Aunt Jane's Nieces at Work

e Kenneth was working at his easel, and while the boy

talents. It was at their own request that he refrained from any active work himself, merely appearing at the meetings they planned, where he made his

ured him that this was an important play for popularity, so he promised to meet them. Tables were to be spread upon the lawn, fo

e country districts, but Beth often aided Loui

t assistance to the girls, and enabled them to cover twice a

ere she had attempted to make a proselyte, and once a dog was set upon Beth by an irate farmer, who resented her automobile as much as he did her mission. As for Patsy, she was often told in the towns that "a young girl ought to be in be

sunny afternoon James came to say that a man wa

bout his business, B

e a single vote. Bring him here

cheeks were covered with stubby gray whiskers, his shoulders were stooped and bent from hard work, and his hands bore evidences

voice. "I-I'm Rogers, miss; ol' Will Roger

ied the girl in her pleasant voice. "Hav

cause we're in desprit straits, an' Nell advised that I hev a talk with ye. 'Frank an' outright,' s

boy smiled as he wielded his

p an' discouraged, an' ain't th' man I used to be. Nell knows that, an' she orter came herse

eally inte

gers," she said, "and I'll list

s he rested upon the garden bench, an

o say some things, an' this is

for old Will had suddenly stopped

a lot o' money on this election, a-gittin' vote

run a political campai

oured out liken water-to

Mr. R

re so agonizin' poor, Nell thought we ort

. Such frankness was bot

vote to sell

t once, but sat slo

aid, finally, "an' she knew if ye did it was a

rl did not intend to lose any of the fun

said, "and tell me why you

fer a minnit I could see my way without. I can't sell my vote, miss, 'cause I've been plannin' t'vote f

hy

miss; but I'm goin' to tell y

Mr. R

y girl, is Lucy; a good deal liken her mother; wi' the same high sp

. Go

any gal this side o' Fairview, an' one o' 'em caught Lucy's fancy. But she was too young to marry, an' she wanted to be earnin' money; so she got a job worki

e, and looked

to help t

" she aske

d as Lucy took it. Lucy didn't take it, an' after they'd tried to make my gal confess as she was a thief they give 'er three days to hand up the ring o

id Beth, sym

' we didn't hev th' money nuther. It were sixty dollars t

ourse

t night to see Lucy, hea

is

ed to marry her; but his folks is as poor as we are, so the young 'uns had to wait. Tom w

kno

nly two days left before goin' to jail, he up an' says: 'I'll get the money, Lucy: don' you worry a bit.' 'Oh, Tom!' says she, 'hev you got sixty dollars saved already?' 'I've got it, Lucy,' says he, 'an' I'll go over tomorrow an' pay Doc Squiers. D

te," said Beth, fill

way to Fairview, an' they let her see Tom in the jail. He tol' her it was true he forged th' check, but he did it to save her. He was a man an' it wouldn't hurt fer him to go to jail so much as it would a girl. He said he was glad he did it, an' didn't mind servin' a sentence in prison. I think, miss, as Tom meant thet-ev'ry wor

noting that the old man's eyes were

fer her; our girl-our poor Lucy. She ain't right in her head, ye know, or she'd ne

stly, brush and pallet alike forgotten. Beth was trying to keep the tears out

Kenneth. "And she h

t las', an' don't do much but cry. It's hard, sir-I can

om?" asked Kenneth

n' to be tried. Court don't

do you li

hole length of it. We didn't ask it done, but they jes' done it. I watched 'em, an' Nell says if we on'y had th' money thet was wasted on thet paint an' labor, we might find our Lucy. 'It's a shame,' says Nell, 'all thet 'lection money b

t a horse?"

year, but he died on me an'

alk here?"

he hull county over a-tryin' to find

oked anxiously at the boy and the girl, and they

and buggy and you can drive around and talk with people and try to find Lucy at the same time. This tw

htened up and his

' charity I mustn't take a cent

w your story we mean to help you find your girl. Anyon

ke Nell u

ife. Describe Lucy as wel

lin',

t or

eh

light or da

jes' midd

she stou

rter betwixt an'

ld is

ned eight

n. But we'll see what can be done tomorrow. Call James and have him sent home in the rig

about your belongings just now.

r is more likely to find her than a dozen other

en wife in a smart top-buggy, with twenty dollars in h