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THE OEOROIAS’S SEWS BRIEFS.
[ LETITIA’S AGNES HERBERTSON j|
"A slim. neat little bun, but I fear a "She'e young for ye." she said
bit fanciful." said John Hale anxiously. |
His weather-beaten skin wrinkled In
curves of consideration. “Ay. 1 fear
she's a bit fanciful!"
He stood on the hillock, nicking the
toes of his thick boots with his whip,
his ryes' upon I.ctitla's Agnes. who.
unconscious of his proximity, had hung
her broad hat upon a gate and was
tidying her hair.
She made a pretty picture In her blue
waist with a white belt, and'her
Inc hair half upon her neck; but the
middle-aged farmer's eye roved from
the vision to the fields and farm be
yond. It was a business eye. with Just
a hint of half-ashamed sentiment about
It. and it looked from the farm house
on hla right to the one on the left
with an Irresolute air. The one on the
right was red, and It was I/ctitla'a, the
widow of his cousin; the one on the
left was white, and it was his own. His
gaxc lingered over the latter.
“It's just going to rack and ruin for
want of a woman’s hand about." he
muttered. "And she's a modest maid, ts
Hetitla's Agnes, and tellable. I'll
for I.ctitla's Agnes."
He started to tramp from the hillock,
and his eye was struck again by the
g irl, who had now finished putting up
er hair, and wandered from her to a
figure which was striding across that
field bounded by the gate.
The figure was that of his son. Farm
er Hale regarded It for a moment ab
sently. digesting a new thought. It
had occurred to him to wonder how
the youth might meet the notion of the
proposed stepmother, and the girl her
stepson.
"Oh. they'd happen Into the wgy of
It." he said comfortably at Iasi
would be the first bite only that would
taste ‘queer. I'll go over now and tell
Letltia."
He turned aside and made his way
toward the red farm.
The widow Letilia was In her kitch
en. She raised herself from bending
over a saucepan to greet him, a warm
flush upon her fair, comely face.
"You're an early visitor," she re
marked.
"You're cooler In here than the sun
la outside." he said.
Farmer Hale looked round the kltcb-
rn its floor of red tiles shone—It had
been but newly washed—the chairs
were set tidily, the wood of the table
bad a hatlny look. In the middle of It
stood a great bowl full of lilies. The
last Item brought back an old perplex
ity—bis brow caught.
"Ah, they're Agnes' work—them."
said the widow, catching sight of bis
expression. "She's that full of fancies.
•We'll put the bowl there,' ses she, 'Just
there In the middle of the table, and
heap It up in any kind o' way. It’ll
strike a note,' sea she. ‘against the rod
floor.'” >
"A note? What kind of a note?"
asked the fanner, looking uneasily
around. The widow's shoulders went
up good-naturedly.
••Oh I don't know, nor anybody be
side. It's Just one of her fancies"
, "She's a bit fanciful, she Is." said
the farmer doubtfully.
"But a good lass, and a clever bead,'
said the widow with pride.
Karmer Hale made a rapid calcula
tion of the lasses of the countryside,
and It ended with a shake of the head.
He could not do better than I/etitia'a
Agnes. If she would bring the kitchen
at the white farm to the state of this
one—. Again the lilles caught hts eye
and Jarreil his meditations.
His sense of economy was pricked.
• The farmer cleared his throat.
-And glad I am to hear you say It.
Letllia." he said huskily. 'Tor I’ve wait
ed this morning to come over and ask
for Agnes."
The widow turned, amaxement be
wilderment on her face.
"Ask for Agnes?" she repeated, with
round blue eyes.
The farmer looked sheepishly at the
floor.
"The place Is goln' to rack and ruin
for lack of a woman about," he said.
"And I said to myself this morning def
initely. 'I can't do better than wed I.e-
tltie's Agnes.'"
The widow's face grew crimson as
bis meaning dawned upon her wits.
A FACT
ABOUT THE “BLUES*
What U known as the •‘Bluea**
Is seldom occasioned by actual exist*
tng external conditions, but In the
great majority of cases by a dis
ordered LIVER. i ■ y
THIS IS A PACT
which may be demonstra
ted by trying a course o(
MsPilis
. ThcjcoatrolasdrcftitaUtbeLIVER.
Tb*y bring hop* and bouyancy to the
■lad. They bring henlthnad diitlc*
tty t6 the body. '
TAKE NO SUBSTITUTE.
Yea, I’ve thought of that.” said the
farmer sturdily, turning hla hat around
In his hands; “but if* a fault 'that'll
mend.”
