Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-05-31
CHAPTER xLVuI.

AS lne next udy Was
Brewster Norton did not go to the
city.
That noon the tennis net arrived
from town. and, after luncheon. Tom,
with the assistance of Ezra, one of
the farm hands busted himself in
marking off the court. Grace and l
were watching the process when my
employer Joined us.
Have you a racket out here?" He
asked suddenly.
NO" replied. "but am going to
send to town for one"
Don't you own one?"
Not now" 1 confessed. "I did have
one. but it was a cheap affair and so
badly warped that when-when I
l did not think l would have a chance
to play tennis again and anyway
the racket was about useless"
when you broke up your home"
he remarked gravely, you evidently
burned your bridges behind you,-
didn't you? 1 suppose you expected to
be a drudge all your days?"
II don't know what 1 expected"
I answered "I hardly dared look
forward. 1 only knew I must earn
my living-and such recreations as
tennis and other sports hardly entered
into the scheme of life for me-"
Then it's all very different from
what you planned"-he hesitated-
land feared?"
Very different" I assented.
He was silent and my thoughts
travelled back in a rush to the fears
l had had, to the life I might have
been forced to live-as an employe,
almost a servant, of some dictatoriaf
employer. l glanced down at my
pretty morning frock, then at the
comfortable house in front of me. L
raised my eyes to the windows of my
own room and saw the dainty cur
tains swaying in the breeze; my gaze
roamed then to the broad lawns, to
the masses of shrubbery and flowers
and, as so often nowadays, 1 was
thrilled with a girlish love of all this
beauty and luxury in the midst of
which l was set as If 1 belonged here.
Then my heart gave a bound of
gratitude as l remembered that all
this good fortune was due to the man
who sat by me. He might have made
X so hard for me TO live in his house
hold. Instead, he treated me as he
might young sister or a daughter.
She Thanks Him
l turned and looked at him, He
work on the tennis court. but from
the set lines in his face and the dreary
look in his eyes I was sure his
thoughts were elsewhere. 1 realized
that he was, after ALL a lonely men.
His love for his little girl and his
affection for his son did not make
up for the lack of comradeship for
some one of his own age.
His sister-in- law. while an excel
lent housekeeper. was certainly not
congenial / recalled what he had
just said. and how ready his SYM
pathy had always been. and 1 felt a
twinge of compunction that I had
never told him how much l apprecl-
ated all he had done for me. There
was absolutely no reason for his gem
erosity except his kindness of heart
toward a young and homeless girl.
MIR. Norton" 1 spoke his name inn
pulsively.
"Yes?" he turned towards me as If
to reply to a casual question OF mine,
then, as he saw my eager face. he
asked quickly, What is it, child?"
Nothing" 1 said, "only that I have
never told you-can never tell you
how grateful 1 am for all the good
ness you have shown me since have
been in your employ. 1t has just oc-
CURED to me that l have scarcely said
thank you. But l do appreciate every
thing-your sympathy. your tact. your
generosity. Why-you have made the
whole world different to me-"
To my surprise the color rushed to
his face in a crimson food and he
started to speak, bit his lips and tried
to laugh. Then. as l watched him, the
flush that had suffused his face faded
away slowly and he became very pale.
At last he spoke.
Dear child" he said, "it is you who
have made everything different for
for us all. Look" with a swift
change of manner. "at Tom, for In
stance. Why, he is a changed boy.
since he came under your influence.
If this kind of thing keeps up he will
be almost human even to me-whom
he has never understood"
"a Dear Boy"
"Ahw broke in, "he is always hui
man, and a dear boy! I saw that as
soon as l met him."
(Which only proves the truth of my
contention-you bring out the best in
everybody. Yes-you are right about
Tom. He is very human. and a nice
boy-but he has managed to conceal
this until now. 1t is you who are de-
ve1oping that side of him."
"Oh, not is not" I disclaimed
"Mr. Parker has done lots for him"
well, have your own way about
1t. IL II makes you comfortable" he
smiled. but you cannot change my
convictions-althoug I do admit that
Parkers influence over the lad is ex-
celIent. But, since you will take no
credit for TOMS mprovement-look
at Graee-see her as she is now" nod