She is a--
beautiful--character, Mr. Parker."
"Well," said Parker, after a pause, "the town will be upside down over
this; and folks will be mighty glad to have it explained about your being
out there so much, and at the deepo, and all this and that. Everybody in
the place has been wondering what in--that is--" he finished in some
confusion--"that is--what I started to say was that it won't be so bad as
it might be, having a lady in the office here. I don't cuss to speak of,
and Ross can lay off on his till the boss comes back. Besides, it's our
only chance. If she can't make the 'Herald' hum, we go to the wall."
The old man did not seem to hear him. "I forbade the renunciation she
wished to make for my sake," he said, gently, "but I accept it now for the
sake of our stricken friend--for Mr. Harkless."
"And for the Carlow 'Herald,'" completed the foreman.
The morning following that upon which this conversation took place, the
two gentlemen stood together on the station platform, awaiting the arrival
of the express from Rouen. It was a wet gray day; the wide country lay
dripping under formless wraps of thin mist, and a warm, drizzling rain
blackened the weather-beaten shingles of the station; made clear-
reflecting puddles of the unevenly worn planks of the platform, and
dampened the packing-cases that never went anywhere too thoroughly for
occupation by the station-lounger, and ran in a little crystal stream off
Fisbee's brown cotton umbrella and down Mr.
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