The Rise of Roscoe Paine

parsonage was a stretch of lawn, dotted with shrubs and cedars and shaded by two big silver-leaf poplars. It was on this lawn that, provided

er too frivolous to fit in her scheme of orthodoxy. "I don't recollect," she said, "that the apostles did much strawberry festivalin'; they had other things to attend to." Lute, however, was goin

ly turning himself about for his wife's inspection. "How ab

seems to be all right. But I cal'late the upper end ain't been introduced to your v

Sim Eldredge they was too short in the waist. He said if they was any longer they'd wrinkle under the a

f the channel. You'll have to average up somehow. I ought to have

appearance when, an hour later, I

clare! I'd hardly know you, Roscoe. You look more

that you respect old age. This suit is vener

it's real becomin'. But," she added, with characteristic caution, "you must remember that good looks don't count for much. My father used to say to me that ha

d grandeur when I went in

"You must consider this strawb

, Mo

taken such pains

hat Dorinda calls my Sunday clothes. I don't know why I did,

re growing-well, not careless, exactly, but indifferent. As if you were losing interest in life. I don't

old; and as to wasting my

ought to bid you go back into the world, and take your place among men. A hundred t

Mother,

tronger every day; I am sure of it. Just a littl

her,

affairs. I think this Shore Lane matter may be a good thing, after all. Dorinda says that Luther tells her yo

tell yo

But what amounts to that. I am sure the

as manifested in the attentions of Captain Jed and Eldredge and their

wberry festival. I can't remember when y

, Mo

, any special reason, f

at do yo

know but, perhaps, some one else was going

"Mother!" I sai

roud of my handsome b

ng as to be dangerous. No, Mother, there is no 'special reason'

ll have a good time. Ki

ell past eight o'clock when I paid my fifteen cents admission fee to Elnathan Mullet at the gate of t

e of Denboro"-see next week's Cape Cod Item-were present in force and, mingling with them, or, if not mingling, at least inspecting them with interest, were some of the early arrivals among the cottagers from South Denboro and Bayport. I saw Lute, proudly conscious of his new lavender trousers, in convers

ble, and George Taylor seated at that

" said I. "Well, Georg

ou are," he said. "Good boy! How do

ed yet. I have on

lly. As a preparatory tonic I'd recommend strawberries and cream. Nellie

ught these berries in Boston. It's much too early for the native ones.

berries and I sat down at the tabl

see you, Ros. Get out and shake hands and be sociable, after

George, I have scarcely thought of anythin

on why I wanted you to come here. You've

her. If you had dropped a hint

U have dropped hints if things

n't k

Denboro gossip mill a chance to run over time? Gr

good of you,

le affair was your busi

I have an opportunity to do as mu

Anybody's liable to be gossi

and fathers here point you out as an example of what

ject. Talk about something worth while. Humph! I guess they must be opening another crat

y. How are affai

wants a job, do you? Henry Small's go

he bookke

him. Don't tell anybody yet; it's a secret. Say, Ro

How large is my acquaintance among s

t to be, I'll give in to

ndeed? W

uldn't take Small

laughed

about it among my city friends, who don't know I know you. Cours

rcastic. No, tha

You don't need the salary, I know. But-Ros,

ing now. "No," I answer

job, or some other one. Don't make much matter what it is, but you ought to do something. You

wasted l

soon. I tell you you ought to get interested in somethin

a name already. You know it, an

to make it something altogether different. You ought to. You owe it to y

but you would have been permitted to

don't like to have peopl

e. I don't want them to know who I am, but f

ce was in shadow and I could not se

e person, that the thought of what folks would say if-if anything went wrong would keep you awake night after night. Oh, I tell you, Ros-Hello, Nellie!

he present, and we three chatted until Mrs

want to talk to you. He's dreadful interested in you just now. Don't t

terest, and what he wished to talk about. I rose and announced th

tly, "you think of wha

ollowed them, curious as to the cause of the excitement. An automobile had

adn't seen you afore; just got here myself. But I'm glad you AR

, trying to pu

me and so's his daughter and that young Carver feller. I believe the

Miss Colton was descending from the tonneau. There were

se other peo

. "Stay where you be and I'll find out.

