Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1915-10-21
CHAPTER XXI.
THE MORNING IN HANDY STREET

In the meantime. Mary Midthorne
had found Jack PaNson. She descend
ed from exclusive Upper Cor
NTH into the prim but humble
district known as the Fourth ward,
where LIVED the plain people; here no
man was downright poor. yet none was
rich. save in honor and coDtentment.
You had but to LOOK at the long rows
of cottages to know that peace reiened
external IL not eternal. There were no
signs OF envy or jealousy. yet
how well the woman was despised
whose husband rrospered so steadily
that he WAS looking at property way
up town with a view to building a
house that was Fit to live in" Even
the erection Of q. summer kitchen or
the expansion of the front stoop into a
veIanda was proof of an affluency that
came IN for general resentment and all
sorts of talk about pride going before
Il fall"
But the people OF Corlnth never fell in
just that way. Their thrift was thor
pride. II they fell it was not because
pride had anything to do with ii, but
because 1t was the height OF ~extrava-
gsLee to carry fire insurance. You
might burn them out. but in no 9TH.
way couid YOU humble shem-especiai1y
those who lived in the Fourth ward.
The Widow Payson }iveG in one OF the
" hhSNsFs = hhb"t t"N NtNJitll easy
walking distance OF every other place
in Corinth. If you had a springy. pro-
ject1ng stride, O could easily make
the ock in five minutes, or you could
circle the court house square and do
a block OF two extra in sig or seven.
Besides, IT wasn't far to Upper Corinth,
and was farther removed from the de-
tested TodVilIe. There was really some
thing in that. BY an odd perfection of
street nomenclature. it was called Han
dy street. in commemoration OF a cit
izen who went TO war as a private and
came out a corporal. A great favorite
with Washington. the story goes, and
Intensely disllked by King George the
Third.
At any rate. Mrs. Payson lived in
Handy street. Hers was a heat little
cottage. with vines growing all over it.
and a garden at the back with a white
washed fence around it. just as you
might have expected. There was a great
knocker on the Vine s~urrounde door
inside the porch. and a name plate. and
a peep hole. with q sliding shutter. AS
quaint u place as you would see in a
days journey through old New Eng
land.
Mary, flushed and suddenly shy. rat
tied the knocker after a sther timid
fashion. The door was opened at once.
to her great surpriae. She had been
watching the closed shutter in the an
cient peep hole as if fascinated. con
fidcntly expecting TO see it slide back
TO reveal Il Eruesorne, questioning eye.
John PaNsoa himself opened the door.
a certain. haggard. tired expression
left his face as if by magic. II she had
been less absorbed in her own feelings,
she would lia noticed something more
than surprise i'll the eyes of her lover.
why. Mary he exclaimed. throw
ing the door wide open. What has hap
peIied? Has ANYTHING gone wrong with
Erie"
Hash he been here? You have RIO,
seen him she inquired s~nxionsly.
He had not asked her to enter. but
stood before her. blocking the doorway.
u haNe not seen him" he aid 4
queer nervousness III his manner
What las ~haiicNsl3h Tell me. Can
| Ie OF am service - hinp"
"kaN | nd! c.si II Il: a. p she asikeI
Suddenly struck ! Il. old loos IN his
eyes. 4 swif! IL 49, 4 n ~ aiSa.trr
oaase utt. as' -. .a..A : ;t~.italtx M