Year: 1879

Farmer Evans walked round his wood
pile and surveyed its dimished proportion
with considerable lowering of his shagg
eyebrows. Somebody's helping them
selves, he thought; IL must set my wit
to work to discover the offender" He sa
down on a log, rested his elbows on hi
knees, and after scratching his head awhile
by way of Frightening his ideas. he settle'
his temples in the palms of his hands am
meditated. The result of his cogitation
must have been satisfactory, for he rose b,
and by with queer smile overspreadin:
his weather-beaten face, and walked int,
the house, chuckling, 'I'll do it; that'll lie
the cat out of the bag"


He found Harry Bailey, young likely
looking farmer, in the kitchen with hi
daughter.


''That young fellow is courting Jennie
sure enough - thought the old gentleman
as he discreetly passed into the sitting room
"Well, he's rs likely to make her a good
husband as any one. If she likes him,
shan't object"


And he fell into IA fit of musing over the
memory of the gentle wife who had beer
] lllt siuif bAi tu-
| Meanwhile, in the kitchen Jennie was
| tripping about, engaged in some household
work, and Harry was watching her with
lOve-lit eyes, and could not make up his
mind to tell her he loved her.
! The Rev. Mr.. Walker, of the Orthodox
Church in Bolton, had prepared discourse
/ for his sinful congregation. upon the subject
of endless punishment. The parable of the
rich man and Lazarus was his basis, and he
hurled the anathemas of wrath at the black
sheep of his flock as though he were an
avenging angel, and many members of his
congregation felt guilty terrors. Little
| Tim Bates shivered in his shoes, and thought
of the pie he had taken the night before
and then told his mother lie, and debated
whether he should confess, or run the risk
of the punishment Illuminated by the par
son. Bnt he did not settle the matter that
| time. for the minister was suddenly brought
to full stop in the midst of his discourse,
and the congregation electrified, by tre-
mendOus crash and report in their midst,
as if heaven and earth had come together.
Farmer Evans rose to his feet simultane-
ously with his frightened daughter and the
rest of the congregation, and poor little Tim
was not sure for moment that his future
had not begun. The cause of the noise was
found to be an explosion in the stove,
through the internal agency known as gun
powder. How il came there was a mys-
tery to all except Farmer Evans Harry
Bailey, who made the fires and found the
wood for stated sum, came forward with
a white face and explained that the thing
was unknown to him. The farmer walked
homeward thinking, ''Bad, bad. I'm very
sorry that he's that sort; never suspected
him of all others; and Jennie likes him.


The farmers first impulse was to nip in
the bud the acquaintance between Jennie
and young Bailey; but his natural kindly
feeling ultimately prevailed over his anger.
and on his next meeting with the delinquent
he abruptly addressed him.


''Gou are courting my daughter.'


Harry Bailey admitted the fact bashfu!ly
''And you make the fires for the OrthO-
dox Church, continued the old man.
Harry asSented.


''And furnish the wood -


eyes, said the young man, growing red
and white by turns.


perhaps you would like to have the
mysterious explosion in church last Sunday
explainedl knew my wood-pile was go
ing somewhere, and put a small charge Of
powder in one of the sticks. | need not
say that was surprised to find YOU were
the thief, and YOU dared to come courtinG
my daughter y


Harry quailed before the stern. clear
glance Of the old man


Il know I'm too mean to live, much less
to love her, he broke out Il don't OK
pect YOU to overlook it. IL had hard
year on the farm; you know what losses |
met. | meant to pay it back again, but |
don't expect you to believe me- One thing
beg-don't tell her anything about it; |
couldn't bear TO have her think so badly of
me


The old man regarded the ashamed, re-
pentant face with pity.


''Look here, Harry, he said; ''I'll for
give YOU and will not mention il 10 a soul
if you'll look me in the face and promise
solemnly to be strictly honest from this time
forth


Bailey caught his hand gratefully, and he
felt his reward begin as he saw the shadow
of new hope dawning on the troubled face
Il solemnly promise" he said, ''never
again to touch a penny's worth that is not
lawfully my own"


''At the end Of the year You can have
Jennie if you want her, and we1l unite the
farms


With an overflOwing heart Harry stam-
mered his thanks, and the farmer never re
gretted that he had given him chance
to redeem his self-respect.