The Washington herald., 1918-12-15

(which he had been able to verify in
church. Nevertheless Tom yearned
TO call upon her. The Nanderpools
were the only wealthy residents OF
Huddlesford. His gaze fingered re-
gretfully upon the broad verandas and
comfortable wicker chairs every time
that he passed The EIms. as their
home was called.
He had come back TO Huddlesford
after a preparatory-schoo and college
training. and several years Of study
in Germany-not TO mention a year
of tutoring at Harvard-becsuse he
felt. and with reason, that he owed
something to the man and the woman
who had made ell this possible by a
life of pitiful economies. Tom was
thoroughly good boy when II came
to essentials.
Men Were Impossible.
The presence there OF the best father
and the best mother in the world.
could neither change nor mitigate that
fact. The men. with the exception Of
Bige Ewing. were impossible. and the
only pretty girls, the rector's dsugh-
Ah' JULIE VIII
had strayed into Huddlesford from the
world outside. were away. Tom had
never met either Of them. They were
both since his day
He had examined with uncritical
eyes the summer visitors at the little
hotel a mile or so beyond the village.
but had made a discouraged departure.
He would have been willing to put up
with a girl of very moderate attrac-
tions, for the sake Of compsnionship,
but even she was lacking.
Should he or should he not tackle
Miss Vanderpool? She was said TO be
an-hater-thOugh Tom could not
imagine a homely woman disdaining
the attentions OF the other sex. Home
ly women usually accepted such con-
sideration with impartial gratitude
Bige. however. knew. He had called
upon her twice. once professionally,
when she had the grip, and once un-
professionally. He had never called
again. No one at The Eims had been
i'll since then. He urged his friend
to make no attempt toward the es-
tablishing Of friendly relations with
Miss Vanderpool.
Needed Doctors Warming.
For several weeks Tom gave heed
to the physicians warning. but one
brilliant courage-invigorating day, as
his discontented feet bore their pos
SCISSOR along the dusty road leading
by The Elms, they halted automati-
cally before the iron gateway and
Tom found himself moving slowly up
the path toward the beautiful old
house, which extended a hearty well
come, whatever might be the senti-
ments OF its occupants. Mrs. Wander
pool however, was quite generally
beloved. and il was upon her invita-
tion that he had donned his most
fetching attire before sallying forth
upon his afternoon walk-not that he
had intended calling upon Rebecca.
not at all. He was taking himself
quite by surprise. so he persuaded
himself.
He drew long brsaths Of content
ment and appreciation as he sat in
the little porch parlor. vine-shaded
and sweet-scented,- awaiting the ad-
vent Of his hostess. He could scarcely
believe that she would treat him with.
the disdain so vividly described by
Bige Ewing. No one had ever treated
him with disdain.
MeanWhie hepecca was descending
the stairs with less than her usual
perturbation. She wore a white shirt
waist and q brown linen skirt She
had made no attempt toward making
herself attractive. She would-not have
made such an attempt under any cir
cumstances. though had she been
more given to examining her neigh
bofs in church. she might have sent
dowu her excueex She urss r,,-e pa ,-x.S
to meet a loutish fellow on some VII
lage business. one with whom she
would be completely at ease by reason
of the social gulf fixed between them
She knew nothing OF her -nothere =
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