The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1939-09-08
CHAPTER vIII-Continued


''No, no." June insisted. "You
were always so sweet to Mother.
You and Grandma BOTH"
''It was not what we did to her."
the old man said. sit was what we
permitted to be DONE" And he
asked after a moment, astonishing
ly: June, will you take me some
day to see the man who lives in
the cabin by the pond?"
''Uncle Jim?" she exclaimed, sur
prised and puzzled.
.You call him that?" the old man
asked.
"He likes me to-" she confessed.
II think he is a good man." said
Grandpa Hurder slowly. 81 have
been wrong. I mean to tell him So"
June hesitated, deeply puzzled;
but she only said slowly: II don't
know where he is now. He's gone"
The old man looked at her, she
thought, in something like dismay
at this intelligence, while she ex-
planned.
She had seen Uncle Jim at her
mothers funeral, in the undertake
er's little chapel where frugally the
services were held, and again later
in the cemetery. He was decently
dressed, so that she hardly recog-
tnized him in this unaccustomed so
briefly of garb. She saw him watch
ing her, and wished to smile, but
that would not under the circun-
stances have been seemly.
She had gone next day to his cabin
in the wood, only to find it closed,
secured; but there was note on
the door addressed to her. It prom
ised that he would come back soon;
but he had not yet returned
During the fortnight after her
mother died, and for the first time
in her life, June began to be happy.
The girl thought this was strange
thing, a shameful thing; yet it was
true. For the world began to smile,
and in surprising ways.
Clint was tender to her, but so
were others too. The world, after
her mothers death, turned in so
many ways a new countenance to-
ward June. Mrs. Bowdon gave her
a heavy sympathy; Aunt EVE told
her that she was brave fine girl.
Rab made her smile sometimes
with jesting word; and her cousin
Asa began to pay her, with a quiz
zical light in his eye, certain nys-
FERROUS attentions. He brought home
one day, smuggling it into the house
at dusk, a fiat parcel.
s'Don't open it here" he warned
her. ''And don't let anyone see it.
Take it up to your room. Try it on.
/ think it will fit all right. Try it
in front of your mirror. Try doing
your hair some other way"
The parcel, she discovered, con-
tanned a gown different from any
she had ever worn before, the skirt
dismayingly shorter than the ankle
length Mrs. Bowdon's strict COM
mand had long since imposed. June
was a little terrified at her own as
pect in the mirror; but by and by
interest banished terror. There
were unseemly Jumps which marred
her contours here and there, but
when, vigorously experimenting, she
removed her Undertaking and put
on the new dress again, these Jumps
had disappeared and left smooth
and gracious lines.
June Rugged this secret happiness
till Asa found chance to ask her
whether the gown fitted. She told
him then:
eyes, perfectly. I don't see how
you knew the size."
''I've an accurate eye," he as
sured her.
She almost laughed under her
breath. IT can't imagine you going
into store and buying things Like
that"
He said with an amused promise
in his tones: "I'n surprise you
again." And he was as good as his
word, bringing her one day another
parcel. When she opened this one,
she was enraptured; but it was
hours before She ventured to try on,
even behind the bolted door of her
room, the astonishing garments
therein contained; and it was days
before she risked wearing some Of
them, soberly concealed beneath the
fusty dark dress which was her usu-
al garb in the house.
She asked Asa one day why he
had fetched her these secret lovely
things; and he said with a smile
in his eyes:
"a girl has right to them, June.
If you ever want to impress some
young man, just wear that dress"
She colored richly, and wondered
whether he knew about Clint, and
dared not ask for fear of his reply.
Yet this was delicious fear; she
Rugged it rapturously.
She could not wear the new dress.
1t would be seen. But she wore the
undergarments Asa had given her,
under her accustomed garb. And
she saw Clint more and more often.
One day they had appointed to
meet by the river, and June was
waiting by the knoll above the
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