Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1910-05-05


for the farm" remarked Mrs. Wixom
eagerly.
Yes, and they say he's going to farm
1t again on the same scale as he did
before. There's lan'scape man a-fix-
Ing up the ground, and guess it'll be
the handsomest place in Upper Village
now,' continued Harriet enthusias. I
tically.
Like as not he's going to be mar
ried," remarked Adeline Dare, voicing
the unspoken thought of the other
women.
"Who do you suppose Is the one?" !
asked Mrs. Wixom curiously. The 9TH !
er women were silent.
81 don't know remarked Adeline
spitefully, but l guess know several /;
who amt the one!' ..r
Miss Paine laughed scOrnfully. ITS I
well for them who realize they amt !
got no chance to up and say So" Z
The widow Dare flushed angrily and (
turned he. little gray eyes upon her
tormentor And there's them who
amt never had chance and never
will who don't never say dier'
Esther Fray looked with distressed
eyes upon the quarreling women. To
her delicate sensibilties the coarse
ness of their arguments was like so
many stinging blows, and she longed
to escape TO the quiet little cottage
where she had lived alone for many
years. The meeting had not adjourn
ed, however, and timid Esther dared
NO bo Gr.c,t whit mi,
attract attention to herself.
The irrep.essibe Miss Paine glared
angrily at Adeine Dare and opened
her thin lips to deliver a singing re-
tort, when Mrs. Wixom broke In has
tily.
"Queer how he set to work all of
sudden, wasn't it? You remember
that night we was all a-talking about
it in the church parlor here, and the
very next day Homer Byrd went to
New York, and when he came back he
had the men with him"
"Sure enough and-I declare, l never
thought about 1t till this minute" said
old Mrs. Smithers eagerly, but John
said when he come out of the meeting
that night he went around to see if the
back blinds was closed and there sat
Homer Byrd on his little iron seat
a-looking at the grave which he'd COW
cred with white laylocks. John didn't
say nothing, but jest tiptoed back
again" t. a-U
THAT seat is most under the church
windows" volunteered Mrs. Wixon in
q strained whisper.
There was no reply. The members
of the little group which had occupied
the corner by the window on that
memorable night looked at one anoth-
ere f,pFtirsisb oEsther Fray was won
derf88 8apithGpalpitating heart what sha
had said that might have betrayed the
diffident interest she had always taken
in the silent, grief stricken hRan who
had been the subject of discussion.
She hoped none OF the others would
remember that she had arisen to de-
fend him.
Miss Harriet Paine laughed harshly,
I'm willing to stand by what I've said
about Homer Byrd" she said. with
reckless shrug of her shoulders. "I
guess Esther here'll stand IN his good
graces as well as anybody. She spoke
right up for him."
ooh, Esther amt bothering about no
men," interpolated Mis-. W'iXom, with
good natured appreciation of Esther's
confusion. I'VE don't want her to
either. II we lose our S, hnolteacher
! l don't know what the children will
do"
To Esther's relief the meeting N1a
called to order for another brief busi-
ness session, and when it had finally
adjourned she slipped out and away to
her little cottage with a perturbation
that was unusual She wished thar
she had not opened her lips to defend
Homer Byrd, for 1t had only attract
ed unwelcome attention to herself.
Homer Byrd continued to beautify
his house and grounds with unabatod
zeal. He worked early and late with
the laborers and was here. there
and everywhere. His bent shoulders
straightened, his contracted chest
broadened with the deep breaths OF
wholesome air that he inhaled. his
eyes Frightened and his step took ou
the elasticity of youth. for. after all.
Homer Byrd was a young man in his
forties. and when October came there
was considerable hustle about the
place when the scauty crops from the
late seasons plaut.ag were garnered.
''It needs distress now," said
Homer Byrd, with Il troubled look in
his eyes, and that night he dressed
himself with unusual care and went
calling. And be went calling on other
nights thereafter, to the undated In
terest of Upper Village.
$50 it was Esther Fray after ALL"
gabbled Harriet Paine after the we'd
ding was over and the happy pair had
departed through the new gates, above
which hung a cluster of electric lights,
"and expect Esther II be fool enough
to go up with him and put flowers on
Mary Byrd's grave. just as he's al
ways done"
And so she was, and there were few
in Upper Village that understood save
Esther and Homer and Mary Byrd.
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HnAkETHlNH NEw I