The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1911-03-17


HI citation, 1911. Ill
When Joel Tykesbury opened the let
ter and read that his step-uncle on
his mothers side had died without
near relatives and had left him the
comfortable sum of $4,000 In cash
there was not soul TO whom he
contlded the astounding news. Close
locked behind his compressed lips was
hidden secret that would have pro-
vided the people of Little River with
measureless source of interest for
the coming winter months.
Joel kept his secret, and no one was
the wiser when he closed the little
harness shop and spent several days
in New York, But when he returned
from the city and proceeded to sell
the contents Of his shop at auction
prices, when he presented the fur
niture contained In his lonely bachelor
abode TO the thriftless Nichols family,
who lived on the edge of the village,
and finally when tho minister dropped
a word in the midst of the Ladies' Aid
society's Wednesday sociable then Lit
tie River sat up very straight and took
notice.
YES" said Mr.. Beeman, thoughtful
ly stroking his scanty beard; "Joel
/ says he's tired of Little River, so he
! is going TO New York to live. He
seems to feel rather bitter about the
way he's been received In our vii
lage. He says he's lived here fifteen
years and he isn't much better ac-
quainted than when he came"
THAT'S every mite his own fault,
then! cried Miss Fanny Pollard
warmly. Hes the most unsociable
man in Little River. My conscience
is clear about Joel Tykesbury. I've
done the best could to make 1t pleas
ant for him In church and outp A
suppressed giggle from the young girls
In distant corner closed Miss Fanny's
lips into n grim frown. Her small
brown eyes shot little angry sparks at
the gigglers.
THAT is very true, Miss Pollard"
soothed the minister peacefully. 81
make Joel feel at home In our midst"
Mrs. Deacon Spinning bit her thread
with n sharp click of her false teeth
and folded up the Bingham apron she
had completed. Seems like I'll never
forgive myself IL Joel Tykesbury goes
away from Little River feeling sore
about the way he's been treated. I
Il ataft holt
Just how kind hearted he is. Only he's
dreadful shy, and It's n setback to
him"
"IIe was terrible noncommittal," an
nounced Fanny Pollard, with the air
of one who is treading familiar ground.
"Many's the time I've sat and pom
dered what Joel meant when he said
such and such n thing"
Most times | reckon he didn't mean
nothing at ALL" said Mrs. Spinning
| cheerfully. II take 1t Joel was shy.
But. land, why are we all talking about
him as If he was dead and waiting
to be buried? If Joel TylSesbury dom
like the way he's been treated her,
he's not going to stay in Little Rive
for nobody. I'm sorry he's going, 70
! do like him. Once he shut up hi
shop and came over and helped Henri,
get in his hay when It was threatening
storm, and another time when Lin
ny had the measles he went clean ovel
to the Ford after Dr. Mitchell and
didn't want to hear n word of thanks
either"
nd srfN VII L.
amt that the queerest thing? I spose
likely he's going TO board when he gets
to the city," murmured Annie Baker
Maybe he Is going to get married
Now | come TO think of 1t shouldn't
wonder mite If that was the secret
of his going. He's going to get mar
ried to wilder, maybe, and she, hav.
ing houseful of furniture left by
her first husband, won't have no need
for Joels things" Mrs. Spinning
beamed around the busy circle. I'm
mighty glad to think he's going to get
married. He's just the incest kind of
man. He'll make some girl a good
husband I'm disappointed, though. |
kinder hoped he'd pick wife from
Little River"
There was Il long silence after this,
broken only by requests for the sixty
white thread" or the forty black"
until at last Mrs, Wilowell. ut whose
house they had met. announced that
refreshments would be served in the
dining room, and so for the time being
Joel Tykesbury and his affairs were
forgotten.
Joel himself, having given away his
furniture and disposed Of his business,
sat In his lonely room In the best hotel
the village afforded and wondered what
he would do next.
''Pll shake the dust of this here vii
lage from my feet" said Joel morosely,
eying his reflection I'm the wavy mir
ror with gloomy frown. There
won't be one person that will miss me
when I'm gone. II I'd been treated
decent here I'd never thought OF eav-
ing Little River II would have done
the village good TO spend my money
here. | could build house as fine
terest money. The women amt never
noticed me much. and amt bad
looking feller." Joel REDEEMED as he
lifted shy eyes at his reflection In the
mirror Good looking In spite of the
Irregularities IN the glass-th'"h grow
ing brown hair. brown eyes, steady
and trustworthy In their open gaze
and yet with certain ddldence in