Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-08-29

three months!" cried a mans voice within Malvina's hearing. And that old horse is ahead of him!" Actually ahead--by the length of a nose-was Buie Annajohn. The air was rent with cheering and the ex- citement was growing to an uproar upon the grand-stand. But the old horses pace slackened. and then he suddenly stood still. shivering as from a sudden chill.
 Alpheus was seen to lean forward and stroke his nose.
 The old horse is almost dead, and that fellow is trying to urge him on! He ought to be arrested!' cried a wo- mans angry voice
 As his rider slipped from his back. Buie Annajohn fell down in heap upon the track. A chorus of indignant exclamations came to Malvina's ears.
 There was confusion and uproar on the racecourse.
 MT. Merritt." she cried. suddenly catching sight of an old cattle-dealer whom she had seen at her uncle's- "oh, MT. Merritt, how dare they treat Mir. Hutchins so? You tell them who he is, and that 1t was all mistake an accident-and make them let me get through to my poor old horse!"
 Why. for the lands sake! You don't say it's the supply?" cried the old drover, with amazement. And if want jest sayin' to myself that if it want blasphemious should say that jockey looked jest like minister. And I thought, too, that that horse looked consid able like the old rack O bones I see out in your uncle's pas ture. But. my land! want he the all firedest old cre'tur' to go! And if he hain't got the minister into scrape! flor they're goin to have him arrest ed for breakin' up the race. and the s'ciety is goin' to have him arrested for cruelty to animals. We'll. expect he heard how they want goin' to give him call. anyhow. and calculated he might as we'll have good time!"
 What do you mean about the call, MT. Merritt?" she asked.
 "I ain't meetin' man myself, but my wife. she b'longs. so was knowin' to the church meetin' they called. kind of private, yesterday. They voted not to give the supply a call. They 'peared to like his preachin' f1rst-rate. but they complained that they couldn't get a nearness to him or feel a sympathy with him. he was so kind of distant"
 They had reached the stable by this time, the crowd giving way before the drover's vigorous demands. and the re- port spreading from mouth to mouth that that was the girl who came with the fellow that rode the old horse. The stable door was open and Malvina caught sight of Alpheus again; she saw him take bank bill from his lean and well-worn. purse and hand it to man who was evidently veterin- ary surgeon.
 You will see that he has the best of care," Malvina heard him say.
 Two days later Mrs. Colonel Fitch, who had been Alpheus' hostess at Jericho Corner, and who was the great lady of the place. drove out to the, farm to call on Malvina. She had come, she said. to express her deep sympathy with Malvina and Mr. Hutchins in their unfortunate difHcul.. ty, and to assure Malvina that the church and. in, effect, all Jericho Cor. ner, was aroused to effort in his be- half. His arrest was high-handed outrage; so everyone said. And 1t was just like those Coventry and Junction people, who thought they could do anything to Jericho Corner! Her bus band, who was lawyer. was going to show them! Of course Mir. Hutchins was the same as one of themselves. because it had been voted at church meeting, the day before-a special meeting called in naste-Mrs. Fitch at this point showed trace of embar- rassment-to give him call to the pastorate. A unanimous call; there was not dissenting vote!
 Possibly Mrs. Fitch read amaze ment in Malvina's untutored counte- nance, for she added that she must own that, at first. while they admired Mr. Hutchins' intellectual qualities, they had found him little cold and distant-not quite so human as seemed desirable for a minister.
 But his conduct under very trying circumstances. as reported by Dr. Pritchard, of Jericho Corner. who had happened to be passing the racecourse and had seen the whole affair, had proven them entirely in the wrong. They were quite satisfied, now, both of his humanity and his strength of character. and-and (Mrs. Fitch quite lost her stateliness at this point) they parfectly loved him for thinking, as pr. Pritchard had said that he did, more of the old horse than of him. self.
 Not long after her visitor had gone. and before Malvina had ceased to won- der whether things were not really too good to be true. home came Buie Annajohn. hitched to the veterinary's wagon. dropping and penitent, but still with a spark of memory in his eyes.
 In the privacy of his own stall. Nal yfna embraced him rapturously.
 "Buie Annaeohn-desrest Buiei-it was the finest race you ever ranl" she whispered Tt was you that saved [ the dayl"