Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1917-10-19

her idea of style? In fash Mrs. Ben
ton knew-frOm the fashion sheets
and supplements it had been Granny's
habit to save, Granny had bought by
them-costly things but always ex-
treme-and had treasured them, going
herself in calico or the coarsest WOOL
ems. Stories of her had gone country
wide-but very few had seen her. She
had kept at home steadfastly, save for
her yearly trip to town, hated church
going and discouraged all visitors, save
such as came in the way of business.
The girl sat apathetic, clutching the
purple parasol, which made a violent
| discord against her red plaid frock.
But when the band struck up, she
changed-sat upright, eye glowing, lips
parted, deep scarlet showing through
the massed freckles all over her
cheeks. They were so thick on the
nose they made 1t Indian color; also
they powdered her arms well above
the elbow. Her shiftless father had
! been one of granny's troopers until
he died, just year ahead of her.
Even then she had not taken home
Jincy, her daughters child, choosing,
she said, to die as she had lived, alone.
But at the end, when Jincy, venturing
| in, found her stricken, helpless, speech
| less, there had been an agony of en-
| treaty in the fierce old eyes. Jincy
had known Granny wanted to say
| RI fo11 thn
searched her face so steadfastly, but
no words came through the week she
! fought back death. Jincy shivered still
when she let herself remember that
| time.
She sat through the music spell
bound, wholly TRANSPORTED. The speak
ing wearied her. Brief as 1t was, the
words of the immortal declaration fell
on ears unheeding-ears to which it
was in an unknown tongue. But when
the band. struck up again and the
crowd rose for the march to dinner
Jincy could not be still. She swayed
in time and her feet battered lightly
so lightly Mrs. Benefits heart yearned
more than ever.
The doctors wife had many friends
! to see and see about. She was glad to
shift Jincy into Mrs. Benton's charge.
At first the girl was too shy to do more
tban nod or shake her head or humble
half articulately. 1t came with rush
when, after dinner, Mrs. Benton took
her apart. Sitting on shady bank,
| Jincy gave all her cOnfidence-a story
that brought tears to the listeners
eyes.
"All she knew was work-feld
work. She could not read or spell or
write, hardly even sew on a patch or
do more than cook ashcake and fry
/ bacon.
Daddy had done the sewing-when
there were any clothes to make. He
had likewise done the cooking-if
there was wherewithal beyond meat
and meal. Daddy had not been lazy,
as people said. He had done the best
he knew; and he was that honest Gran
had always got the better Of him when
it came to dividing the crops. He had
been good TO his children, too. They
had never felt a blow except the time
Gran whipped them for chasing her old
peacock. After that he would not let
them go about her, though he had
stayed on in the cabin because Nanny
had died there. If only he was here
now. There Jincy broke down utterly
II amt got nobody but Tawm," she
mOaned, land him so little. However
will we live? Folks can cheat us outen
everything Gran left. I wouldn't mind
workin' all my life-ef hadn't never
had nOthin'. Seems to me we'd be bet
ter off dead"
"Try living for a little longer" Mrs
Benton said kindly. "But not all alone
Rent the place; it's too big for you
to handle, and come and be my little
girl"
It made q nine days wonder-also
almost a scandal. All sorts of things
were said. People were slow to credit
Mrs. BentOn's real motives. When, a
year after the girls adoption, Benny
| lIldlIlcu HeE, IHuS luhlLS lleE legally
into the family, the skeptics shrugged
and said: "Of course! The farm is
rich, even if she hasn't any money"
Love and happiness are miracle work
ers, truly. Within the next two years
they transferred Jincy from freckled
fright into the handsomest young ma
iron in the county. Also mother of
the finest boy baby-who of course had
Dads name in full. Benny never tired
of saying Uncy was the reward of
llindness-if he had not helped out the
band and run down the carryall, he
might never have got her.
He had sold the big farm-Jincy shud-
dered at even the thought of visiting
it. The money was safe at interest, so
there should be an accumulation to
take Tawm through college. And then
one day came lawyer with many pa
pers to prove Jincy and her brother
heirs to $4,000 secretly invested by
Gran in driblets from her hoardings.
The Bentons were no happier-sim-
ply because they could not be. But
several and sundry Of their critics