
| tie, maybe. I've spent all the time l
could give, evenings and odd hours, on
it for nearly FIVE months now, some
times doing ana sometimes undoing;
but Regan is TO pay me $4,000 IL 1T
works as he expects it TO. He thinks
l can do it."
81 think so, too" said Content.
at will be something nice for u.s."
remarked Jack, thoughtfully. But
we won't say anything TO any one
about it yet while, until we are sure
There is no need, for we have enough
for a little home, even without that"
Uncle Joachim and Aunt Prissy were
not very worldly wise. They thought,
or Miss Prissy did, that love and even
the smallest home promised consider
able material for happiness; and her
eyes twlnkled with tears and smiles
behind her old spectacles while, in one
breath, she wondered how she was
"ever goin' to do without Content"
and in the next If they hadn't better
be huntin' up rags to cut for carpet
for Contents floor-against she has
one"
Uncle Joachim was as nearly con-
gratulatory as he knew how to be, but
deprecatory also.
Il don't see why you two shouldn't
stand as good a chance for comfort
as anybody, s'posin' there is any such
thing, which is doubtful" he said.
ANY way, it's risky, very risky; like
as not you won't enjoy yourselves.
Itll be great atlliction TO have Con-
tent leave us, but it'll be a load off my
mind to know shes safe out of the
house. It's a dangerous place to live
in, this is, keepin' a post office as we
do. Counts of folks robin the mails
keep comm al the time, and I've just
n feelin that ours II be robbed, too,
some night, and we all murdered in
our beds"
Dear me! l shouldn't think it would
be. worth WHILE" exclaimed Aunt
Prlssy, unselfshly, scanning the mat
ter in the light of a speculation. "Our
mail! Why, l don't believe there's
ever more'n ten dollars in the whole
ont at one time, and mostly there amt
anything"
! THAT don't make no difference,
Prissy-no difference" persisted Uncle
Joachim, with a doleful shake of the
head. You don't know the sight of
wlckedness there is in this world. l
tell you there's plenty of folks that
would do most anything for ten dol
lars.
well, WE'LL" succumbing to super
ior wisdom, maybe it's so; but 1t does
seem dreadful low wages for any hui
man being to do such work as that
for. s'pose there comes some time
for most all of us, though, when the
Evil One comes along our road and
asks what we'll sell ourselves for. If
we're willin' to do it at all, l don't
know as 1t matters much about the
price"
AS the days passed by, and Jacks
''prize-work," as he laughlngly called
1t, bade more and more fair to prove
successful, he and Content conjured
golden plans for the fair little home
kingdom it should bring them-how
they would add to this and beautify
that-talking it over, evening after
evening, in the soft twilight.
''It's just about DONE" said Jack. one
day, stopping for moment at the
door. "Regan wants me to take IL
down to the old stone quarry and try
it. It's sort of quiet place, and
there's always water there, you know
so guess I'll go this afternoon"
1 "Oh, do hope it will be all right
just what you expect of itv' exclaimed
Content.
"Bid it good speed, then" he said
with hopeful smile, turning away
down the narrow garden path, while
the sweet fact watched him from til,
doorway.
The sky was wondrously blue above