Amador ledger., 1904-09-23
By the Hand of
Providence
BY Martha M'cuIIoch-wiIIlams
Copyright, 1904, by
Martha McCulloch- Williams

Jenny was explaining to Amelia:
"This is the way you make Ii hortus
siccus: You get a big book with no
printin' in it, and then paste it full of
weeds and flowers and grass and little
bits of bushes, but you have to dry,
dry, dry 'em. Sccus is Latin for just
as dry as a bone
81 wonder could we put in BENJAMIN
Byram, Esq.?" Bess speculated 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 up and off at WILL"
Prue giggled outright. He does talk
thirteen to the dozen,' she said. "But
who wouldn't, with ali his chances!
Nature made him a fool of the first wa
ter, and fate clipped in by giving
him fortune and doting family"
Benjamin the Blatant, Tom Rod
man calls him. Bess began, still plain
tive. Jenny came charging at her,
with Amelia hot upon his heels, and
shouting: You hush, Aunty Bessl You
wanter lose me my ponyl Mister By
ram says he'll give me a Shetland if I
don't let nobody say a word against
him in this house"
81 b'leeve he wants Jem to fight with
Mister Tom Rodman," Amelia inter
rupted sagely, her head the least bit
aside. "And l amt goin' to help him
there" she added pointedly, "'cause
Mister Tom says I'm his sweetheart
He's goin' to wait for me to grow up.
He thinks I'm n heap prettier'n Aunty
Bess right now
Cling more than ever Amelia looked
reflectively, but 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, 'Why, Prudy, you know no
body will ever look at you so long as
Aunty BeSS and Melia are around
won't they, indeed?" Prue queried,
drawing down the corners of her
mouth meekly, although her eyes twin
kled. Jenny swung on his heel, say
ing magisterially: Course not Why,
you're all freckled same as a turkey
egg and haven't hardly got meat
enough TO wrap up your long bones.''
Upon my soul! Say, Miss Prue,
shall | take him out and drown him Z"
Tom Rodman asked, coming through
the door as he spoke. But Jenny only
grinned at him-Jemmy was nine and
Prue eighteen. They were the best of
comrades, despite his brutal frankness.
Prue made dash at him, stood him
upon his head, then swung him by an
arm and leg, chanting:
Here he goes! Fingers and toes!
Up the chimney when the wind blowsi''
ending in a feint of f1inging Jenny
upon the open fire. Amelia improved
the opportunity to pull her brothers
hair until he howled. They were twins
and pretty badly spoiled, as was but
natural, since they had grown up moth
erless in their grandfather's house.
"Fll swing you by your legs, Prudy,
when I'm man. You see if don't"
Jenny said, trying to scowl, but grim
ming in spite of himself. Tom Rod
man picked the boy up and flung him
across his shoulder, saying gravely: "I
hate to do it, but there's nothing else
for it. Jenny, I've been telling you
this ever so long I'd carry you to the
gypsies if you did not behave better
Stop wriggling. You can't get away.
But I'll let you kiss Melia and the
others goodby. Be quick! You won't
ever see them again."
kiss 'em all yourself. That's what
you're after" Jenny, the astute, piped
huskily as Tom carried him close to
Aunty Bess. His armN were free
Impishly he laid hold of the two heads
and yanked them together, locking his
arms behind the two necks and hold
ing them tight, laughing uproariously
all the while. Tom was a gallant fel-
low. He could do no less than kiss
Bess, if all his heart did belong to
sweet Miss Prue. And just as he kiss
ed her who should come in to them
but Mr.. Byram, the rich distant cousin,
who had been for three weeks a guest
at Fairlaw.
Mr.. Byram had come there exploring.
He felt the need of a wife rather than
the want of one Bess, who was tall
and twenty and the very moral of gra-
cious stateliness when she chose to be,
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 propriety forbade. Besides, ii
would not do to dazzle her too sudden
ly. He must let the great prospects
break gently upon her as dawn broke
over the world. So he had been nobly
impartial in his devoirs, so much SO he
had twingeS of conscience whenever he
thought of Prue. She was hardly more
than a schoolgirl, to be sure, but quite
mature enough to break her heart over
loss of him if she once let herself seri.
ously believe she had a chance of being
Mrs. Byram.
Of Tom Rodman he had taken no
more account than to set him down as
an impertinent puppy, with a knack of
coming in at all hours, especially when
Mr.. Byram least expected or wanted
him. To discover him kissing Bess 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 'em! They
tried to skeer me, but I'm beatin 'em
at their own gamer
Let loose, you little varmint! Shut
up!' Tom commanded. Prue made q
| dash at the tangle and deftly nntMined