where I was, but because I was curious. The spot where

talking with Victor, who rema

e are, though why I don't know. I hope you

ther. Look at the decorations.

anterns. Some class? Yes? Well, I must go. I'll be back in a very short time. If Parker wasn't starting fo

eplied the girl, carelessl

should not be away more than an hour. She's very nervous to-ni

to go. I wouldn't miss this-er-affair myself for somethin

s hand and he was g

im, with unction. "The Methodist folks are

ot at all effusive. "Where does all this crowd come from?

e consider'ble money. Good evenin', Miss Colto

tor, whose foot was on the step o

r-embalmed, I'm sure. All rea

to his daughter and they moved through the c

settle with you, myself, later. Now, Mr. Colton, you and the lady come right along with me. Ain't met the minister yet, have

nd obsequious. A few, Captain Jed among them, walked stubbornly by, either nodding coldly or paying no attention. Others, like George Taylor and Doctor Quimby, were neither obsequious nor

came up to m

isha Warren, "Sim's havin' th

to be,"

mind bein' stepped on. Yet, I don't know; sometimes I think fellers of Sim's k

they came he

der-to laugh at the clowns. I laugh myself sometimes-though 'tain't always at their ki

fellows in the

Carver's takin' 'em over to Ostable to say good-by to another specimen, a college mate, who is migratin' to Europe tomorrow. The chauffeur told Dan, my man, ab

ion. He and his friends were a

akin to Captain Dean's resentful stubbornness came over me. I would not be driven home by those people. I found an unoccupied camp chair-one of Sim's, which he rented for fune

s by lantern light. The moon was low in the west and a little breeze was now stirring the shru

arriage came down the road and stopped before the g

ed. "You, by the gate

apparently, half

. Colton? Yes, he's he

Where

by Sarah Burgess's table. Mr. Colt

for?" protested the coachman, springing

him, didn't you? Mr.

n to the gate, his daugh

e matter?"

man touch

before I could stop him. I was coming to tell you. Mrs. Colto

s daughter. "We might have expec

, Father," she said. "Mother doesn't need both of us. Victor wil

me, Mabel. Heavens and earth! you d

had quite enough of the fes

int people. There is one girl, a Miss Dean, whom I am really getting a

ular friend, the ancient mariner, I suppose. I don't

safe and in perfectly

Well, I know it's useless to urge if you have made up yo

ou? I ca

areful, won't you? If Victor doesn't

ight, Father, dear. I am quit

Yes," he observed, "I guess

en off. Miss Colton turned and walked

half-hou

nding under the church sheds or hitched in neighboring yards, appeared and the various buggies and two-seaters to which they were attached were filled and driven away. Captain

n turned off like a gas jet. Except for the few remaining lanterns and the gleams from the church windows and door the darkness was complete. I lo

. I picked up and folded the chair I had been occupying and joined the busy group. It was so dark that faces were almost invi

hier. "Thought you'd gone. Goin

or thunderstorm. I agre

vestry," continued Taylor, "and I'll dri

d. "You have Nellie to look after. If you have a

n making each other's acquaintance. Say, Ros, she's a

not

. Too good for that Carver cub. By the way, if he doesn't come pretty soon I'll phone her pa to send the carriage for her. If I was Colton I wouldn't put much confidence in Carver's showing up in a hurr

heard the voice of Jenkins, the coachman, shouting. Nellie Dean call

ed she wasn't any too well pleased with her V

cut the sky and a rattlin

re you don't want me to drive you home? All right; ju

sed through the gate. I could have seen an auto's lamps for a long distance, but there were none in sight. With a malicious chuckle I tho

p that I fancied I could hear the hiss was accompanied by a savage thunder-clap. Then came the roar of wind in the trees by the roadside and

s before me came plunging a horse drawing a covered carriage. I had sprung to one side to let it go by when

op him!"

The carriage lamps were lighted and by their light I saw the reins dragging. I seized them and

ordered. "Who

o intention of

side. I had to run to avoid the wheels. But I ran as slowly as I could, and my one hu

me. Together we managed to pull the horse into a walk. Then the man, whom I recognized as the Col

he matter?

we just bought him before we came down here and I hadn't learned his little tricks. Whoa! stand stil

ho

and I was holding him by the bridle. Then came that big flash and he b

ck down the road. By another flash of lightning I saw the minister's umbrella upside down in the bushes where I had dropped it, a

umbled, or waded a little

" I called. "

er from just ahead. "

ly until I re

not hurt?

t all. But

neighbor. Pain

not enthusiastic.

