News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1914-02-04

ute"
was in a bad humor, anyhow, and
I'd had enough. stood just inside the
door and l told them I'd done the best
l could, not for them, but because I'd
promised the old doctor, and If I'd
made mistakes I'd answer for them to
him if | ever met him in the next
world. And in the meantime I washed
my hands of the whole thing, and they
might make out as best they could. l
was going.
Mrs. Dick heard me through. Then
she came over and put her hand on
mine where it lay on the table.
you're perfectly right" she said. 81
know how you have tried, and that the
| fault is all that wretched Pierce's You
mustn't mind Mr.. Carter, Minnie. He's
been in that sort of humor all day"
He looked at her with the most mis-
cradle face l ever saw, but he didn't
say anything. She sighed, the little
wretch.
l plodded back with my empty bas-
| ket. l had only one clear thought
| that l wouldn't have any more tramp
ing across the golf links in the snow.
l wanted to get back to my room and
| go to bed and forget.
But as 1 came near the house I saw
Mr.. Pierce come out on the front
piazza and switch on the lights. He
stood there looking out into the snow,
and the next minute | saw why. Com
ing up the hill and across the lawn
was a shadowy line CT people, black
against the white. l thought for a
minute that my brain had gone wrong;
then che first figure came into the
light, and it was the bishop. He stood
at the front of the steps and looked up
at Mr.. Pierce.
II dare say" he said, trying to look
easy, that this is sooner than you ex-
pected us!"
Mr. Pierce looked down at the crowd.
Then he smiled, a growing smile that
ended in a grin
"On the contrary" he said, "rve
been expecting you for an hour or
more"
The procession began to move
glo0mily up the steps, All Of them
carried hand luggage, and they looked
tired and sheepish. Miss Cobb stopped
in front of Mr.. Pierce.
DO you mean to say" she demand
ed furiously, that you knew the rail
road was blocked with snow, and yet
you let US got"
"On the contrary, Miss Cobb" he
said politely, 81 remember distinctly
regretting that you insisted on going.
Besides, there was the Sherman
house"
Senator Briggs stopped in front of |
him. Probably you also knew that
that was full, including the stables,
with people from the stalled trains"
he asserted furiously.
Two by two they went in and
through the hall, stamping the snow
off, and up to their old rooms again,
leaving Slocum, the clerk, staring at
them as if he couldn't believe his eyes.
Mr.. Pierce and / watched from the
piazza, through the glass.
We saw Doctor Barnes stop and
ook, and then go and hang over the
news stand and laugh himself almost
purple, and we saw Mr.. Thoburn bring
ng up the tail of the procession and
rying to look unconcerned. l am not
/ reVengeful woman, but that was one
If the happiest moments of my life.
We gave them a good supper and
Gr. Pierce ordered claret served with
tut extra charge. BY eight O'Clock
hey we're all in better humor, and
When they'd gathered in the lobby
Hiss Summers gave an imitation of
Garie Dress!er doing the Salome
ance. With the exception of Mr.. Won
invalid, not one of them really wanted
o go.
At eleven o'clock we had the clam
AXE with beer in the kitchen, and Mr..
on invalid came, after all. They were
eally very cheerful, all of them. At
he end, when everybody was happy
nd everything forgiven, Mr.. Pierce |
ot up and made speech.
He said he was sorry for what had !
that day, but that much he,
ad said he still maintained that to
retend to make people we'll in the
way most sanatoriums did it was, sheer
oily, and he felt his responsibility too
eenly to countenance a system that
vas clearly wrong and that the best
modern thought considered obsolete.
Miss Cobb sat up at that; she is al
Ways talking about the best modern
bought.
He said that perfect health, clear
kins, bright eyes-he looked at the
and except for Miss Patty,
here wasn't an honest complexion or
bright eye in the lot-keen appetites
nd joy of living all depended or ra-
ional and simple living. It was being
one now in thousand fresh-air
arms, and succeeding. Men went
Jack to their business elear-headed
nd women grew more beautiful
At that, what with the reaction from
lifting in the cold station, and the
,eer and everything, they all grew en-
husiastic. Doctor Barnes made a
peech telling that he used to be puny
md weak, and how he went into traEa-
ng and became a pugilist, and how
led fought the Tennessee sonhthing
n other-the men nodded as if they
,new-and licked him in 40 seconds or