Putnam patriot., 1909-05-21

to connect the excited woman,s feet
 with the floor.
 .'Foh de LOT sake,- Mandy gasped as she stood panting for breath and blinking at the pretty. young. apple faced Julia. .1 was suah most gone dat time. Then followed another out burst against the delinquent Hasty.
 But the deacons daughter did not hear. Her eyes were already wander ing anxlously to the lights and the tin sel of the little world beyond the win dow.
 This was not the first time today that Mandy had found herself talking to space There had been a steady stream of callers at the parsonage since II that morning. but she had long ago sonfided to the pastor that she suspected their reasons.
 .'Dey comes in here a-traekin' up my floors" she said. ''an' a-askin' why you don't stop de circus from a-show- In mex to de church an den a-cranin' dar necks out de winder till 1 cant get no homework done"
 That's only human nature." Doug las had answered. with laugh. but Mandy had declared that she knew an other name for it and had mumbled something about "hypocritters" as she seized her broom and began to sweep imaginary trucks from in front of the door
 Many times she had made up her mind to let the next caller know just what she thought of "hypoeritters." but her determination was usually weakened by her still greater desire to excite increased wonder in the faces of her visitors.
 Divided between these two inclina- tions. she gazed at Julia now. The shining eyes of the deacon's daughter conquered, and she launched forth into an eager description of how she had just seen a swonde'ful striped ana mule" with .powsful long neck walk right out of the tent" and how he had ..come apart afore her very eyes" and two men had slipped right out of his insides" Mandy was so carried away by her own eloquence and so busy showing Julia the sights beyond the window that she did not hear Miss Perkins. the thin Tipped spinster. who entered. followed by the Widow Will loughby. dragging her seyen-year-old son Willie by the hand.
 The women were protesting because their choir practice of What Shall the Harvest BeT' had been interrupted by the unrequested accompaniment of the "hoochee eoochee" from the nearby cir rus band.
 Its seandalous," Miss Perkins snap ped. ''Scandalousi And somebody ought to stop It.. She glanced about with an unmisNkable air of grievance at the closed doors. feeling that the pastor was undoubtedly behind one of them when he ought to be out taking action against the things that her soul dbominated.
 Well. I'm sure I've done all that I could. piped the widow. with a meek. tyred. She considered 1t an appropri- ate attitude for widow. He can't blame me If the choir Is out of key to- morrow.
 Mercy mel' interrupted the spinster. If there isn't Julia Strong a-leaning right out of that window a-looKing at the circus, and her pa deacon of the church. and this the house of the pas tor, It's shocking! l must go to her"
 Ma, let me see too begged Willie as he tugged as his mothers skirts.
 Mrs. Willoue4by hesitated. Miss Perkins was certainly taking a long while for her argument with Julia. The glow from the red powder outside the window was positively alarming
 Dear mer' she said Il wonder if there can be fire" And with this pretext for investigation sue, too. joined the little group at the window
 4 few moments later. when Douglas entered for a fresh supply of paper. the backs of the company were to- ward him. He crossed to the study table without disturbing his visitors and smiled to himself at the eager way in which they were hanging out of the window.
 Douglas was sturdy young man Of eight and twenty. frank and boyish In manner. confident and light hearted in spirit. He had seemed too young to the deacons when he was appointed to their church. and his keen enjoyment of outdoor games and other healthful sports robbed him of certain dignity in their eyes. Some of the women of the congregation had been inclined to side with the deacons. for it hurt their vanity that the pastor found so many other interests when he might have been sitting in dark. stufy rooms dis cussing theology with them, but Doug las had been either unconscious of or indifferent to their resentment and had gone on his way with cheery nod and an unccnluerable conviction of right that had only left them founder ing. He intended to quit the room now unnotieed. but was unfortunate enough to upset chair as he turned from the table. This brought chorus or eXciatnatlohs IIoin tue woheh. ~ho ehattering, rushed quickly toward him
 What do you think of my naughty boy. WillIey sippered the widow He dragged me quite to the window"
 Douglas glanced amusedly first af fhe five foot six widow and then at The helpless red haired urchin by her side. but he made no comment beyond offering a chair 10 each of the women
 Our choir practice had to te eatlre iv discontinued, declared Mss Per kIHs spnfiy aS sse accepted fsae Fraf ferea ehair. adjusted her skirts for q nrn. s-.f .rl.s.l-a.i .aaH....tf,. as fl...-r.---