The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1933-11-24

I Stannard. She says she's your sister
and insists she must see you"
Sniff was in no mood for argument
with Lucy.
TELL Mrs. Stannard that have not
| a moment to give her now but that
am to meet Mrs. Carter at Pierre's
and shall be very glad if she will have
tea with us there at FIVE"
Buttons saluted and took his depar-
ture.
She turned back to Johnny to find
| him pointing a, finger at her accusingly.
Mrs Carter-Mrs. Stannard"-he
stammered = they're your sisters.
Then you must be the youngest of the
family. Matilda Lovely" a.4
Correct enough, although don't
publish my pedigree on my business
card" She was ruffled, as her next
remark betrayed. 81 am curious to
know how you came to ferret 1t out"
Il didn't ferret it Quit" Natural re-
sentiment colored his voice. Il didn't
have to. You didn't take the family
Bible with you when you left Lovely
lea. You're all down in it, and when
saw marriage in the paper filed
| the date in after the name. :. It
seemed to me friendly thing to keep
the record up for your brother in case
he came back. Not that want him to
come back. Now that I've been there
so long mean to buy Lovelylea-"
A light had broken over Smif's face
only to darken again.
you're tombstone Nesbit!" she ex-
claimed
He nodded.
"The tenant of Iovelylea, and as
you must have heard hundred times,
no gentleman"
Silence fell between them.
Lovelyleal In her mind Sniff had
Travelled back many years. She was q
child again. The heavy brown book
with gold lines on its leather cover
was on the largest Of nest of lac
quer tables that stood between two
windows. The Bible, far too large for
her to handle, always lay in its accus-
toned place. She had, from her earli-
est recollection, admired it.
She was reused. from her reverie
by Johnny. He leaped to his feet and
began searching about wildly for his
hat and coat.
I'D better CO." he muttered. IT
needn't tell you wouldn't have come
| If I'd known who you are. I don't
apologize, because / didn't know. /
didn't know, tell you. I wasn't try.
ing to push myself in under false
pretenses."
81 never thought you were" Smif
managed to interject.
t'fYou didr he accused her stub
bornly. II watched you trying to think
how to get rid of me. You don't have
to try. I'll take myself off. But never
think it wasn't true. / did like you
You are exactly like my great-grand-
mother. And was so lonely"
$50 lonely" No more was needed.
Those words were the open sesame to
Smif's sympathy.
He had found his coat and was
struggling into it when Sniff jumped
up and took it away from him.
IF you'll kindly tell me what you're
making all this fuss about, I'll be a
t-grandmother to you," she said
in a tone of evaporation.
tombstone Nesbit, as II unable to
trust his ears, took one look at her
face then dropped heavily into chair
and, setting his elbows on his knees,
rested his head on his hands and
stared down at the floor.
"Its a long story and after all these
years I'm fool to care, suppose,
but still do" he confessed.
81 was SO lonely!" That was the
time wherewith to play on Smf's heart
strings, and she had heard tragedy
in it just now. She felt that she did
not dare to let tombstone Nesbit leave
her until she had gone to the root Of
his troubles, yet her every minute
was fully engaged in advance and
some Encouragement would be neces-
sary. While she was considering how
best to effect this. Buttons further
complicated matters by announcing
that Mrs. Phelps was there accom-
panied by another lady. This prob
| ably meant new and rich client, and
any claim on her coming from Susan
could not be ignored.
(To BE coNTINUED)