The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1908-10-07
hints and open INQUIRIES. merely exc

of knowing his wife, but lie begged
them to believe that he would have
arranged It If 1t had been possible.
He should always remember his Wind
ham friends most pleasantly.
AN invalid wife is goin' to be
terrible drag on him." Mrs Saxton
prophesied to her daughter, Milly, as
they watched the slim, athletic figure
stridng down their front path to the
gate "But she amt hindered him from
dom grand, good work here. We
couldn't never have got the new
church If II hadn't been for him."
The next evening the carriage which
was to carry Rev. Mr. and Mrs. Ban
croft the three miles to the station,
drew up before the parsonage, and
later the whole village heard 1t when
it drove away. Mrs. Kimbal remained
over one more day to close the house,
then she locked the front door, hung
the key on its familiar nail in the
woodshed and was carried off by the
stage for long visit with her broth
er's family in North Walpole.
The deserted house had a lonely
look behind its screen of shrubbery,
as it stood awaiting the arrival of its
next occupant.
Late one afternoon, nearly week
after the departure of the minister and
his wife, Milly Saxton burst into the
kitchen where her mother was prepar-
ing supper. Her shawl, which had
slipped from her shoulders, streamed
out behind her. Her eyes were wide
with terror.
NAL" she gasped, clutching her
mother by the arm. Didn't Mr.. and
Mrs. Bancroft go last week?-didn't
we hear 'em go?"
"Why, yes said Mrs. Saxton, blank
ly. They were goin to take that nine
o'clock train at Derry. An Emily
Kimbal, she went next day.
"Wcll, Mrs. Bancroft's come back!"
cried the girl, Historically. she's up
there at the housed"
"Ch, my land." exclaimed Mrs. Sax
ton.
Il just ran up to peek in the window
an SEE If they'd taken all their things,
an when put my face up against the
glass there she stood lookin' at me in
that empty room. | thought | was
goin' to drop right where l was, but
just shut my eyes an give one scream
an ran. 1t was awful"
The girl dropped into a chair. Her
mother stood looking at her for sew
eral minutes. Then she threw her
apron over her head and went to the
kitchen door.
"Ezra~ she called, "Ezra!" Just you
| step here a minute"
Deacon Saxton appeared with an
| empty milk pail in each hand.
81 want you should como UP to the
parsonage along with Milly an me.
Mrs Bancroft's up there. Somethin's
wrong or she wouldn't have come
back"
Deacon Saxton followed his wife un-
! questioninsly as she led the way
across the yard and up the street and
turned in at the parsonage gate. Milly,
pale and frightened, brought up the
rear. Mrs. Saxtcn scuttlsd around TO
the woodshed and, returning with the
key, handed ii to ner husband. He
unlocked the door and they entered
the bare, forlorn-looking hall.
shes in the parlor!" Milly whis-
pered, shrinkingly.
| The two women stood huddled close
| together as the Deacon tip-toed over to
the parlor door and pushed it open,
gently. There by the mantel stood
Mrs. Bancroft slenderly erect in her
black gown, the white shawl falling
about her shoulders.
beg pardon, maam," said Deacon
Saxton, retreating abasheu, and pulling
off his hat.
The lady stared immovably out of
the window with her pretty, colorless
face. There was not a culver of her
stylishly-clad figure. With gasp
Mrs. Saxton brushed by her husband.
She cross the room and caught hold
of the white shawl-then she leaned
back weakly against the mantel-piece.
The power of speech seemed suddenly
20 have rorsaken her.
"There amt any real Mrs. Bancroft,
she said, at length, duly. There
hain't never been. She's just one of
them wire figgers, with wax head,
they have in stores
Her bewidered gaze encountered a
piece of white paper pinned upon the
sleeve. She unfastned it with trem-
bling fingers and crossing over to the
window read 1t aloud by the fading
light. II was in Mrs Kimbals hand.
writing:
Il promised the minister I'd burn
up Mrs Bancroft before | went away,
But | couldn't seem to do it, nohow.
She was all my idea, and the minister
he didn't like deceivin folks-but he
was drove tost, poor man! If it had
not been for her he couldn't never
have raised the money to build the
new church, and there's so many
matchmaking folks in Windham it's
going to be a lesson to them to know
| tba truth -