The Greenville morning herald. [volume] (Greenville, Tex.) 1890-1956, 1910-01-05
DOUBLE MEANING or
AN ENGLISH WORD
by EDITH r. BAKER.


1t was sad day for Emery Batch
lord when Fannie Ellsmere told him
that she was engaged TO Tom Ed.
wards. And the girl who had chosen
between these two young men did not
choose wisely. Edwards never got on,
while Blntchforl. having one OF those
CHEEKY dispositions that win people
continually. found friends to drop
plums into his mouth. And so II hap.
pencd that while the former was
spending what little bis wife had
when he married her the latter was
prospecting.
One year when the fall elections
came round the managers Of the party
In power, fearing they would lose the
fight, looked about for candidates who
would be especially acceptable to the
people. Among those they selected
was Emery Blatcbford. who was put
up for sheriff and elected by an over.
whelmlng majority.
Now. II happened that n year before
this election Edwards had died. leav.
Ing his widow not only pennlless. but
with chnttel mortgage on her house
hold effects. for the payment of even
the interest on which there were no
funds. One of the first duties dcvolv.
ing upon the newly elected sheriff
was the serving of writ upon Mrs
Edwards which would deprive her OF
her only remaining possession, her
furniture. When Blatchford came
across this paper he sighed, put II
IN pigeonhole. where, IL he had Ind
the power TO keep 1t there, 1t would
have remained till the crack Of doom
Indeed he paid no further attention to
1t till the plaintiff In the case made
such mn ado about the delay that the
sheriff was obliged TO serve the writ.
He gave the paper TO Il deputy, but
before the man had reached the door
called him back. He couldn't bear
that the unwelcome process should be
enacted without being softened SO far
as possible And to whom could he
trust such softenlng but himself? Put
ting the document into his pocket, no
waited till after office hours-indeed.
till proper hour for calling In the
evening. then went TO the widows cot
tage. He was received with some sur
prise. When he had last visited Mrs.
Edwards she was Miss Ellsmere and
had told him that she was engaged to
his rival. Blatchford beat about the
bush for an hour before he could
bring himself TO mention the nll i'm
portant subject. Then he said
~ presume YOU know that judgment
has been entered against you In the
matter of the notes secured by chattel
mortgage on your furniture"
YES; had no money with which to
even try to save what have left"
she replied, wiplng n tear from her
eye.
"And YOU may know" the sheriff
proceeded, "of the attachment | have
for you"
A sudden checking OF tears, move,
ment indicating that something impor.
tant had caught the widows attention
followed the sheriff's remark.
81 knew" she replied hesitatingly,
that you had an attachment for me,
but-but I was not aware that It had
endured"
"The attachment have for you" he
said gently, sympathetlcally, SIS diff
ferent from the one which you men,
tion. 1t is more practically impor-
tant one. An attachment that
He was stalled. The widow essayed
to help him.
81 can understand" she said, 1.-The
difference between the-the feeling one
might have for girl and that same
feeling after all that has intcrvened
between then and now. /, too, have
come TO understand myself better"
The sheriff, instead of opening his
legal document. opened his ears, to
say nothing OF his eyes. This, how
ever. the widow did not see since her
own eyes were bent on the floor, while
her ears We're strained to hear the eX-
pected declaration. Blatchford could
not feel any certainty that he was
either understood to be entering upon
proposal or that. II so, he was en-
couraged He resolved upon one more
effort to make clear the business on
which he had come.
"This word attachment" he began
this word attachment has different
meanings. 1t is at once n legal term
and
II know" she sighed.
81 mean, too, condition OF the
heart. My attachment for you Is as
warm. us deep, as unalterable as It
ever was. Give me the right to stand
Rs your protector"
Blatchford took her unreslsting form
into his arms, where she rested in
happy contentment for some time
without speaking Finally she looked
up into his face and said;
do you know that when you began
to talk about the word attachment
having legal meaning, for moment
! was seized with an idea that you, be.
Ing sheriff.
81 being sheriff.
"You having spoken about the hor-
rid suit"
"WelIY"
"That you were talking about that"
How could you suppose" he replied,
drawing her closer TO him, that
would have anything TO do with that
matter unless, perhaps, TO bring You
some good news concerning itY'
"What good news"
"W-why, the pIalntinf win renew tho
note"
"For what reasonf
at will be Endorsed"
whats thatT
"It's the result OF the attachment J
vas speaking 10 you nbont"