The Monticellonian., 1918-09-27

this warm afternoon was not thronged with shoppers. Not many people no- ticed the tall, shambling, round-shoul- dered man in rusty black. with the pc tite figure of the child and the mon- grel dog passing that way, though a few idle shopkeepers looked after the trio in surprise. But when MT. Stagg and his companions turned into the pleasantly shaded street that led out of town towards The Corners-where was the Stagg omestead-Carolyn May noticed her uncle become sud denly tlustered. She saw the blood flood into his face and neck, and she felt his hand loosen as though to re- lease her own. The little girl looked ahead curiously at the woman who was approaching.
 She was not young woman-that is, not what the child would call young. Carolyn May thought she was very nice looking-tall and robust. Her brown eyes flashed an inquiring glance upon Carolyn May, but she did not look at Mr. Stagg, nor did Mir. Stagg look at her.
 "Oh! who Is that lady, Uncle Joe7" asked the little girl when they were out of earshot.
 Hum !" Her unele's throat seemed to need clearing. "That-that is Man dy Parlow-Miss Amanda Parlow,n he corrected himself with dignity.
 The flush did not soon fade out of his face as they went on in silence.
 It was half mile from Main street to The Corners. There was tall tim Der all about Sunrise Cove, which was built along the shore of a deep inlet cutting in from the great lake, whose blue waters sparkled as far as one might see towards the south and west.
 Uncle Joe assured Carolyn May when she asked him, that from the highest hill in sight one could see only the lake and the forest-clothed hills and valleys.
 '3Fhere's lumber camps all about. Mebbe they'll interest you. Lots of building going on all the time. too"
 He told her, as they went along, of the long trains of cars and of the strings of barges going out of the Cove, all laden with timber and sawed boards, millstuffs, ties and telegraph poles.
 They came to the last house in the row of dwellings on this street, on the very edge of the town. Carolyn May saw that attached to the house was a smaller building, facing the roadway, with wide-open door, through which she glimpsed benches and sawed lum- Der, while to her nostrils was waited q most delicious smell of shavings.
 "0h, there's carpenter shopl" ex- claimed Carolyn May. And is that the carpenter, Uncle Joe?"
 tall old man, lean-faced and close ly shaven, with a hawk 's-beak nose straddled by q huge pair of silver bowed spectacles, came out of the shop at that moment, jackknife In his hand. He saw Mir Stagg and, turning sharply on his heel, went in- doors again.
 "Who is he, Uncle Joe?" repeated the little girl. And, if I asked him, do you s'pose he'd give me some of those nice, long, curly shavingsY'
 That's Jed Parlow-and he wouldn't give you any shavings; especially after having seen you with me-" said the hardware merchant brusquely.
 The pretty lady whose name was Parlow and the queer-looking old car penter, whose name was likewise Par low, would neither look at Uncle Joe Even such little girl as Carolyn May could see that her uncle and the Par lows were not friendly.
 By and by they came in sight of The Corners--a place where another road crossed this one at right angles.
 In one corner was a white church with a square tower and green blinds. In another of the four corners was set a big store. with fl covered porch all across the front, on which were shel- tered certain agricultural tools.
 There was no sound of life at The Corners save rhythmic "clank, clank, clank" from the blacksmith shop on the third corner.
 On the fourth corner of the cross roads stood the Stagg homestead-a wide, low-roofed house of ancient ap- pearance, yet In good repair. Neat ness was the keynote of all about the place.
 "Is this where you live, Uncle Joef" asked Carolyn May breathlessly. "Oh, what a beautiful big place It seems awful big for me to live in !'
 MT. Stagg had halted at the gate and now looked down upon Carolyn May with perplexed brow. "Well. we've got to see about that first" he muttered. There's Aunty Rose"