The Awakening of Helena Richie

n it was with the peculiar complacency which follows the doing of a disagreeable duty. Goliath had not liked climbing the hill

our likings in pastoral calls." Then he looked out of the mud-spattered window of the buggy, at a house by the roadside-"The Stuffed Animal House," Old Chester children called it, be

d Animal House, looking listlessly from an upper window, saw the hood

fore he had quarrelled with his only son Samuel, and the two men had not spoken to each other since. Old Chester never knew what this quarrel had been about; Dr. Lavendar, speculating upon it as he and Goliath went squashing through the mud that April afternoon, wondered which was to blame. "Pot and kettle, probably," he decided. "Samuel's goodn

e, rather tired and full of good intentions in regard to calls. He confided these

give me some advice. Hand me a match first; this ragamuffin Dann

vise you not to go out in such weather.

home for an orphan child? A parson up in the mountains has asked me to see if I can place a little seven-y

lly King, "ther

rself Mrs. Helena Richie. I don't like a young female to use her own name, William, even if she is a wid

her. She has only been here six months. But I should think she was

od-looking woman. But I don't know that her looks are a guarantee that she ca

y you don't lik

e her," protested Dr. Lave

the late Richie, th

always stay

have a sort of feeling that the deceased Richie was not the

t's the bad husband and the good wif

that Mrs. Richie had had enough of husbands. "And anyway, she's d

what kind of a man is this Mr. Pryor? Danny growl

ugh I must say he seems a decent man enough. He doesn't cultiva

vendar explained; "she says he likes t

anything wr

lls? Maybe he doesn't believ

," said Wi

Lavendar grumbled. Then he said he wished he knew more about Mrs. Richie. "I ask you for inf

am la

ularly, and she never stops afterwar

'way up there o

Dr. Lavendar admitted, "but that's not a re

mighty pleasant when she does talk to you. I tell you Dr. Lavendar, pleasantness goes a

not," said

e of the ladies say she doesn't show proper grief for her husband. She actually smiles sometimes

endar chuckling, "I beg

he's a nice woman, and she must be pr

thoughtfully. "As you say she may be a suitable person to take

ouse. That looks as if she meant to settle down. Did y

gh to be his mother!

nts says that Mrs. Richie will never see forty-five aga

encourage him?" Dr. L

a clothes-basket on wheels. And she provides the clothes to put into it. I'm told they're beautiful; but

r rose chuckling, and stood in front of the fireplace, gathering the tails of his flowered cashmere dressing

bout as well as-as Danny there understands Hebrew! I think it's a case of Samuel and his father

ably

ing ruminated, "that y

ce. You can't have genius without

f responsibility; and I notice that when people have no sense

rs, either way. But Willy, about this little boy; the great

t you haven't found

fter him. And I'll play marbles with him. Got any w

d. "Let me take him. Or, at least-I'll ask Martha; she's house-cleaning n

im myself," said

Mrs. Richie about him? I'm going up there to-morrow; she's

en the boy comes I'll happen along in my buggy with him, and then we'll see. And meantime Willy, keep your eye on Sam's Sam. He mustn't get too much interested up there. A lit

a genius and he certainly isn't a criminal, but