Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1913-05-20

caught sigh, Of Mary Todhunter.
wouldn't treat dog that way. Tom"
There was something pitiful In tht
utter frankness of surrender will
which the speakers eyes confessed be-
liking for Tom Strickland. Colone
Todhunter knew her well. She wa.
the granddaughter Of old Rafe Dog
gett. who had been a private soldier
In a Confederate regiment during the
civil war. The family belonged to th'
class once known as poor whites.
but old DoSgett had been Il good sol
dier. and Lottie-May. his granddaGSh
ter. owed her membership In th'
Daughters of the Confederacy to th'
esteem In which he was held.
This was even more than conces
sion to Inferior caste. The darkly
beautiful country girl whom old Raft
Doggett's son had married In another
suite had gone away from home bnt
day, leaving her baby daughter behind
and never returned. a picturesquely
handsome Indian herb doctor" whd
had been pedtlling his wares In Nine
veh for some days and was known tn
have paid bold attentions to her. dis
appeared at the same time. Lottie.
May Doggett. inheritlng the same vital
beauty of soft roundness. red lips and
sensuous black eyes. had grown up III
Nineveh. defiant. under the shadow OF
her mothers shame.
Tom Strickland stared ut the girl.
plainly surprised. why. Lottie- May.
he exclaimed; II won't let you think
such n thing. only hurried to sa!
'Howdy' to Miss Mary because she had
1ust got here Anyway" and here be
smiled teasingly-"I could see with one
eye that STAN Tucker was just wild
to have a talk with you"
Lottie-May's eyes flashed. "Stam
Tucker-shucks" she cried scornfully
~ wouldn't wipe my feet on him, Tom.
when you're around, and you know It
But can tell you one thing" and here
note of proud vanity sounded In her
voice-"tryin' hard as he Is to git Miss
| Mary Todhunter to marry him. just
like you are, STAN Tucker loves me
more in one minute than he Will love
her in his whole lifetime"
"Lottie- May" calculated Tom angri'
ly, you mustn't talk like that! You
ought to be ashamed. You've got no
right to couple Miss Mary Todhunters
name
mo, no. that's It'll" interrupted the
girl hotly. II mustn't mention Mary
| Todhunter's name in the same breath
with mine. It amt right, you think!
Well, I willard ] hate her! l hate
herr
II didn't mean that Lottie-May." pro-
tested Tom you know l didn't mean
that
But the girl was gone. Hagar-like.
she moved with q sort Of outcast pride.
her pretty head held high, her eyes
flashing. In moment she had disap'
peared In the crowd.
"Tom." said Colonel Todhunter, ad-
| vancing, you'd better be hurryin' to
where Mrs. Todhunter Is and make
your peace for stealin' Mary away.
You're In hot water, young man"
Tom Strickland flushed consciously.
Colonel, I reckon you heard what Lot
tie-May Doggett was saying to meT'
~ couldn't very well help 1t, Tom"
"Well. sir. you mustn't draw any
wrong conclusions from what she said.
Colonel Todhunter. Lottie-May's
good girl, so far as know. and I've al
ways felt sorry for her. But she's been
brought up under cloud. and it's made
her sorter reckless and full Of the
devil. I don't believe she cares how
black she paints herself. and ! think
too much Of her to take her at her
word about knowing that STAN Tucker
loves her and makes love to her with
out thinking Of marrying her That's
just her wild talk. sir"
"She's certainly grown up to be
mighty pretty girl. Tom." said Colonel
Todhunter. And now that you've
broached the subject and I've heard
what hive. will you let me give you
IL word Of advicc"'
Certainly. colonel" replied Tom.
We. Tom. speakin' plainly. it's this.
+, ou i.,ttpr fight mighty shy OF Lottie.
Ma, hereafter. sub. don't mean any
h!g: egailsi the girl. But she thinks
.ut vi you. and she don't mind lettin'
.ou k:,uw it. and that makes mighty
,innpefous situation.
Then. seeing that the young man was
iii at ease and maybe inwardly resent
ful. Colonel Todhunter left him, to bis
obvious relief.
But the colonel himself shook bis
head duubtfully. There amt no big
yer fool on earth, suh," he communed
with himself, than healthy young
chap in his twenties. with head fuller
Of women than q squash is Of seeds
and Just about as soft as that there
squash. too. sub. ] don't like to think
Of Tom Strickland, with Mary on one
side of him. and him lovin' the very
ground she walks on. and Lottie-May
Doggett on the other side Of him and
her lovin' him the way she does love
him."
Even az he thus unused an approach
ing figure brought humorous grin to
Colonel Todhunter's lips. 1t was the
martial figure Of Captain Sim Birdsong
Of the Nineveh light infantry. but
without the aggressive support OF bis
regimentals and with detection In ev'
cry line. Sims face was the tragic
mask itself.
"Great name above, cap'n" vocifer-
ated the colonel. mock apprehension In
his tone. "what In thunderation Is the
matter, suh1 You look like you'd lost
your last friend on earthp'
Colonel Todhunter," said Sim SOL
emnly. you're the very man l wanted
| to see, sub. I'm In peck Of trouble.
| and I'm a-goin' to ask you to tell me
| the best way out Of II. II you'll be 30
kind. suh--you havin' more experience
In the world than me-"
"Sim," replied Colonel Todhunter. Il
don't know whether can or not. but
I'll do my level best. sub. Specify your
| trouble"
Colonel" responded Sim wearily,
ITS Miss Angelica Exall's ma: that's
what 1t IL cant shake her of. sub.
| Tbat old woinnn's wOrse'n the seven
! yeur itch. can't get rid Of her for a
l ,,,I,,,ta f,nInnot n,odhunfar1