Year: 1877

That Barbara Hawkins owed a good
deal to her step mother was fact that
she could not have concealed from her
self if she had tried.


Her fathers house had been very
home of discomfort during the dull in
terim between her own mothers death
and the arrival of the youthful and win
ming stranger who had been somehow
persuaded by Squire Hawkins to ''come
and take keer of his little darter."


The history of the next five years, in
which she herself had grown from girl
hood to womanhood, included all the
genuine sunshine of Barbara's life, and
she knew to whom that change, and a
good many other excellent things, were
due


Then, since the Squire had been gath
cred to his fathers, what a notable mana
ger had Widow Hawkins proved herself
for the very moderate property he had
left behind him!


1t was Just there that the difficulty was
now coming in, for that which, with such
good management, had kept the two wo-
men very nicely so long as they lived
together, could continue to do so only
Just under that state of affairs. The
widows share, if set apart by itself,
would be only another name for poverty.
True, and vet what suitor, or ut least
which one of the two now nearest to a
proper consideration. would care to
''marry a mother-in law" and step
mother at that, as well as wife?


I" And she understands il" said Bar
bara to herself that September afternoon,
as well as | do. She's as polite to both
of them as if they were courting her in
stead of me. l must say it's been very
convenient once or twice, for they both
like her. In fact, everybody likes her,
and that's what makes my position so
very peculiar"


A pretty girl was Barbara Hawkins
even prettier than her step mother, and
that was saying something, in spite of
the widows thirty-seven years.
A bit of "A. belle, too, was the Squire
" heiress" in that unambitious rural com
munity, and by no means without some
characteristics which put the village Cos
sips at times in mind of {" Squire Haw-
kins fust wife"


At the present juncture, however, the
public opinion of the Dorcas Society was
more than usually perplexed. The best
Judges of such matters were inclined to
guess Bill Emmons is leetle ahead, .
although this was sure to be followed by
the remark "But then, you know, Dan
Growers got ten dollars to Bills one, and
he's mighty sight stiddier."


And Barbara was in worse quandary
about it than the Dorcas Society knew
how to be, for at times she almost sus
pected her heart of threatening an i'm
pertinent interference before her head
could have fair chance.


"Shed be entitled to a third, sup
pose" soliloquized the fair maiden" and
she's wonderful hand with her needle.
There's no danger of her starving.
There's lot of folks'd be glad enough to
have her come and live with them"
And Barbara did not know it, but a
train of thought very nearly related to
her own was at that moment passing
through the mind of the widow as she
stepped lightly to and fro among the
household duties of which she so kindly
relieved her step daughter.
81 don't hear the piano" murmured
the soft, low voice of the widow, ''and
yet know she wanted to practice that
new piece. Young Emmons II be here
this evening | ought not to say a word
in such a matter. She's old enough to
decide for herself, but why can't she see
that Dan Growers worth five hundred of
hm?-not to mention his big farm, and
that 5 something nowadays. | wouldn't
pat that III her head, however-not for
the world. I've paid dearly enough for
making just that sort of a mistake.
Better have gone out to service or taken
in sewing. That's what | may have to
do when Barbara's married"


The neat, tidy figure paused in the
kitchen doorway as she said that, and a
shade of sadness swept across her face.


Live in the house with Bill Emmons
for the master of it ?" she exclaimed,
after pause. ''Not /, indeed She
won't have sense enough to settle on Dan
Grover, I'm afraid Would | stay, then,
if she did Not so long as could earn
or beg any other shelter !"


The last exclamation came out with
unnecessary energy, and the widow
caught up broom and made an imme-
diate assault on the kitchen floor.
The sweeping was very unnecessary,
indeed.


Barbara had clearly misunderstood her
stepmother, and the widow had also
failed to penetrate the mind of the
'Squire's pretty and sensible representa-
tive


There was only too good a reason why
| the sheet of music forwarded by Mr..
Emmons had received so little attention
/ that afternoon.


Barbara's morning walk had carried
her past the fine old homestead of the
Growers, now the sole property of the
present family representative, and she
had noted only too precisely the renovat-
| ing and beautifying process on which Dan
was expending half the proceeds 81 that
| years liberal wheat crop.


Carpenters, GLACIERS, painters; and all
| the Dorcas Society was in arms, she
knew, about the extravagant waste with
which the old fashioned interior was trans
forming.


More than one village critic had added
to his own charitable thoughts the sur
mise: Looks kinder bad for Bill EN-
mons;" and Barbara herself could have
assured them of the correctness of their
reasoning.


She was too kind-hearted, however,
not to add to herself, $50 much the bet
] ter, too, for Mrs. Hawkins. Neither Dam