. Pardon me, Miss Colton, but

hank you," she said, "but I am afraid an umbrella wou

e is very much

d terrific report from directly overh

she ex

or an instant and across the road I saw Sylvanus Snow's old house, u

!" I

Where are you go

at old house. On the porch

and over Sylvanus's weed-grown flower beds. I presume I shall never again sm

p on to the creaking boards. My sanguine statement that we should be out of the rain proved not quite

n the shingles of the porch and the splash and gurgle all about us would have made conve

r hear anythi

was wondering myself what

ered, "I don

s? He could not have been

know he intended to

he horse-ran away again? Wh

der clap was louder and more terrifying than those pr

swered. "He'll be h

es were just as frequent, but there was a longer interval between e

plainly growin

he be?" s

s all right. I'll go and look him up,

n't we go

ting wetter than you are. If you are willing to stay

t you will get

Take the umbrella. I'

back, but I did not obey. I ran up the road until I was some distance beyond the point where I had stopped the runaway, but there were

asp of relief when

laimed, "did

gone on. He cannot have gone far. It

a house with people livin

eem to have chosen the most forsaken spot in

her will be alarmed if I don't come soon. I am sure Caesar mu

ould explain the coachman's non-appearance or,

remain here, Miss Colton," I said

understand where Victor-Mr. Carver-can be

he errand upon which he had gone, I imagined I could gu

id. "I can get to your house in a little wh

arm. "Come," she said

couldn't get there on fo

I mean to.

d from my arm and stepped out into

seless umbrella over her head. The rain was descending steadily and the sky overhead was just black, but along the western horizon, as

he black night split wide open, a jagged streak of fire shot from heaven to earth and seemed to explode almost in our faces. I was almost knocked off my feet and my fingers tingled as if I had been holding the handles of an electric

splintering directly in front of me and then I realized that the young lady was no longer clin

t ove

cried. "Miss Colt

moaned. I spoke again and again, but she did not answer, nor try to rise. The rain was pouring down upon us and I knew she must not lie there. So once mor

e. And there I stopped. The bridge was blocked, covered with a mass of wet leafy branches and splintered wood. The lightning bolt had missed

and hurried on. She lay quiet, her head against my shoulder. Her hat had fallen off and a wet, fragrant strand of her hair brushed my cheek. Once I stopped and bent my head

way further when she sti

he asked. "What

sigh of relief. "It is all r

tter? Why are you-l

ay as you are. You

carrying me? Wh

ed, I think. T

How ridiculous! Please let me walk

I t

e. I i

little, but she was plucky and, after a mome

you can manage

faint? I never did such

to us. It struck the b

As near

n't try

. . I am not hurt at a

e lights of your h

urned in at the Colton walk she s

ed the willow had been the accompaniment of what Lute woul

er opened the door. His face, as he saw the pair of dripping, bedraggled ou

he stammered, with almos

ale voice, called from

ered, "who is it?

ew open and Mr. Col

ising heaven and earth to locate you. The 'phone seems to be out of order and-Gr

re he could ask a question or his daughter could speak or explain there came a little shriek from the stairs, a rustle of silk

you been. You poor child! I have

the rush. "Take care, Mother,

ched! Jenkins-Mabel, where is Jen

uite time for

id, and stepped toward the door

he exclaimed. "Here! wha

nterruption. From the driveway sounded the blare of an auto horn. Jo

ns of the machine. "Home again from a foreign shore. Come in, fellow

hed, and then all at once seemed to become aware of the group i

uldn't let us say goodby. But we came some when we did come. The bridge is down and we made Oscar run her right through t

o him. I was at the doo

ur kindness. Both for what you have done tonight

. I took it, scarcely

something or other and went out. As I ste

e!" he exclai

hout replying or even looking at him. From the automobile I heard

she said when she saw the ruin of my Sunday suit had better not be rep