The Jasper news., 1908-12-03

nuts over on the hill opposite" she said
to Constance, when the meal was finished.
Don't you want to go over there with
me and see if we can't pick UP few?"
OF course Constance did and the basket
was soon filled. Then, as it seemed that
there were no more nuts to gather, Mary
wanted to know if Constance didn't think
it would be fun to pile up some brush for
future fire.
Constance thought it would According
to Constance's idea, the activities of this
world could be classed under the gen.
eral headings of study, piano-practice,
dishwashing and fun. AS piling brush
did not come under any of the other
headings, il must be fun
Dick sat within his latticed porch with
spy-glass directed toward the pair. He
would have died before he would have
let anybody else know of his occupation.
But he kept up the watch for hours while
the brush heap grew bigger. He had
given all his help holiday and there was
no danger of his being caught at his
clandestine employment. So he laid down
the glass and looked and then raised it
and looked again. Trim and slim the two
figures moved gracefully about, alike, yet
different. Dick could not help thinking
how much like Constance was now Mary
had been twenty years before, still in
short skirts and full of fun and life
Boy and girl they had been, with man
hood and womanhood just before them.
He was very certain that he had been in
love but he had never admitted it to any
one else and now he was equally certain
that his love had long been cold. But
he thought it would be pleasant if they
could be friends once more and talk Of
those old days and the condolences that
had been exchanged so long ago. But he
was not going to meet repulse again. He
was sorry that Mary was so unforgiving
and he would hold naught against her on
that account. But that did not mean that
he should expose his head to fresh
wounds from the metophorical broom
stick.
At last the brush heap was of sufici-
entity colossal proportions to suit Mary's
vindictive intentions. 81
"There!' she said triumphantly, that
will make a, big enough bonfire to cele-
brate Blaine's election T.
"Oh! Aunt Mary" exclaimed Con-
stance, whose exceedingly small stock of
oolitics was of the Democratic persuasion.
"And l helped pile it! What will father
saye What viii Dick say?'
If Constance had rested with the first
question Mary might have felt conscience
stricken, but the last hardened her heart.
And, to speak the truth, Constance asked
the question with no other purpose than
that of getting a rise ont of Aunt Mary.
"What do l care?" Mary savagely de-
manded, while Constance turned aside to
hide laugh.
"You can tell them to look out for it
about midnight" Mary went on, "By
that time l will know for sure, though
l have been perfectly certain all along.
l have sent Abner to the village to get
the news as fast as it comes in. AS soon
as he hears that Blaine is elected he is
going to hang lantern in the gable of
Widow Masons barn"
"And what when he hears that Cleve-
land is elected" Constance innocently
inquired.
Cleveland isn't going to be elected y
Mary emphatically responded. But Abb
ner asked me some such foolish question
as that and just to satisfy him told
him he could borrow couple of lanterns
Ia red and a green one-and put up the
green one when he hears Blaine is elect
ed and-but that's all there is to it"
Constance gave her aunt several more
of Dicks confident predictions as to the
result of the election and then mounted
her pony and started home. She stopped