Danville intelligencer. [volume] (Danville, Pa.) 1859-1907, 1905-09-15
NOW OR
NEW Err
Dy....
Martha Williams
Copyright, 1905,
by Martha McCulloch- Williams

Billy Wharton's coming did not sur
prise Joe In the least. She had known
something out of the common was 60
ing to happen ever since Saturday,
when she had seen the new moon
clear, had black cat follow her home
and then dreamed Of getting safe
across a clear running stream. All
these We're omcns of good luck. 1t
was the best sort of luck to have n
boarder in the big front room upstairs,
gentleman evidently craving quiet,
solitude and country fare. Mrs. Greer,
Joe's stepmother, had been set against
boarders. She would have none of
them even yet but for that dreadful
doctors bill. She had been at deaths
door last winter, her first real illness.
Though the doctor was in no hurry for
his fee. her independence chafed might
lily against having him wait.
Therefore Joe had had no new sum-
mer frocks. Therefore also she was
not going to picnics ana parties and
things - anywhere, indeed, but to
church, where the wearing Of old
clothes might be regarded as n sign
of piety rather than poverty. The
board money would change all that.
In fancy Joe saw herself brave In new
winter finery, holding up her head with
the beat. Her head had not really been
dropped, for she was by nature spirit
cd and full of fun. But the stepmoth-
er was IL little morbid on the point OF
Joe's lacks. In fear, 1t might be said,
she neglected the girl who, 1t was
well known, she did not love. Still
they had got on fairly together until
the epoch Of Ransom Farley.
1t was Mrs. Greer's nephew and
prospective heir; hence 1t seemed to
him but right and natural that he
should marry Joe, who held mort
gage on the farm. Mrs. Greer had
fetched her husband and his daughter
home with her to live, and the Greer
estate had been turned into cash and
used to free the homestead from sun
dry membranes. Thus common IN
terest had kept the two women togeth-
or after Squire Greer died. Ransom
thought 1t beautifully fit that they
should so on living together and letting
him take care of them. At least that
was his way of saying II. Joe snapped
that the caretaking would be all the
other way She had hated Ransom ns
, n,p,, and white curly haired model
child She did not hate him less now
that oIthourb his ,urla wore croppel
ond his commission was somewhat tam
nod he still held himself TO the model
standard.
loo was slim and dusky-lithe as
son,,ng with doss sill, boir md even
outf,o shlpr blocJ, diamonds wild rosea
hIusbed In her olive cbeeks her Inns
,yero cberrv red and her voice fu,I of
Grte notos RtlJv Wharton had n weak-
ness for nrettv elrls He made love to
nil fote threw In his wny. Naturally
ba mode love to Joe Naturally also
ba moda ber Iova him He was tbe
man of her dreoms I'm eyerv way the
onnosite Of pansom md very unlike
, A. e,.,,,o, I,,a ou a,i,orr ,ttv
"n. W sns ," ,,.,.r n.,'"n' sho hal hod haan h
i,uamas,,t ,r aont,ot prt hooousa sbo
inrod prIr With hoort and soul and
.i,onot,, sho aortod him Ionobod Of
,un, ,modo nrotorso os nnorrol;no
and sn Sa,t him nuzv,ed nc n her
rromo ~ MIND przyIIno over n very
.. IT,, H. -, g., u,s sao.I -
H., .,.i.,, -,.,,.,,os, e., o.oo,,o g., -
,,,,,i A., 49, 49,, t,at W .tn,o Uo
.,,a.1 ou NOV p,;oht 20 ,noa +,,ia
,,.L,.n ,,dd,o uo hod boon o,,to foir
to ,hn,,on+- hod told har In tho o,,tsot
Ia no,IJn,t ossord 70 p,orrv mil be
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