Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-03-04

own carefully arranged locks. but paid no
other attention to the interruption. Mat
tiers were at too serious crisis to permit
embarrassment to trouble her. From be-
meath this and other small impediments
she extracted a very little roll of bills
She was evidently disappointed by its SIZE
for she looked at it in establishment for an
instant. Then nodding her head as If she
had thought of something, she exclaimed:
.'Shucks- an -go-s hell-'em! Turn your
backs ag'in. I'd forgot jest where I'd put
itr'
They did so, and she found it. 1 shall not
so far invade her privacy to tell you
where she found it, but she found it only
after there had been considerable rustling
of starched skirts Then, having composed
herself again, she told them that once more
they might turn back. They did so, and in
her hand they saw a roll of considerable
size.
II allus,' she said. pleased at their sur
prise, TRY to keep a little money in the
bank"
why, Betsey Bobbin! said Mercy
blushing somewhat. but not seriously.
And why, Aunt Betsey Bobbn"' echoed
Bess.
well" said Betsey. 'it's lucky that
somebody in this crowd had somethin' in
their stockin's besides legs.
She paused an instant after this sage
observation, and then continued:
You folks stay here. I'm goin' out to
interview that Portagee. Come on, Billy"
And they disappeared.
she Is a WOnQef1ul woman. OF many uH-
expected resources said the minister, with
admiration that was almost awestruck.
And said Mercy, wickedly, "she carries
her resources IN unexpected places"
Why, Mercy "COPPER" said Bess, reprov-
ingly. You hush! 1 should think you'd
be ashamed.'
II hope" said Selkirk. that she can ar
range matters with the Portuguese"
IF anybody cam" said Mrs. Sucker,
Aunt Betsey is the person.
Everybody present agreed with this
1t was some time before Aunt Betsey
again appeared at the shed. When she
came the foreigner was with her and sml-
ing broadly. She had completely captured
him. That he was satisfied with the terms
of the surrender the wide expanse of white
teeth showing in his face indicated plainly:
but Aunt Betsey never told what they
amounted to or how much of the roll of
bills she had been able to redepost in that
coy treasure place. What she did was TO
explain briefly how matters stood. Mussar
had hired the men at a good price to do
the work for him, and they had done it
without having the least idea what it's real
object was 1t was not likely that knowl-
edge of that would have stopped them, but
they had not had it. They had set the mat
ter down as one of the freaks natural to
person belonging to a race difficult at all
times to understand. Pete assented to the
new bargain proposed by Betsey Bobbin
with as much readiness as the first one had
received. He had been hired to plant the
clans He had been paid for doing so. All
right-he had planted them. Now he was
hired to dig them up again. He had been
paid for doing SO. All right-he would dig
them. 1t was an entirely simple PROPOSE
ton as Pete looked at it.
There was no member of the group who
was not anxious to help at the work.
we won't take off our shoes an stock
ms till we git down to the beach, said
Betsey; but we might well attend to
our pinnin' now"
And she set the example by so arrang-
ing her skirts that they reached not far
below her knees. Mercy and Bess and
Mrs Sucker, forgetting all false modesty
in the face of the serious situation fol-
lowed suit, and the men took off their
shoes and socks and rolled their trous-
erS up. Billy was already prepared, wear
ing knee pants and being innocent of
shoes and stockings, and all the Portu-
guese had to do was to roll up a pair of
trousers which he had only lowered out
of Difference to the women, and which
were generally gathered well up toward
his knees. Thus they sailed bravely from
the shed and sought the beach. Fortu-
nately for them there was no spectator
save that man up in the moon who sees
so many strange sights every night, and
he probably paid no attention to them.
The work accomplished on that beach
by this devoted party was quite wonder
full in its rapidity and thoroughness. 1t
was well after o'clock in the morning
before it was completed and the tide had
so far flooded that the last CLANS were
planted while the wavelets caressed the
ladies' persons almost to the point where
even the shortened skirts approached,
and Tapped above the middle of the
sturdy calves of Jack, the minister. and
the Portuguese. Billy was quite awash ,,
"Somebody'd better stay and watch
said Betsey. I'VE don't want no double
joke played here tonight
Mrs. Sucker surprised them all by an
nouncing quite firmly that that should be
her task and Billy's. She waved aside all
| rarnt xctc xarif1 of md q
that, inasmuch as all they had had when
they had first found Cooper and his family
had been the sky to sleep beneath, 1t would
be pity if they could not halt under II
once again for a portion of a night in be-
half of the man who had rescued them
from that condition.
And as every other person in the group
had important parts to play in the celebra-
ton now scarcely five hours distant, they
were fain to leave them there-Mrs. Sticker
comfortably disposed beneath the shed,
while Billy, having promised to wake her
when he should be tired, stood first watch.
But that sturdy little knight did not arouse
her until the dawn grayed plainly in the
east He spent the night In waking dreams
such as do not come to older folk IN Won
dering what fair Sally would think of him
if she should ever learn how that night he
had endeavored to protect her; in consider
ing the universe and all the twinkllng
fragments of it that shone above him III the
heavens.
When the others reached the homestead
again they found Cooper sound asleep thee
in the moonlight one of the seats be-
meath the elm He had returned, and, not
finding them, had concluded that they had
gone to call upon some nefghbor. He had
decided to wait for them there on the lawn.
and being wearied by his active day. had
dozed away. On their arrival they reused
him. and he went quietly in to bed without
even looking at his watch or asking ques-
tons. The sleep that weighted down his
eyes prevented him from seeing any signs
of their nights work, which they had been
unable to brush away.
After he had disappeared within the
house the three women fingered for mo-
ment while Aunt Betsy anger rising in her
heart, denounced Musser in vigorous Whis-
pers.
"And yit' she murmured, with some
signs of doing it, II have to laugh.
(To be contnued.