The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1912-04-05

which occupation did not in any way
interfere with the conversation she
was carrying on with the other maid.
to the manifest enjoyment of both la
dies in their gossip The other maid
had an apron full Of parcels. A lean
dog shuffied close up to her and sniff
ed. Evidently there was something
to eat in some Of those packages. The
dog was hungry. The maid kicked
out with stout boot to her own I'M
doing. A parcel fell upon the dirt
! walk. The dog seized it and cantered
off joyOusly. A cry of dismay smote
upon Worthingtons preoccupied ears.
my mercy! It's MISS Josephine's
paints he's got" 49,
JoSephine-and paint, Destiny was
taking hand in his affairs Worth
ngton reached out with his umbrella.
The handle was q crook. The hungry
dogs lean neck fitted into it nicely.
He dropped his booty and made off.
Worthington picked up the damp par
eel. The paper was torn where the
dogs teeth had been inserted. By the
time the thankful maid had reached
him he had satisfied himself. that the
package contained water color tubes.
He smiled benignantly on the grateful
girl. ''You paintT'
''Afe? My. mercy! No, sir. But my
Miss Josephine does, and she paints
SO hard and so constant that she
won't even stop to go after her stuff.
If that furnished beast had eat up
those paints it would have meant a
heap to u.s."
ITO him. too" Worthington said with
a light hearted laugh
The rest was easy. All he had to do
was not To lose sight of the stout maid
until she disappeared behind door in
a small cheap hathouse some streets
off. He grOaned as he touched one of
the veStibue bells at random. He
would touch them all if need be. His
second experiment brought him frui-
ton. The stout maid showed him into
small sitting room. The egg artist
rose from her work table at the star
Ting announcement. "A gentleman for
you, Miss Josephine" ..-.-
The girl turned, turned To find her
self almost ia the arms of the man
whom she had last seen under the To-
quat tree in far Bermuda.
How could you:" was all he said as
he gathered her into Il close embrace.
Her head dropped YEARLY OH his
shoulder. Tom, Tom. How has it all
come about? Oh. Tom. how | have
longed for you! But they told me you
were married. Hal said So And wheI-
when ! would not do as he wauted-fa-
tlier was dead and Hal in authority
just had TO leave him and hide my
self from all the world. Hal wanted
me to marry the man who had helped
him out of trouble. but. oh, Tom. [
could not. could not! 1t WAS you or
no one. Tomr,
land you could not credit me with
equal constancy? When left you it
was because you said you had to de-
vote your life to your dying father
Yoa We're to write to me when was
to come back"
s"Oh. aud | did. ! did. and then Hal
told me You had married Miss Moore
in Paris. But how did You find me,
Tom?" She held him off to look at him
with happy. luminous eyes.
THE idyi' | found it. dearest. mt the
exchange. 1t spoke from your heart
TO mine. Also l am indebted to hum
CRY dog" He laughed and told her
the story OF his morning
: Mrs. Tom Worthington takes especia,
delight in decorating Mrs. Flynn's show
window annually for Easter. Those
poor little benighted children. Tom"
she says-"l would never have thought
of painting Easter eggs but for their
joy in those monstrosities. What mean
things can hold. the germs of the great
est earthly happiness, Toni"
And Tom grins acquiescence while
secretly believing that the gamins
would rather have the original mon.
strosities that his wife decries.