••There are folks.” said the widow
weakly, “that would talk-”
”Let them talk,” said the farmer
sturdily. “The house is coin' to rark
and ruin for want o’ a woman,” he re
iterated. "So I've looked round, and
when 1 looked at Aimes, and thought
of your brtiuctn* up o' her, I said to my-
sel£, I said. -There's a tidy, well-
brought-up lass. You can't do better
than take IseUtia's Agnes. What if
she may be a bit fanciful!* ” His voice
doubtful; bo looked on the
around.
“Why, yea; I can't say but that she
Is fanciful.” said Letitia. Her tone
hovered between one of motherly de
fense and of sharp certainty.
"Look you here on tnese fields. Iseti-
tia,” said the farmer, beckoning her
with a brown hand, "how they inarch
side by side. I looked at them when
I thought of Agnes. The land goes
well with mine. I thought, and who
knows, one day they might be one.
when—well, when you've done farm
ing. Ijetitia, and ain’t needin' them
more."
The widow set her elbows by her side
in sudden defiance, and went into a
peal of laughter.
"And where do you expect to be,
John Hale, when I've dom. farmin’?”
she asked when her laughter would al
low her to speak.
Farmer Hale opened his mouth with
surprise at the question, then he col
ored.
"Why. then, well suppose you’ll give
the farm up before your days end,” hs
said good-naturedly, “if you're not
wantin’ to go first. You've had a hard
life, a hard-workln* woman you are,
IsCtitta. you'll be needin' a bit of rest
before—”
”1*11 be wantin' no rest till I rest In
the grave,” said the widow sturdily.
“The farm goes from me with my
breath. John Hale. I'd be lost without
it. that's what I'd be. What would I
turn my hand to without the floor to
scrub"—her eye wandered round the
neat kitchen—“the dinner to cook, and
the farm to keep a-goln*?”
“But Agnes—I thought she did them
lings?” the farmer began anxiously.
“Not she,” said the widow. She looked
round her with pride. “Not that she
couldn't, at a pinch, for she's been well
brought up. tliat she has; but why
should she. when Tra here and able
and willin'?” * - •
Before tbe sudden encouragement in
the widow's tone the farmer's ardor as
suddenly cooled.
"Ah. 1 fear she's a bit fanciful,” he
said, shaking his'head.
“Oh. nothing to speak of,” said Le-
tit la briskly. She crossed over and
lifted a lid from one jof the saucepans
on the stove, and a savory odor floated
across the room.
••You’ll stay to dinner, cousin?
queried the widow, peering over at him
from under her cap.
Her tone was inviting.
“Agnes’ making?” asked the farmer.
“No.” said the widow, cheerfully—
“mine.”
John Hale lifted his shoulders as if
lifting again a load of care.
“I’ll come back. Ydn won't have to
wait for me. 1 want to send Hugh into
the town. I’m afraid 111 hare to give
up the notion of Aghes, LetlUa Well
let things be.”
“Perhaps It would be best," she said
“Or perhaps—1 don’t know—1 might
look after the White farm for ye for a
bit; and perhaps Agnes could get her
hand in here.”
The farmer brightened; then his face
dolled.
“Feeling her way In the Bed farm
might put her out for the White one.”
he said gloomily. "Yes. that's about
all it'd. do. No we'll leave it alone, Le-
tltla. L*et things bide."
“Well, perhaps,” said Letitla, bright
ly. "she might keep on with the Red
farm, sevlng she'd know it best. As
you say. it might put her out for the
White.”
"And you'd keep on with the White
farm?” the farmer queried quickly,
“Why. that'd be too good to be true
But U couldn’t continue, Let ilia; it
couldn't continue.”
“Why not?" asked the widow.
Farmer Hale suddenly felt within
him the moving of a brilliant Idea. He
allowed it to wriggle. In erratic flashes,
its way out.
“It couldn't be.” he said mournfully;
“it couldn’t In no manner be. l^etitia.
unless you—unless you would wed with
me.”
Said the widow: “And why not?”
Coming away (htm the farm. Farmer
Hale met Agnes: and in the distance
hurrying away he descried the form of
his son.
"Agnes," he said sorrowfully, "I went
Into this farm of your mother’s this
morning with one Idea, and I’ve come
out with another. Now. I’ll break to
ys what the last Is: It is that your
mother and I are goin' to wed.“
Lot it! a a Agnes looked up at him with
demurely twinkling eyes.
"Why, now, that's good news'
cried, “for you won't be alone now,
either of you, when Hugh and I—”
She faltered, and the farmer noted
with a strange pang the melting dim
pie In hsr cheek.
"When Hugh and I are wed." she
said.
She whipped up her skirts, and flew
lightly from him, but the farmer stood
still and sighed-
1000*1
If You Should Die
Tonight
WOULD TOU LUTE TOUR WIFE WEALTH OR POYERTT?
