Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1913-09-30
Tabitha
Interferes
Things Are Not What They Seem
By ADELAIDE BURNHAM

From her seat behind the parlor cur
tains Tabitha Campbell istenet
shamelessly to the words that yount
Frederick Lee was murmuring to pret
ty Agatha. her niece.
"It's my duty by motherless girl,
said Tabitha defiantly to her con
science. and she turned her good ca
close to the curtains sagging agains
the open window.
Tomorrow night, then" said Fred
erick with long sigh Of relief.
"Yes," assented Agatha timorously.
"At IL o'clock. SurelyY"
EYES,"
'T'll drive you to Milton. and thu
minister there will"- His words drift
ed into an indistinct murmur as the
wind rushed through the garden and
stirred the syringa bushes.
Tabitha arose and went into the sit
ting room. where she blinked at the
lighted lamp. She was q little. hart
featured. black eyed woman witt
white hair and sprightly movements
that made her appear even younger
than her fifty years. Now her blach
eyes snapped with anger as she sal
down in rocking chair and picked
up some knitting.
Agatha came in and locked the from,
door, When she appeared In the sit
ting room her blue eyes were very
bright and a pink flush stained bel
usually pale cheeks.
81 thought told you wouldn't have
Jacob Lees boy running here" snap
ped Tabitha.
| Agatha was silent
"Has he got job?" pursued Tabitha.
"Yes. l told you his father had taken
him into the bank" replied Agatha
spiritedly. Frederick ts-is-nice.
don't see why you dis-disiike him so
| Aunt Tab"
II have my reasons"
"If you would only tell me, just tell
me what 1t Is you have against him.
Aunt Tab, / might understand"
"Its all In the past" murmured Ta-
bitha somewhat vaguely. Her cheeks
reddened us If at some unpleasant
memory.
Its not fair to keep me In the dark.
and shall never believe one word
against him unless you prove 1t. so
there!" Agatha whirled out Of the
room and up the stairs into her own
little room overhead
| What Agatha did not know was that
once upon time Tabitha had been a
black eyed beauty engaged to marry
Jacob Lee But Jacob had proved a
fckle lover. and when be took bride
to his home 1t was handsome girl
from Milton who had money in her
own right That Jacobs wife died and
left him with little Frederick three
years after the marriage did not move
Tabitha Campbell to pity. In the
meantime her hair had whftened and
her face grown sharp and peaked.
Now she became the village dress
maker. and when Agatha came to live
| with her every one said how nice 1t
was that Tabitha would not be alone.
Now Agatha was planning to elope
| with Frederick Lee.
Tabitha's eyes burned strangely In
the darkness as she thought Of these
things.
The next day passed quietly. as usu-
al. Tabitha sewed busily in her sharp,
| Jerky way In the room devoted to her
work. Several customers came and
tried on garments and looked over the
pile Of fashion books on the table or
examined the tissue paper patterns
pinned on tape along the wall. Aga.
tina did the housework deftly and be-
| tween whiles stitched on the sewing
machine In the corner.
As evening drew near the two wom-
| en- became distinctly nervous Tabi-
tina cut Mrs. Demmet's gray cashmere
into a three piece skirt by twenty
two inch waist pattern when Mrs
Demmet measured thirty-four inches
and was proportionatefy massive 1t
was characteristic Of Tabitha's mood
that she first threw the mangled cash
| mere across the room with the scissors
| flying In it's wake Then she picked
them up and. tucking the cashmere un,
| der her arm. went grimly forth to In
terview Mrs. Demmet
When bedtime came Agatha came
| and placed her arms around Tabitha's s
neck. The astonished spinster did not
move. but silently endured the en-
brace. and II there were tears in her
hard eyes the girl did not see them
| She went to the door and turned o
wtstful gaze on the older woman.
"Tm sorry you don't like him." she
said painfully, and went slowly up
stairs
Tabitha put out the light and went
silently about her preparations. She
went upstairs and closed the door Of
her bedroom and then returned to the
sitting room to envelop herself In O
long gray cloak and tie a white chif.
fon veil over her face and hair She
slipped out of the side door and went
across the grass to an opening In the
lockwood hedge that bordered the gar
den. Standing outside there on the
path in the shadow Of the maple trees.
she awaited the coming Of Agatha's
lover
Clouds were drifting overhead. and
now and then the moon peeped out
The little house lay in deep shadow.
Presently the church clock struck IL.
and at the same instant came the
sound of hoofs on the sandy road A
covered buggy came slowly along. and
the horse stopped in front Of Tabitha's .
gate.
In an Instant she had reached tne
vehicle and had climbed into its dart
interior. A mans startled voice ut
tered a sharp exclamation OF surprise
"Huryr' whispered Tabitha. Gee
away as fast as you can. She !. com
Ing after me-"
"But''- began the familiar voice o
Frederick Lee. and Tabitha hushe<
him desperately.
Hurry. please hurry. or I shah &
backr'
"All right I suppose you know
where you're going" said the maj
grimly.
i "Millton, of course" snapped Tabi
tha 30 sharply that he leaned down