Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1905-09-20

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$50 De can tell him the stOry"
wumman said when she whuppit her
wean afore gfein' it gundy. I'll jist
TAX anither moothfu' O. tea. hope We
can bile tatties as weel us We max tea
Haud yer tongue! 1 wouldna talk yer
tea " didna like it."
Her niece burst out laughing, for
she was not afraid of the old lady,
though some of the latters remarks
not any of those about herself-had
made her hot with anger. "I'll tell
Davie all you've said, Aunt Wallace"
she said presently, with assumed grav-
ity.
Vera likely. Wait till we've been
matrrit year or twa afore We tell yer
man whit ither folk says ABBOTT him.
Maybe by that time I'll haze somethin'
guild to say. But it depends on yer
sell, Jess, ma lass. Whitever We dae
or say, keep him AVA frae the roses
an pansies. Weel, it's time wis aft.
I've two ludgers comm the morn, SO
I'll maybe mo- see We for n whitley. Ma
respects to yer guidman, an We MIGHT
tell him I'm needn't new lock on the
coal cellar door, but there's nae hurry
for twa-three year. Guild bye to We,
ma dearie." And Mrs. Wallace kissed
her niece quite affectonately, if hur-
riedly, and made for the door.
Jess accompanied her to the garden
gate, watched her along the road and
then slowly retraced her steps to the
cottage. Instead, however, of enter
Ing the house at once she went round
to the south gable and spent couple
of minutes lingering beside the roses.
All her life she had loved flowers, but
at distanoe-loved them without I'M
derstanding them as her husband did
and just before her marriage, tagged
with the effort of a city existence, she
had dreamed and told herself how
beautiful and peaceful it would be in
the little garden by the sea with the
man of her choice. And now heavily
upon her mind lay the conviction that
1t was her duty to discourage Davie in
his flower growing and to persuade
him or even force him to regard his
business as paramount
Her aunt's allegations and insinua-
tons she realized We're based on truth.
Jess had seen things for herself since
she settled in Kinlochan, although she
had Mt first shut her eyes to the easy
going ways of DAVE or excused them
to herself in a sweet, illogical fashion.
She further was aware that her hus-
band Che felt neither shame nor anxi-
ETY. in the fact had never saved pen
ny. When money was necessary he
would render accounts to the people
who he thought could pay them and
send old Angus round day or two
later to collect what he could II his
financial affairs We're not managed ac-
c0rding to the best business methods.
they We're at least managed simply
He merely asked his own from Peter
and gave it to Paul-when the latter
asked his own. David Houston had
never had any friction with debtor or
creditor, and perhaps that was one
reason why he had never noticed that
deal Of his substance had been frit-
tered away. If his books had been a
hundredth part as carefully kept and
watched over as his roses and pansics,
his wife need never have worried her
pretty head; but, as it was. she had
more reason to do so than she Knew.
In the ledger of one of the big city
wood merchants VITA ..o.a Ilavid
Houston dealt the woi',. Carlton" was
n1 i,,..t NJ.
agents report in red ink read Decent,
sober young man, but lazy, and bust
ness going steadily back through sheer
neglect"
When David strolled into the cottage
shortly after 8 O'Clock that evening, he
found his wife busy ironing in the
kitchen.
Surely it's not yet Davie," she
said, smiling ut him. "But I'll get
your tea at once. You'll have to take
ii in the parlor tonight. This tables
engaged"
"Och, there's nae hurry, lassiof' he
said, sitting down in the plain wood.
armchair and lighting his pipe
Anything doing at the shop toduy?"
asked Jess, folding handkerchief and
passing the iron over it.
Davie hesitatcd and choked slightly
on puff OF smoke. ''WeeL We see, I
was jist saun into the shop eftcr left
We when met Sir Aschibald's garden
er, an lie wud late me to gang up to
the castle an see Sir Archibald's new
orchids. Hes got some rare wins
forty pound Il piece, some o them An
tie time saed by when we was crack
III together, an then l didna think it
VAS worth while gaun back to the
shop. So jst cam hame, Jess"
Jess picked up Il limp handkerchief,
spread 1t on the board and smoothed 1t
methodically, then folded it and iron
cd it and laid it aside.
II wish We could see the orchids,
lass" David continued, smoking CON
tcmplatively. 81 dnna think wud ever
gaze daft ABBOTT orchids. but they're
wunnerfu' things. Yell haze seen some
in the botanic gardens In the toon,
] suppose, but they wudna be onythn'
to Sir Arclihald's."
He paused, but still his wife made no
remark.
Eye had yer Aunt Wallace here the
day. John tell't me he seen her gaun
in the gate" John was the postman.
YES" said Jess in strained voice,
though she str0ye to speak naturally