Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1917-03-08

pass by, but with glance Of suspic-
ion and barely civil greeting to Mel
son as he walked away, she came an,
and with a friendly nod to Maxwell
entered the rectory.
1--WE just been talkin' to Mrs. Betty
for her good" she remarked. II met
her in town, lookin' as peaked as IL
she'd been fastin' double shifts, and
l had notion to come in and COM
plete the good work on yourself"
Maxwelps worried face told its own
story. He was so nonplused by the
bolt just dropped from the blue that
he could find no words of responsive
raillery wherewith to change the sub
ject.
Hepsey led the way to the parlor
and seated herself, facing him judi
Cially In her quick mind the new evi,
dence soon crystallized into proof OF
her already half formed suspicious.
She came straight to the point.
"Is Bascom making you any trou-
bic? If he is say so, cause / happen
TO have the whip hand so far as he's
concerned. That Nelson's nothin' but
a tool of his, and dull tool at that
Hes an Objectionable person,
must say" remarked Maxwell. and
hesitated to trust himself further.
Mrs. Burke gazed at Maxwell for
some time in silence and then began:
"You look about done up-I don't
want to be pryin', but l guess you'd
better own up. Something's the mat
ter"
Il am just worried and anxious, and
l suppose l can't help showing it," he
replied wearily.
$50 you're worried are you. Now
don't you get the worried habit; IL 1t
makes a start it will grow on you till
you find yourself worryin' for fear the
moon wont rise. Worryin's like usin'
rusty scissors: it sets your mouth aw-
ry. You just take things as they come
and when it seems as IL everything
was goin' to smash and you couldn't
help it, put on your overalls and paint
n fence, or hammer tacks, or any old
rascal Bascom been doin'? Excuse me
my diplomacy's Of the hammer and
tongs order; you're not gettin' your
salary paid?"
For some time Maxwell hesiteted
and then answered:
well, | guess l might as well tell
you, because you will know all about
it anyway in day or two, and you
of the affair from me, though l hate
awfully to trouble you. Tine Parish
owes me two hundred and fifty dol
lars. l spoke to Reynolds about 1t sew
eral times, but he says that BaScom
and several of hi3 intimate friends
wont pay their subscriptions prompt
ly, and so he can't pay me. But tie
shortage in my salary is not the werst
Of it. Did you know the the rectory
was heavily mortgaSed and that Bas-
com holds the mortgage?'
Yes, knew it; but we paid some.
kept up, and we hoped that if we did
that Bascom would be satisfied"
1T seems that the interest has not
been paid in some time, and the real
reason why Nelson called just now
was to inform me that as Bascom wa'
about to foreclose we must get out
as soon as we could / told him that
we would leave on Wednesday next"
For moment there was a look on
Mrs. Burke's face which Maxwell nev
er had seen before, and which BODIED
I'll for Bascom: but she made 10 i'm
mediate reply.
"To tell you the truth" she said
finally, Il have been afraid Of this.
That was the only thing that worried
me about your gettin' married. But
felt that no good could come from
worryin, and that if Bascom was go
in to play you some dirty trick, he'd
do it; and now he's done it. What's
got into the man, all of Il sudden? He's
skinflint-always closer than hair
10 dogs back; but | don't believe
I've ever known him to do somethin'
downright ugly, like this"
"Oh, l knew well enough" remark
ed Donald. IF / had been aware OF