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Show friendly mid bright (token, but aom ay--w, I b hadn't come." "tVin't worry he shan't mak trouble for anybody," John said atout ly, tboufih iu heart not quite aa ease Kin aunt paad on with a algti V relief. The morning service waa ovel the (tit ertnlnaton waa (airly a burl lt!i hospitality. Yearly the basket dltiuer was a sort of housewifely com petition. TlxniKh all baskets were fcpread upon coDimon tables free tc everybody, those who bad fetched them made a point of seeing tbnt thnr own friends got the best of their own choice edibles. Also that the pooler folk, and especially the county charges, were not alighted. John Hl-eer and his spinster aunts were not ali.Rular In their determination that (od's poor should be considered wben thny hnd come to the services In God's ho'iHf Whiting iin them, looking out fof the small boys, with side efforts for Aunt Martha and Aunt Mary, kept John so occtipl d 1 t could do no mora than smile at Morna., until, everybody fed to repletion, the crowd began to scatter and clot for Intimate goaalp. Lenox Cordon had momentarily left her John almost run to her, cauaht her arm and drew her apart, saying btihliedly: "Tell me the, trouble, dear!" "I can't! I -I mustn't- but oh! I do w'lh I could," M 01 11 a answered brenthles-ly. Jchn milled at her. "1 am sure you will tell me whether or no yon can," he said. "Out wliu 11 ! At once." "I I don't knowhow to tenia." Mnrnn mid flushing a little. "It's about your cousin." John a.ild with decision, not Interrogation. Fhe titiirted. "How do you know?" the nkcd. "Never mind." John retorted. "Tell rue what he want a." "Me wants me to to marry 111 in richt away." Mnrna said with a little lit-tle shudder, half clotting ber eyea. John frowned. "Very nututally lie dfCK." be said. "Hut why such suddenness sud-denness and haMe?" "I ought not to tell you," Morna. said wistfully. "Hut, oh-I am so un-happy un-happy yet there seeum no other, way out." "Out of what?" John demanded, his breathing short. "Trouble!" Morna whispered. "Trouble of the worst. Lenox has tiacd money not hia owu speculated and lo,t It. Not so very much money but more than be can get any other way." "The cur!" John snapped through shut teeth. "So he would bcRgar you to save himself " "No! I there would be something left quite half my money," Morna Interrupted breathlessly. "I can't stand by and ace shame fall on my blood my mother'a name, lie says If I will only aare him, he will give mn fiack my freedom after a little and work the rest of his life work h"nestly. to pay me." "I have a better plan," John Interrupted, Inter-rupted, bla brow clearing, "I see his point married you come straight Into your fortune, no matter who your hufhand may be. To save your pride, and alco to save a man who tuny not be, wholly bnd, I'm quite willing to sacrifice myself. Marry rne and I enpnge to aeo Lenox through." "Oh! If only you will take me I I wanted so to ask you." Morna panted, her eyea shining star wise. John had much ado to keep from kls lug her on the spot. "Yon are a coward." he said gravely, though hi eyea danced. "You know It Is leap year-" "So It Is but I had forgot ten." Morna flashed at hlrn. "Now you mention It. everything Is eay. Mr. lohn f'peer. when will you marry rue?" "As soon as we can find the presiding pre-siding elder." John said, catchtng her bam quite openly and leading her awny. And this Is how It happened that the bnsket meeting bad a aensatlon John and Morna stood up In the fare of It. and were married before afternoon after-noon service. In Leap I Year ll-vwrlilil, l Au.nltMl l.ltmrr lr. Monia'a eyes were troubled. Therefore There-fore her Faithful Heart loat something some-thing of his joy In the Jojoua summer day. He knew every change of the eyea--beautiful brown eyea, dark and liquid, set under arched brows and curtained with long, soft, straight lashes. Most laches so long and thick have a trick of curling upward. Mor-nu's Mor-nu's rather lay In soft duk fringe over the splendors underneath, or made a latry shadow against the healthy pallor pal-lor of her oval cbeeki. Faithful Heart, of course, had another an-other name Indifferent folk culled him John Speer "Honest John" more commonly. He was as honest as he was sturdy and ugly. It waa an engaging en-gaging ugliness, that mif children hold out Imploring arms to him. and dogs follow him. wagKliig the tall I.) Joy. He had grown up knowing Mnrna and loving ber. He could not recall tho- day since he was ten and she a fairy of four that he had not been conscious of somehow' having her In Charge. After a sort she belonged to bla people, being orphan ste-daughter ste-daughter to the aiuit who mothered him mofct. He did not live with the oiotberer, but with two of her spinster spin-ster sinters. Itotli adored him, but being stiff and shy. never dared show him the open tenderness he got from Mrs. Ware. Mornu waa rising twenty now la another six months she would come Into ber property, a sma'l competence com-petence Inherited from her mother, and kept sacredly Intact by her stepmother. step-mother. Mrs. Ware waa eager to have John press for marriage no telling tell-ing what a girl might do w hen she bad ready money and absolute fieedom In the spending of It. John was not afraid either would go to Morna's head. Also be bad a certain man's pride In showing bla world and hera that If she came to him It would be open eyed and free from choice, without a trace of com-(ulalve com-(ulalve family Influence. He waa, Indeed, a Faithful Henri foolishly faithful, foolishly fond It might be. Even as he loved Morna he trusted her. In reward she bad always al-ways been open as the day toward blm. That made her present atate at once puzzling and unpleasant. If any- WW "Who la HT" thing really troubled her. John felt It at or.ee bis right and bis privilege to know It and seek a remedy. It waa tantalizing that he could not go straight to her he hud Aunt Msr tha'a Sunday achool boye In 'hsrge. to aay nothing of the old folk from tie poorbouse whom Aunt Mary had Insisted must be brought to the has ket meeting. Since It cam off i Kin a Saturday, rather than Similar It owned a l.rltday aspect In which there waa nothing of sacrilege. Vhe countryside for ten miles to.uid about, and alnimt the whole of l0 vlllagea. bed come together In the Kg shady grove rimming Asbtiry nnwl Ing house, to alt under a bnih urtn.r famed by winds from beavn h-r glad tidings of great Joy. then between ser.Don eat the fat and rt1nk the sweet and bear the news o' a whole year. j Mnttia was looking out for the Ware dinner baskets. h li..-i by a Hni darkle b young fellow wholly atrsngf. John wondered, racing Inly, If the dark 'e'low could be her perplexity He lithe and llpbt on bis !'. i rroviu as if on springs Yet there vas something ter.ke In 1, fate, an edged timbre In bl voire when be ' flurg gty banter rifht and left i Aa Mrs W are sailed uiajecUt any t pakt, John caught her arm. asking i under trenth with the faint M nod to- i ward bt stranger: "Who la he" i -Wl.y! Hasn't Morna told you't Her cousin l-en all the rettlty blood . cousin i he's got In the world!" Mrs Ware s ui In half whisper "Soa to j jt-r mother s brother you know she j i aa a tit r.'.r.n Tbla Ix-nT Is awfu! i I |
