The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1905-07-01

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good with new people, | assure You.
Job was so startled at the old instinct
which revived at this moment and made
him lift his Tapping straw hat that the
blood rushed into his face and speech failed
him. Mrs Smith had the quiet tact to
! look away II mnst 80 back now to that
small truant. she said but won pun
ish her. Come and see Us some day, Mr.
Corey
He walked away, literally shaken in
mind and body by the adventure Even
monotonous wedding for the rest Of the day
did not calm his perturbation. Nor was it
destined to be forgotten. Nanno continued
her shameless pursuit OF his affections
When he came home from work at night
she was swinging on the iron chains which
connected the churchyard posts, or balanc
ing herself with fat legs aStride the parsOn-
age gate aud usually opened conversation
by inquiring. ''Would you ike me to %
a. far a. the biz, big tree this trysting
spot being huge elm near by job re-
signed himself at last TO his fate He
would not have admitted in the depths Of
his heart that he secretly watched for her,
yet by degrees wiStful gentleness developed
in him, akin to that of the early days
when Harriet had been a far off divinity
1t came at last to his purchasing red tin
waterpot as friendships offering with
which she expressed satisfaction But she
terrified him by announcing:
Il Il kiss you now.
"Oh, that ain no account. he pro
tested, but she scrambled to 4 fence post
and called out:
Now m big eEough-come and get
it, Job gave \ cautious glance up and
down the street, and suddenly yielded;
then retired in confusion. while Nanno
thoughtfully covered his flight by sprink
ling the baby After this an intimacy at
the parsonage gradually grew. Mrs
Smith was WISE enough to keep in the
back ground What the Smiths found in
job Corey, Bickiord folk wondered, since
no one guessed what a genial kindl, side
II the man was developing. nor what de
mand> we're having their resurrection 10
his nature with the return to a natural
hle
CHAPTER M.
Mary Parks, having shot mp into a
young lady that summer. was keeping
company \ Young man calling himself
Walter Jenks had settled in the old Ma
combcr house on the hill road. and was
reported to be Harriet 5 sister : sou. lie
b0rr himself well under Mrs Parks in
genius ierrvting. Of course, in>eparablc
from his courtship of Mary The latter
however, had inherited 4 degree Of impcn-
esrabili,y from the paternal side Of the
houSe IL was doubtless her secretivenesS
towards Bickiori IN general, her mother in
particular that kept the village from Oh
serving several trips Walter made tn the
depot during August, or his carting away
snme boxes which had arrived by freight,
One evening he drove up 10 the little pas
-rnger station Just ~ thunderstorm was
sweeping down the riyer. Jim Black, the
station master. was too busy catching the
Is.athem mail bags tossed him from the
train. to notice 4 handsome. middle aged
woman who slghtel from II, and was
driyen away az Walter side through the
rain. Mr. Clark. who lived near the
~tatiau mentioned next morning THAI she
heard the voices Of strangers passing her
house the night before, but beyond this no
one knew Coz a week that Harriet Macon.
brr returned to her old home. When at
last it was noised abruad, and Mrs. Parks
had limited that she knew it all the time.
and Mary had protested demurely that
there wa- no reason why she should be
expected 20 hear Of it, and the old story
had been revived st the sewiag society and
the rastuthce speculation turned upon
job; how would he find u out He was
10, working for any Of the farmers just
naw. being to0 slow for employment on the
tobacco harvest He had seemed TO the
smiths weary aud sunken eyed of late,
and found enough 10 do in poItering over
his onion crop aud patching the school
house ryof with i shingle here aud there.
People we're not ~ much concerned with
him as With the return Of their old neigh
b1I, aud her repuled prosperity in worldly
ao,&is Startling tales went abroad a to
The furnishings of the little house, aud Ia
dies talked Of calling. Mr. aud Mrs.
smith were the first visitors there llar
net : abode was three miles out The
hill was steep snoo'h pull followed by
windings and twistlngs upward through the
Z. g. NIL trtth fha f.lash
Of a stream far below some where out Of
sight. then open pastures aud distant
farms. and a last turn coming out unex
pec,edly by small brown house with a
long vine covered porch running back
against the hillside
Harriet Macomber had lost none of her
wholesome beauty, even with threads of
eray in her dark hair Her visitors were
made cordially welcome.
II was hoping You d come up soon, she
said heartily. 1T has seemed rather
lonesome this first week 1t seems as if
there been good many changes since
I've been gone, aud don feel like going
among people, somehow You know |
lived here as girl, and there are good
many old recollections
Il know, assented the minister wife
softly
But you must see how nice We look
inside, pursued Harriet. Come in aud
let Inc show you what a lyt of room there
is in the house, for all it looks so little. y
She led the way into comfortably fur
uished sitting room, with hints Of modern
city luxury. Then she opened another
door
This ism much like country parlor,
is it p she ask ed with subdued pride.
II should think not + Mr. Smith ex-
claimed. The low broad room was fur
nished with easy chairs, rugs, and ma
hogany library table heaped with periodi
Gals: but the principal feature was its
actual lining of hook shelves, displaying
library such as Bickford had never seen.
Harriet stood gazing at it with triumph in
her eyes Mrs. Smith slipped away, and
her husband was left alone with their
hostess.
DO YOU understand she said in
low voice ''This was my brothers Ii
brary. | thought L d have to sell it, but