Hepsey Burke

eather case an exquisite miniature of a beautiful girl, which he placed on the mantelpiece, and at which he gazed for a long time

ow to economize. I am sure we shall be able to make both ends meet. With a small house, rent free, a bit of ground for a vegetable garden, and plenty of fresh air, we can accomplish almost anything, and be sup

urford. If I could just have one glimpse of you in your new quarters--but that would only be a wretched aggr

*

and tucked it away in his pocket. Clasping his

free man in a parish like this. And yet, after all, it's none of their business at present

a knock at

eturned the miniature to its case before opening th

sit down. "I only came up for a moment to see if there was anything I could do. Think you can make yourself pretty com

that jolly old fireplace, its big dormer windows, and the view o

plete without a fireplace. Next to an old friend, a bright wood

t and a g

," Mrs. Burke replied, smiling, "so I ca

than I thou

up to your back teeth; but we won't any of us know the difference. Most city parsons preach about things that are ten miles over the heads of us country people. You can't imagine how lit

u will from me. That's one of the reasons why

ou won't be d

dly about the room at some pictures and decorations

dy and gentleman stand

lo, and the Herm

it's real cultivated to learn to like parts of people done in marble. Maybe when I go down to the city

usseau," and as Mrs. Burke had

to be married

ish, with six lonesome, awkward widowers in the same school district, you can never te

aughed re

to get married. Every woman under ninety-eight has expectations. While there's life there's hope that some man will make a fool of himself

k the picture of h

xpected, when I'm just recoveri

itor is that?" aske

e I was cleanin' the attic I came across the red pasteboard sign with 'Scarlet Fever' painted on it, that the Board of Health put on the house when Nickey had the fever three years ago. The very next day I was watchin' the 'bus comin' up Main Street, when I saw Mary Sam's solferino bonnet bobbin' up and do

he parson, who continued arranging

me away. Jim and I are good friends. But when she got home she wrote to Sally Ramsdale to ask how Nickey was; and Sally, not bein' on to the game, wrote back that there was nothin' the matter with Nickey that she knew of. Then Mary Sam wrote me the impuden

ouse caught fire wh

there's worse things than fire

til Maxwell opened a box of embroidered stoles,

ful! I never saw the like be

the 'Sisters of S

ng time in silence, handling th

ome myself. Would you

o see it," Donald responded; and Mr

ground, having convulsions on purple grass. In the middle-distance was a lay-figure in orange, picking scarlet apples from what appeared to be a revolving clothes-horse blossoming profusely at the ends of each beam. A little blue brook gurgled merrily up the hill, and disappeared down the other side onl

oidery, biting his lip; while Hepsey watched him narrowly, chuc

on't you think

d broadly as

wonderful. Did yo

to do alphabets. I'm glad you appreciate it. If you would like to have me embroider anything fo

things cost, if you

to me by a friend of mine, when

s, eh? She must think

Donald a s

say it w

nd there's no reason that I know of why the Devil should have all th

ated a moment

mean by 'Hi

awful high." Hepsey smiled

w s

idn't wear no pant

nary! Is that a sym

pish tricks; and if things went on like that, nobody knew where we would land. Then some of the women got talkin', and said that the rector practiced celibacy, and that some one should warn him that the parish wouldn't stand for any more innovations, and he'd better look out. So one day, Virginia Bascom, the Senior Warden's daughter, told him what was being said about him. The parson just laughed at Ginty, and said that celibacy was his misf