as his greatest pride, and
some weeds were beginning to come up.

Julia sank down upon the portico step, and opened the still damp pages
of the _Herald_. She tried to make herself believe that she was merely
conning the column bearing on local happenings and people of the town,
but surely such disinterested employment as that would not bring the
blood to her checks, nor an added sparkle to her eyes. Directly she
found that which she declared to herself she was not looking for, and
which she read merely because she happened to see it. The item was in
regard to the small-pox, and the attending physician. The _Herald_ had
some very nice things to say of the new doctor; in fact, he and his
actions took up a goodly portion of so much of the _Herald_ as was
printed at home, because the fire had to be told of, with all things
relating thereto. Truth to tell, Julia had never fully nor properly
appreciated her town paper until this morning, when she found it
brimming full of the most interesting news in the world. It seemed that
John Glenning's name appeared in nearly every paragraph. There was also
a notice of his encounter with Devil Marston, and this was most adroitly
written, the editor evidently not wishing to offend the rich bank
president, and at the same time endeavouring to keep the friendship of
Uncle Billy Hoonover, who had a large county connection, all of whom
subscribed for the _Herald_, and paid for it promptly. The editor
opined, in conclusion, that it "was an unfortunate incident, and
everyone hoped and believed it was now amicably settled."

But it was a news item on the other inside page which made the colour
die out of the girl's face as the clouds grow gray in the west after the
sun is gone. It was a news item only, printed without comment, but a
cold hand was laid upon Julia's heart as she read on and on, down to the
last bitter word, then sat crushed and shivering in the warm June
sunshine. The item told of the passing of the bank dividend, giving in
explanation the reasons which Marston had declared to the directors of
the institution. She could scarcely believe it. It was their
maintenance--their sole support. Without it was abject poverty,
starvation. They could not live another month, to say nothing of six
months, shorn of this income. Slowly her numbed mind came back to its
normal state, and she tried to think it out. Why had it been done? Did
the item say? Who had done it? Were there any names given