Fact (hi question squarely. Oi not dodge if.
r wif. b. forced t* tke wubtub—7 our children ini.
orir. end .hop.? Would lb. Ut of Tour lor. nnd
nhtfulnru bo or present or would mtterneM and
nt.m. rAnkle bcc.ua. |oo bed fril»d to look —bead.
It’s Man’s Sacred Duty to Provide an
Everlasting Family Protection.
r>soThi™n^«h^*m?li 1 rro^». 0 vF^'lfrroTm.'jo« , rwTf»'in!l'f”mliTlTOi - lT»i!l
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iZusSbOl
MARRIED LIFE THE FIRST YEAR
Her Trip to the Office By Mabel Herbert Umer
Helm paused st the entrance of the
subway, hesitated a few moment, and
then turned bark. Why not atop.in at
Warren 1 , office while she was so near?
She had come downtown to a jew
eler's In Malden lane to have a loose
stone reset In one of her gins*. War
ren had recommended that particular
place as very reliable, and where there
would be no dancer of having the
stones chanced.
And now, ss she was about to take
the subway on her way back, the
thoucht came that bis office was only
two blocks away! And It was Just
IX; SO—Warren could take her out to
luncheon.
She had not been In the office sines
their marriage. Twice durinc their en-
cacement she had cone down. One he
had taken her and once she had sur
prised him by calUnc unexpectedly. She
remembered how pleased hn-had been
—how be had dropped every thine and
devoted himself to her, and then took
her out to luncheon.
She caucht a cllmpse of herself In
the mirror of a shop window. She was
lookinc very well, her trim tailored
suit and dark blue hat with Us white
wine was most becominc. She
justed her veil, cave a few needless
tittle touches to her hair and hurried
on.
Her cheeks were delicately flushed
with anticipation as she planned the
surprise of her visit. He had a new
stenocrapher who would not recognize
her. She would not clve her name; she
would merely say: "A lady to see Mr.
Curtis." And she pictured him coni
ine out with a bored or indifferent ex
pression which would chance quickly
to surprise and pleasure when he saw
her.
The Croat office butldinc loomed tm-
presaively before her; an expires ele
vator. the lone hall—and she was at the
door of Warren's office.
A clrl was busy at the typewriter,
and thru the half open door of the pri
vate office came the sound of voices—
men’s voices with boisterous laughter.
"Is Mr. Curtis In?"
“Your name?" the girl demanded
curtly.
“Just say a lady wishes to sea Mr.
Curtis." . . '
"You’ll have to eive your name," still
more curtly.
"Will you clve my message to Mr.
Curtis?" Helen demanded, feeling a
strung antagonism to this ctrL
"Not unless you clve your name."
Her manner was how almost Insolent.
He Came Out Frowning.
IVery well." Helen', eyes flashed as
she said with much dignity, "you may
tell Mr. Curtis that Mrs. Curtis Is
here."
The girl stared at her even more de
fiantly. and then went Into the private
office;
Warren came out frowning anxiously.
"Anything happened?"
"Why. no—I just thoucht I'd come In
while I waa so near. I came down to
have that stone reset.”
"Oh! Well, you ought to have tele
phoned me." brusquely. ‘Tm very busy
Just now."
"I con wait." timidly. *T thoucht we
might go out to luncheon."
He frowned. “Couldn't think of It!
And I haven't time to stand here talk-
ing, either—I've got some men In there
now."
He turned aa tho to leave her.
Helen waa oonneloua that while the
girl had returned to her desk, she was
I von to take me
the elevator; I want to speak to
you."
Ho hesitated, and then impatiently
opened tho door and followed her out
In the hall.
"Well?"
How Ho Regarded It..
"Nothing." indignantly, "except that
you might show mo at least some con
sideration before that Insolent girl.
Couldn't you see she waa sitting there
gloating over the way you greeted me.
1 wanted' to surprise you. 1 I thought
you’d be pleased." with a sob. "so I told
Iter to say a lady wished to see you.
and sho insisted on my name, and—"
"Why. of course'; thoso are her or-
dera"
‘Oh. but she did It so insolently!
And when I said Mrs. Curtis she' etared
at me so defiantly!"
“Well, if you think you can come
down here and upset the discipline of
my office, you'd better stay at home
Allas Foster was perfectly right I've
instructed her to get the name of every
one before announcing them."
"But. Warren, it waa the way she did
It—tbe insolent way."
- "Oh. nonsense!. Tour Imagination
always works overtime. Here’s the el
evator.".
The car stopped. He harried her Into
It with a brusque good-bye.
Entitled to Them.
After the new arrival had registered
the hotel clerk looked down the pace
and read. "Jeremiah Great Chap. XXXX
Skeesixville."
"What do all thane X*s mean after
yoor name?" queried the officer.
—That means a lot." explained the
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ex-township trustee, ex-county com
missioner and ex-mayor. See?"—Kan
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