Evening star., 1935-04-14
CHAPTER XIV.
ABOUT LESLIE.

IN NEW CONCORD there was .
rumor current, but never con-
firmed, that John Harris, the
father of Leslie, was the black
sheep Of . good family cast of
on account Of his Incorporate habits.
It was certain that he had an edu-
cation Of sorts, for when he was very
drunk he was fond Of quoting the
classics and on the rare occasions
when he was persuaded to put on his
shabby Prince Albert and accompany
his wife to church he had, as every
one conceded, quite the air Of q
gentleman.
He was never known, however, to
speak Of his family or antecedents
and 1t was believed that his wife
knew as little about them as any one
else. Mrs. Harris always referred to
her husband as "Mr. Harris" even in
the bosom Of her family and she re-
garded him with enormous respect,
in spite Of the fact that he drank up
so much of his income that she was
forced to take in sewing In order
to make ends meet.
She was q patient, tired little wom-
an, the daughter of q small grocer.
and no one ever heard her complain,
either of her husband or Of her hard,
dreary life.
John Harris had boarded at her
mothers when he first came to New
Concord and Mrs. Harris was never
quite certain how they came to be
married. John had suggested it in
an expansive moment and some way
1t never occurred to her to say no.
At that time Mr.. Harris was not q
printer, but q reporter. He had drift
ed into New Concord one Winters
morning and asked for work ut the
office Of the Daily Globe. AS there
was apparently nothing about q news
paper ONCE which he could not do
they gave him job in the composing
room. Later he told the editor very
casually that he had once been re-
porter on the New York Sun, bu,
afterward denied making any such
statement. However, in an emer-
gency he was tried out" as reporter
and held this position for two years
at times with brilliant success.
Naturally Mr.. and Mrs. Harris hac
never been received in New Concord's
inner social circle, but Leslie. theii
only child, had been admitted from
her school days. There wasn't much
to Leslie, as every one agreed: she
was just a sweet little thing, though
young and old liked her.
In fact, no one could help liking
Leslie: she was that sort. Perhaps
| it was because she seldom offended
any one, hadn't enough "gumption,'
as Miss Julia said. And then she was
naturally such a happy little person
happy as a child Is happy without
thinking about 1t.
The Harris family lived in hum
BILE frame cottage very close to MISS
Julia Pratt's. Miss Julia fronted on
North Fifth street and the Harrises
on Elm. but their back and side yards
met and mingled in neighborly FASH
ion. From her back windows MISS
Julia could see Leslie at work In tne
kitchen or shaking rugs on an upstairs
| porch or digging in her garden.
Leslie was q master hand with
flowers and in the Spring and Sum-
mer and late into the Autumn the
Harris place was ablaze with color
and fragrance. Partly, perhaps, be-
cause of her bright yellow hair Les
lie reminded Miss Julia somewhat OF
her own daffodils swaying so happily
in the Spring breezes.
She seemed as careless and care
free as they-just pretty. delightful
everyday garden flower that any one
might raise In contrast Jane Northrur
was a stately American beauty rose
that had required the best Of nurture
and generations Of breeding to bring
| to its full perfection.
Leslie is a pleasant little body,
said Miss Julia out loud to Bookey
(short for Booker T. Washington
her large black tom-cat and constant
companion, and there's no denying
she's pretty in a baby way, but she's
not the wife for James"
Miss Julia sighed and reflected bit.