Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-08-02
4 CHAPTER vi (Continuedl

e most gaSpeu aIOuu IN ms dnid"Eiiieh'' ""'
Miss Maggie did not seem to notice him
, ut alb "Why. father, you couldnt-
y they're too heavy for you! There are
the Bible and all those papers. They're
G too heavy. father. l couldn't let YOU
s Besides, / shouldn't think you'd want to
set them
II Mr. Smith, hearing this. almost
y Rasped aloud in his amazement, he quite
Z did SO at what happened next His
& mouth actually fell open as he saw @ tne
old man rise to his feet with stern Dig
That will do Maggie. I'm not quite
& In my dotage yet. l guess IN sun apie
to fetch downstairs book and a bundle
Of papers" With his humping cane
& . resolute emphasis to every other step
: the old man hobbled into the house. -. -,
crowed Benny. but you said
"Er-Benny, dear" nterposed Miss
looked saimost like alarm, run into the the
pantry and see what you can ma IN lne
cCoky jar The last of her sentence
was addressed to BennXs ny hgiddg dgorway rSe,y aS
& Left together, Mr.. Smith searched the
woman's face for some hlnt, SpI,e SrS o Il s
that this extraordinary sni,t-apot' ,,'t ME- Tss
recognized and understood nut M,Ss as,
MarRie with a countenance serenely eN-
Z nressing only cheerful interest, was over
B by the little. stand. rearrangins 'ne p''e
81 books and newspapers on it ,..
n think. after ali" she began thought,
fully. pausing in her work, that 1t VIII
be better indoors. 49,. ,.o,,.u he
Bothered in your copying. | am afraid,
She was still standing at the taols'
chatting about the papers, hoWster e.
when at the door, few minutes laIei @
appeared her father, in his arms "a o's
Bible and a sizable pasteboard poN.
fright here, father please; she salo
then, to Mr.. Smiths dunfoundea aL,laH, ar. :,
sat fhan down
sfT The old man frowned ana cast us
annroying eyes on his daughter and the
.sThere isn't room. ] don't want them
there" he observed coldly. Il shall
mi them in here" with the words he
turned back into the house.
Once ssaSsSeS asan Mss MT Smh gses face and
oy,ce again they found nothing but
4. serene unconcern. She was already al
= the door. al
cheerily And, still marveling, he iol-
lowed her into the house.
Mr. Smith thought he had never seen
% charming a living room AVA = he eosii, snt
N down. He felt suddenly rested ana a.
<-hpme, and. at peace with the i, Wollu
Realizing that, in some way, me ihe i"U.i I,ri.
had produced this effect, he looked curi-
ousIy about him, trying to solve the
Reluctantly to himself he confessed
III that 1t was Il very DTullltlS ioplli' 80
carpet was poor, and was badly worn
The chairs, while comfortabie-looking,
were manifestly not expensive, ana hau
seen long service. Simple curtains WeIe
Al the windows and a few fair prints
K were on the walls. Two or three vases
Of good lines but cheap materials, hela
& Mowers, and there was plain bul
roomy set of shelves filed with BOOKS
not immaculate leatherbacked, gilt
lettered sets" but rows OF d!ngy worn
volumes, whose very shg bbiness was at
4 once an invitation and promise No.
where. however, could Mr.: smith see
r protecting cover, mat or It'd dy He de-
( cided then that this must be why ne
felt suddenly so rested and at peace
with all mankind. Even as the conVlc
tion came to him, however, he was sud
denly aware that everything was not
after all. peaceful or harmonious
At the table Mr.. Duff and his daugh
4 ter were arranging the Bible and tht
Z. papers. Miss Maggie suggested piles II
& 4 certain order; her father promptly ob
n iected, and srranged them otherwise
Miss Maggie placed the papers ST tlrSt rs, Ioi m
rlbgtituted the Bible. Miss Maggie
Rtet = to draw up a chair to the table
- father derisively asked her II sh,
&kpected q man to sit in that-an,t an,
- 1xew up different one. Yet Mr. smith
3 when he was finally invited to take
= eeat at the table, found everything
J quite the most convenient and com
Once more into Miss Maggie's face h
% sent sharply inquiring, glance ant
once more he encountered nothing pu
znnruflied cheerfulness.
with r really genuine interest in tn
records before him. Mr., Smith fell 4
work then. The Bible had been in tn
4 Biaisdell family for generations and !
n was fun OF valuable names, and dates
81 He began at once to copy them.
MI. Duff. on the other side of tn
4 table. was arranging into piles the pa
4 !, pars before him. He complained Of tn
N <lraft. and Miss Maggie shut the win
"a dow He said then that he didnt mea
Z E4 wanted to suffocate and she opene
.-rIS one on the other side. The cloc
'I kad hardly, struck three when fe accuse
| ker Of having forgotten his medicine
Z, Yet when she brought 1t he refused I
AZ take IT, She had not brought the righ
kind of spoon, he said, and she kne'
perfectly well he never took it out q
t that narrow bowl kind. He cOnlplaine
OF the light. and she lowered the cur
tain: but he told her that he didn
mean he didn't want to see at all, $
she put II up halfway He said h
& coat was tCo warm, and she brougf
another one. He put 1t on grudgingl!
hut he declared that it was as much to
a thin as the other was too thick
\. Mr.. Smith. in spite Of his efforts
Z b politely deaf and blind, found hin
"a Self unable to confine his attention
III Efrfh death and marriage notices. Ono
r. almost uttered an explosive Goo
&aVons, how do YOU stand it?" to h
6fess. But he stopped himself ju'
time, and fiercely wrote with yer
E10ck mark that Submit Bl.usdell wa
18th In 1901. A little later he becan
6ware that Mr.. Duffs attention wa
({tEningIy turned across the table t.
ward himself
| IN you win spend your time ov,
nuch silly stuff, why don't. you use
bikger book?" demanded the old ma
IL 76f last.
Bscause it wouldn't fit my pocket
5@J1xst what business of yours is