The evening Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1918-1920, 1919-03-19

sent the luckless townspeople caught
on the streets into whatever shelters
were at hand.
Mabel Truman in lacy creation
embroidered parasol, bare head and
fingers ablaZe with rings, CHANGED to
be strolling down Union Street med
ltating hotly on her predicament
when the shower came UP. Casting
frantically about for place of shell
ter, she noted the deep portico OF
the Baptist church entrance She
made the protection just as the rain
descended in sudden cloud At the
top of the steps, the parasol obstruct-
ing the way, she bumped into a per-
son who had taken refuge there q
moment before-a woman with an in
FAINT.
81 beg your pardonr cried Mibb in
her most adroit voice. And then she
stiffened.
"Mabel!' cried Mary Purse. "Youn
~ was not aware you were here OF
l should have found place from the
rain elsewhere" the grass widow de-
clared.
Mary looked at her fnery visit
fully. Then the dark eyes of Jack
Purses wife sought the others much
massaged face and fingered there.
"Why do you say that, Mabel?"
she asked. "What have you against
me?"
"You ask me that!"
'sI'm sure it's nothing I've done in
tentionally."
Nib tapped her toe impatiently on
the fag-stone floor.
"No; I dare say you didn't know
any better. You've been tied down
to this town all your life; how could
your"
Mary did not reply. The shower
increased. Great sweeps of rain
clouded the atmosphere; cutters were
choked, limbs of trees broke in the
violence of the wind that swept d
fine spray into the portico where the
women waited. And while the thun-
der ratified and clacked and played
about the upper air, Mibb held her
head high and tapped her toe impa-
tiently.
'I'm sure, Mabel, if there's any
thing I'm responsible for, I'm willing
to apologize. You know"
"You'd better" snapped Mibb.
The apologize thread-bare look,
the gentle usefulness Of the other
woman, unbended Mabel and after a
time she condescended to look a.
round, stare her over and allow her
very superior eyes to rest on the in
FAINT.
"I declared" she said Hasn't
that young one grown a bit in the
last four years."
"This isn't the baby you saw at
my house. This is Richard-my
fourth
"Your WHAT?"
"My fourth. Fred and Theodore,
the twins, were born while you were
in-Europe. This one was born -four
months ago. We call him The
Dickie- Bird
"My Gawd!" cried Mibb. "And
your husband is in business by this
time, 1 suppose.
"No; he's-sffll foreman in
the newspaper office. There hasn't
been exactly the business chance
come along"
81 know! Some men just simply
haven't it in them to get ahead
Where are you living?"
an the same place. But / don't
think we'll be there much longer be-
cause the man who owns the prop
, erty is going to sell for a building
site. Jack and l are thinking awfu
! seriously of buying the old place OF
! Cobb Hill for home. It's countr!
out there and plenty of room for thu
boys to play and grow. Jack coult
! drive back and forth mornings anc
evenings, you know. We've
bought your horse"
$50 I have heard" commented
Mibb coldly. "But I thought vol
were poort You talk, of buying
places as if"
"Oh, but l had a legacy; not mucl
but still a legacy. My uncle JOSIAH
in Chicago died and left us over five
thousand dollars"
| "How long ago."
| "About three years.
81 dare say it's spent by this time
| never saw folks who were baby
/ crazy who had the knack Of hang
| ing onto money"
"It-isn't-all spent. Anyhow
that's why Jack and I are talkine
about getting what's left into some
sort of real estate before the LITTLE
that's left becomes exhausted. TIL,
hanks never been able to dispose d
the Wheeler house and property be
cause of what happened there. w.
can buy it for the mortgage and in