Columbia democrat and star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1867, 1866-11-28
AND RloHT-eoD AND OUR COUNTRY

head, came dancing in from the shadow.
'sTea will be cold, Merrick, she said,
''and your mother says
There she stopped, covered with confusion
at the sight ola stranger-one too who stood
look at her as unconcernedly as he might at
picture.
Certainly she was well worth looking at, a
pure brunette, with large brown eyes and
cheeks like rose, with lsshes long, curling
like child's and buxom form where not
an angle was visible 1t was only moment
that she stood with her red shawl slipping
from her black hair, in the full glow of the
irelight-the next moment she was gone,
and the stranger turned to the blacksmith.
"a pretty girl that, your sister p
No, I'm glad to say, " replied the black
smith.
"Glad ? Why?"
Because she's something better than
sister to me, replied Merrick. Wear to
be married in May"
Then out rung the whistle again, shrill and
clear, and the stranger asked no more ques-
tions. He paid Merrick for his work, and
rode away few moments afterward, and for
all the blacksmith knew or cared they had
seen the last of each other.
He washed his hands and went into the
great kitchen, where at the tea table sat his
mother and the girl who summoned him-an
orphan who had lived with the old woman
for years, ever since she was child in fact
and had grown into his heart somehow, be-
fore he knew it. The old woman was quite
displeased when she found it out, for Efiie
was only ''the help, and the blacksmith s
widow and the blacksmith's mother felt
proud to say that 'none of our people ever
hired out
But for all that there are people in this
village, who look down on US because shoe
their horses and mend their wagons. -
More fools they to take on airs, said the
old woman.
$50 say l, said Merrick, "and we would
be as bad as they to look down on Effie for
washing our dishes. She's as good as you,
ana deal better than me, rich or poor.
And Merrick Masters had hisway and the
whole place knew they were engaged in
fortnight
NOW When ne went lnto Tea the hrs' ques-
ton both asked him was about his custom
er
Efne says ne the handsomest man she
ever saw, says the old woman
80 ne Is, SAID Merrck, not one whit
iealous ''but who he Is I don { know. He
came ana Went' and mad his morse shoa
that all know, and he asked me who you
were, Etle
And had this dreadful old apron on
TOO, said Eile'
lie dldn notice that guess SAID Mer-
rlcS; !I1,-1
w w ny not.
.eOL II Il. - IN - p,
cum - - >,
E#o III hor faoa = 10. - srror and Mrs
M.stor. t,,rnod ber bo.J She never onite
admitted FA;e's bcantv
s.yVbot no.;ons 70 mt IN tbe r;rrs head -
sbA tbonobt and # was nitv for Fife was
vain enopob already A GREATER nitv too
because whenever a horseman ealloped up
70 the forge thereafter. she ran out. under
some pretext bop;nr If was the handsome
gentleman who had asked s'who that pretty
girl was" Not that she meant any harm,
but to be called pretty girl by such man
was something glorious.
She saw him at last, and there was a look,
a smile and how. and after that somehow
thev kent meeting.
Still no harm in it at all. only Effie did not
mention the fact to Merrick or to his moth
er and Efie learned that he was Mr..
NoreIand. stopping at the great hotel in the
village, and guessed that he was rich and
fashionable.
Often she saw him riding with elegantly
dressed ladies and gentlemen. but he ALWAYS