The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1907-03-08

make it ft These were the words
written across the page, in the beau
! tiful, nervous handwriting which had
been often admired:
Bellevue Mansions,
'Embankment Terrace, June 4.
Dear Mr. Westcote: If you have
not forgotten our conversation of last
January, pray come and see me this
evening / shall be at home from
now EDWARDS.
Yours faithfully,
Joan Dent"
When she had addressed and sealed
it, she opened the door upon the land
ing and knocked at her next door
neighbours. 1t was opened to her by
small bright-faced girl of twelve.
All, there you are, Polly! Is there
any one to mind the baby? If not,
III mind him, if you will take this
note for me to Cornhin. I will give
you the money. 1t will not take yon
more than an hour"
He's asleep, Miss I'd like to go,
if you'll come in and mind him. Any
answer"
No, Polly, and / want you to 90
quickly, this very moment, in case /
change my mind"
The child nodded not conscious of
anything strange in the words
In five minutes she was out of the
house, and Joan was within it, sitting
with some mending in her lap, by
the baby's cot, where she made an
unconscious, but quite striking pic
ture Polly was the niece of an ar
tisan, man for whom Joan had a
great respect and an honest liking.
He had been left widower just nine
months ago, when his wife died in
childbirth. Polly was his brothers
| daughter, who had come to look after
him and the baby, She was very
tiny mother, but Joan had stood amaz-
ed at her capability. The kindness
OF the poor to one another also was
another thing to wonder at She
liked the people, and they liked her;
they were friends
Polly did her errand expeditiously,
and when she returned the baby had
just risen, who appeared contented
with his new nurse.
You did not see the gentleman,
suppose, Polly?" said Joan.
Yes, Miss Joan, l did and he gave
me half-a-crown."
"pOllV Won didn't take IN"
We'll, | did; he remembered me;
he told me to buy something for the
baby. He's that sort, Westminster
full do like i'm
Joan smiled, but little shiver
passed through her, nevertheless.
Masterful? Yes, that was the word.
Gould she suffer herself and her life
to be dominated? Would the long
struggle not be better after all? She
held the baby while Polly got her
uncles tea ready, then went back to
her little room to wait 1t was now
five o'clock BY six, or soon after,
she calculated her visitor must ar
rive, or a letter explaining that he
would not come
He was very methodical in his ways
and careful in his courtesy. There
was nothing of the Bohemian about
the man to whom she had written;
he left nothing to chance. Therefore
he came to answer the letter in per-
son
He was a large, tail man, whose
presence seemed to fill the little
room, making it appear smaller by
comparison. Not quite young, he had
a fine, open, clever face, though it
was not the kind of cleverness Joan
admired.
1t was the capacity to get on, to
grasp the main chance. to make the
best of every opportunity; so she had
Judged from an acquaintance now COW
ering a period of three years. But
in this her judgement had shown its
limitations. There was another side
TO John Westcote, which as yet She
had not touched He put down his
hat and looked at her with a great
depth of compassion on his face. He
ran his fingers through his gray hair.
as if something perplexed and worried
him
You look wretchedly ILL.," he said
quickly.
Il feet it," she answered dismally.
Il may as well own up. I'm at the end
of all things. Iye-Ive ben paid of. -
I'm not surprised" he answered
as he knit his brows 1--WE been ex-
pecting it,"
"Why?"
why, because you have been the
round peg in the square hole. It was