The Worthington advance., 1905-01-27
Returning
the Presents
av ARNOLD 0oLswoRTHY

\ av ARNOLD ooLswoRTHY
~ OPHLE MEADOWS sat in the little
- parlor at the back Of her mothers
slop and gazed dismally out into the
garden where the last brown leaves were
falling from the lines to the soggy
footpath below. The scene was not al
together an unsympathetic one for
Sophie, since she was sad at heart that
dull. misty afternoon. Indeed, there
were signs that she had been crying;
and when Sophie cried, her nose grew
very red indeed, and woman Will not
incur a risk of that sort without the
most acute provocation. In the spring
it had all been so different. David Trot-
ter. who managed the village flour mill
for his father, and who was besides
most eligible young man in every way,
had asked Sophie to be his wife, and
the earth seemed so fair to her then.
The song OF the skylark had a new
meaning for her at that time. and the
swallows nest that was building in the
caves over her window developed, from
a great nuisance, into a pleasing and
blessed allegory. Summer had been
spring intensified; and the brightness
Of life had seemed quite dazzling. And
now everything was cheerless and damp,
the sun was cold, and the fire of true and
only love had spluttered out and left
Sophie with bruised heart and a red
nose.
Everybody knew it was David's-that
is, Mr. Trotter's-fault; or, at least,
everybody to whom Sophie had men
toned the matter. Sophie's mother had
perhaps not quite grasped the full mean
ing of the awful crisis in her daughters
bright young life. The good soul had
even spoken lightly of it. affecting to
treat it as a mere lovers quarrel, and
that at a time when Sophie had been
seriously considering whether she ought
to go into a nunnery or just pine away
and die in the back parlor at home
Sophie knew for fact that David-or,
rather, Mr.. Trotter-had been seen t1lrt-
ing with Faith Duker, the creature who
set her cap at everybody. The thing
had been seen in the village; and after
a likely bit of scandal had gone the
round of village like Dunstead, it's
own mother would not have recognized
it at the finish. David had gone so far
as to meet the creature second time
by appointment, and that, of course,
capped his iniquity. Everybody knows
that no self-respecting girl can put up
with goings-on like that. 1t would rot
have mattered so much if he had ad-
mitted his error, and had endeayored
to earn forgiveness by fitting display
of contrition. But David had had the
effrcntery to deny the charge, and had
actually punched young Harper about
dreadfully for just casually mentioning
the matter to circle of friends at the
Bile Anchor. Which just show you the
true character of people like David
should say, Mr.. Trotter. And yesterday
Sophie had taken her pen in hand, and
after laboriously studying the Giction-
ary so as to be sure that she had got
the long words right, had intimated to
Mr.. Trotter in cold and dignified terms
that all was now over between them.
and he would receive per bearer the
presents he had made her. and hence
forth they were strangers for evermore.
Amen.
On other days Sophie would have
been helping her mother in the shop:
but to-day she could do nothing but sit
and watch the leaves fall. AS it grew
dusk she got up and lit the lamp. There
yas her knitting on the table. The
woolly squares hanging from the
needles were the foundations of pair
of socks that had been intended for
him. Now, of course, they would go to
the heaven via the parish church and
the missionary society. No doubt the
heather would be more appreciative,
though perhaps woollen socks in the
tropics might be little trying to the
untutored savage mind. And then
"Scphie!"
, It was the voice of Mrs Meadows,
calling from the shop. And a moment
later the good soul put her head into the
parlor, and added:
Sophie! It's David. He's come to
see YOU"
Sophie started to her feet. This was
the last straw. David-that is to say,
Mr.. Trotter-had been given to under
stand that his presence was no longer
agreeable to her and in spite OF that he
had had the effrontery to call upon her
once more.
Tell him l don't want to see him,
mother" she said. AFTER what's 'ap-
pened don't want to speak to him
again."
Mrs, Meadows turned back to her
shop; but before she could repeat the
portentous message, David was already
at the parlor door. Mrs. Meadows smiled
significantly and preceded him into the
room. She was about to retire again,
discreetly, when Sophie stopped her i'm
patiently.
"Don't 20, mother" she said, with the
: imperiousness of the spoilt child that