Oxford Democrat., 1913-08-05


from q man can make woman's heart
Jump. Mine jumped 30 it was lard to
look as meek as felt best under the
circumstances. but looked 1t out from
1nder my lashes cautiously.
"There you are. Mrs Molly" he said
oriskly as he handed me this book
Get weighed and measured and sized
lp generally in the morning and follow
Ill the directions: also make every rec
ord I have noted SO that ! can nave
The proper data to help you as you go
,long-or rather down. And II you Will
% faithful about II to me. or. rather
Al, ! think we can be sure OF buttonlng
hat blue muslin dress without even
he aid Of the buttonhook." His voice
lad the III you can" note In 1t that
always sets me of.
Had we better get the kiddie some
thinner night rigging?" he FASTENED to
,sk as was Just about to explode
4e knows the signs.
THANK you, DR.. Moore! ! hate the
rery ground you walk on. and I'll at
END to those night clothes myself to-
morrow" I answered. and sailed out
II that office and down the path to
ward my own house beyond his hedge
But carried this book tight IN my
hand, and made up my mind that
would do It all II 1t killed me ! would
show him I could be faithful-to whom
[ would decide later on. But ! hadn't
.ead far into this book when | com
nitted myself to myself like that!
I don't know Just how long ! sat on
The front steps all by myself bathed In
, perfect food of moonlight and loneli
less II was not bit Of comfort to
hear Aunt Adeline snoring away In her
,oom down the dark hall. 1t takes the
rreatest congeniality to make II per
sons snoring pleasure to anybody .and
AUNT Adeline and are not that way.
When poor Mr. Carter died the next
iay she said: Now. Mary. you are en-.
Irely too young to live all your long
fears of widowhood alone. and rs am
n the same condition. will rent my
cottage and move right up the street
nto your house to protect and console
rou." And she did-the moving and
The protecting.
Mr.. Henderson has been dead forty
.wo years He only lived three months
ifter he married Aunt Adeline and her
:rape veil is over yard long yet Men
ire the dust under her feet. bnt she
likes for DR. John to come over ana
sit on the porch with us because she
can consult with him about what Mr.
Henderson really died Of and talk with
him about the sad state OF poor Mr.
Carter's liver for year before he died
Just 60 on rocking Billy and singing
hymns to him in such n way that !
can't hear the conversation Mr.. Car.
ter's liver got on my nerves alive. and
dead II does worse But II hurts when
the doctor has to take the little. sleepy
boy out Of my arms TO carry him home.
though ! like II when he says under
his breath. Thank you. Molly
And as | sut and thought how near
he nnd | had been to each other In all
| our troubles ! excused myself for run
ming to him with that letter and ] ac'
knowledged to myself that ! had no
right to get mad when he teased me.
for he had been kind aud Interested
about helping me get thin by the time
| Alfred came back 10 see me- ! couldn't
tell which | was blushing all to my
self about. the luscious peach" he had
called ME or the lovely lily" Alfred
had reminded me In his letter that ]
had been when he left me
Why don't people realize that sev
entecn-year.old girls heart Is sensi
tive wild flower that may be shattered
by brenth: Mine shattered when
Alfred went away to find something
he could do to make living und
Aunt Adrlinr gave the hard. green
stem TO Nj. Carter when she married
me to him Poor Mr.. Carter!
No. wasn't twenty. and this town
was full nf women who were aunts
,, and COUSINS and law kin to me. ana
nobody did anything for me. They
all said with Il sigh OF relief. 1T VIII
be such nice. safe thing for you.
Molly" And they really didn't mean
anything by tying up gay. dancing.
] frolicking. princing colt OF girl Win
, q terribly ponderous bride But God
didn't want to see me always trotting
along slow and tired and not caring
what happened to me. even POUNDS
and hounds Of plumpness. 80 he found
use for Mr. Carter In some other place
but this world. and ! feel that he is
going to see me through whatever
happens. II some of the women IN
my missionary society knew how
friendly | feel with God they would
put me out for contempt Of court.
No. the town didn't mean anything
by Christening my spirit with Mr. Car
ter and they didn't consider him IN
the matter at all. poor man! or thnt
feel sure Hlllsboro Is like that
II settled itself here in Tennessee
valley a few hundreds Of years ago
and has been Matching and cluckins
over its own small affairs ever since
All the houses set back from the street
with their wings spread out over their
gardens, and mothers here go on hover
ing even to the third and fourth gen
Grafton. Lots of times young. long
legged. frying size boys scramble out
Of the nests and 60 of to college and
decide to grow up where their crow
will be heard by the world Alfred
was one Of them.
And. too. occasionally some man
comes along from the big world and
marries plump little broiler and takes
her away with him. but mostly they
stay and go to lowering life on q cor
ner Of the family estate That's what
did
| was Il poor little lost chick with
frivolous tendencies. and they oil cluck