The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1904-07-27
By the Hand of
Providence
BY Martha MiCuIIOch- Williams
Copyright, 1904, by
Martha McCulloch- Williams

/ MS Is llle way You make hortuS
siccus: You get big book With no
printin' i'll it, and then paste ii full of
weeds ana flowers and grass and little
bits of bushes but you have 10 dry.
dry, dry en-. Sieeus is Latin for just
dry as Il bone"
i wonder could We put In BeHjamin
Byram Esq Z" Rcss specialized plain
lively. Heaven knows he's dry
enough just as he stands Then think
of the relief if he was once where
you could shut him mp and off Mt Will"
Prne riggled outright. lie does Talk
thirteen To the Dozen" she said but
who wouldn't, with all his chances?
Nature made him IA fool of the first WI
ter and fate Clipped in hy giving
him fortune and doting family"
"Bcnjamin the Blatant, Tom Rod
man calls him" hess began, still plain
with Amelia hot upon his heels, and
shouting: You hush, Aunty Bcss. You
wanter lose me my pony! Mister by
ram says he'll give me II Shetland II
don't let nobody say a word against
him in this house.
Il h'lcrNc he wants Jem To fight with
Mister Tom Rodman," Amelia inter
rupted snEcly, her head the least hit
aside And amt Eoin' To help him
there she added pointcdly, cause
Mister Tom says I'm his sweetheart.
Hes goin' To wait for me 10 grow up.
He thinks I'm n heap prctticr'n Aunty
Bcss right now"
How about me- Fruc asked, gig
CLING more than ever. Amelia looked
rcilectivcly, hut Jenny stuck his hands
IN his pockets, set his feet far apart
and said sticking out his chin after
the manner of his model benjamin
Byram, Nv y, rrudy, you know no
body will ever look ut you SO long as
Aunty Erss and Melin are around"
Wont they, indeedT pruc queried,
drawing down the corners of her
mouth mocl,ly, although her eyes twin.
Killed.. Jenny swung ON his heel, say
Ing magistcrially: Course not Why,
e. and haven't hardly got meat
enough to wrap mp your long homes"
Upon my soul! Say, Miss Prue
shall l take him out and drown him.
Tom Rodman asked, coming through
the door rs lie spoke. But Jenny only
grinnrd at him Jenny was nine aud
rrue eighteen. they We're the hest Of
comrades, despite his brutal frankness
Prue made II dash Mt him, stood him
upon his head, then swung him by an
arm and n leg, chanting:
.IIerc he socai Fingers and toes,
Up the chimney when the wind blows
ending in II fcint of hinging Jenny
upon the open fire, Amelia improved
the opportunity 10 pull her brothers.
hair until he howled. They We're twins
and pretty hudly spotted, ms was but
natural, since they had grown up moth
erless IN their grandfuthcr'S house.
I'm swing you by your legs Prudy,
when I'm man. Iou see if | don't.
Jenny said, trying To scoWl, but grin
ming In spite of himself Tom Rod
man picked the hoy up and lung him
across his shoulder, saying graycly. 4
for It, Jenny, I've been telling you
this ever SO long I'd carry You to the
gypsics if You did not behave better
Stop wrigglnG You can't get away
But I'll let you kiss Mcin and the
others goodby BE quick You won't
ever see them again
kiss 'cm all yourself. That's what
you're after" Jenny. the astute. piped
huskily as Tom carried him close tn
Aunty Bcss. His arms were free
Inpishly he laid hold Of the Two heads
and yankcd them together, locking hs
arms behind the two nccks and hold
ing them tight, laughing uproariously
all the while Tom was gallant fcl-
low He could do no less than kiss
Bess, il all his heart did belong to
sweet Miss Pruc. And just ~ he kiss
ed her who should come in to them
but Mr.. Byram, the rich distant cousin
who had been for three weeks guest
at Fairlaw.
Mr.. Byram had come there exploring.
He felt the need of wife rather than
the want Of one. l,css, who was tall
and twenty and the very moral of era
cious statclincss when she chose to he,
had captivated him out of hand He
would have proposed TO her the second
day of his visit never doubling what
answer she would make, but that his
sense of prop-ety forbade, BESIDES, it
would not do to dazzle her too sudden
To. i.ff l
break gently upon her rs dawn broke
over the world. So lac had been nobly
impartial in his dcvoirs, SO much so he
had twinges of conscience whenever he
thought of Prue. She was hardly more
than II schoolgirl, to be sure, but quite
mature enough 10 break her heart over
loss of him If she once let herself seri-
ously believe she had chance of being
Mrs. Byram.
OF Tom Rodman he had taken no
more account than to set him down az
an impertinent puppy, With II knack of
coming in at all hours especially when
Mr.. Byram least expected or wanted
him. To discover him kissing Bcss in
the face OF everybody made benjamin
the Blatant simply furious. All the
more furious that Jenny cried out
gleefully: Mister Byram! Mister By
ram! Come help me hold EN-, They
tried TO skeer me. but I'm bcatin' 'em
at their own game"
Let loose, you little varmint! Shut
upw Tom commanded Prue made
dash at the tangle and deftly untwined
Jemmy's fingers. letting Bcss escape.
Mr.. Byram stood speechless in wrath
and amazement until Amelia, siding
up to him, slid her hand within his and
said, with the least toss of the head:
They amt behayin' ugly Mister Tom
Will be Aunty Bess nephew when he
marries me, and the Fairies always
kiss their kinfoik, If they amt too far
Off and great big stuffs into the bar
gain Prue and Aunty Bcss said so
the first night you came"
Indeed" Mr., Byram exploded.