Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1867-01-17

I'd, well pleased, and supposing the anxiety
mad reference only to herself.
"Oh, you're very good to say SO, Tilly;
allow me to make my profoundest bow,"
and, smiling gayly, he stopped and touched
bis lips to her hand. And then he said: 81
forgot, really, that was not to offend in that
way any morc!'.
"You have not offended" Matilda an
swered, but In tone and with manner that
Lold plainly he had offended in some way.
"Well, l am fated for to-day" says Ma
Ihan, Suppose wo 80 In"
She stood still in the path for one moment
her great, solemn eyes fixed on him asiif
they grew there. Was this, then, her Ma
than?
A whole revelation is made to us some
times by single word or look, and this brief
had made one to Matilda. She
knew as well as she knew she was alive that
Nathan Armstrong was not the great hearted,
Nathan she had taken him for;
but yet, with that blind perversity that ad
heres in the nature of woman, she tried
with all her might to shut out the truth.
eyes, let US 60 IN" she said, in low,
strange voice, a9 she Withdrew her eyes from
that searching look into the soul of her
lover,
He was startled by the something In the
tone which the words did not themselves say,
and drawing her arm through his, detained
her by gentle force. "Not yet" he said,
cit Is so pleasant here !" and after slight
pause added, "and am SO happy"
Matilda could not help thinking he added
the last words to satisfy her, and not to sat
isfy any necessity there was for saying them
in himself. Ii was Nathan's voice, to be
sure, but Nathan's heart was not in tho
voice.
There were some hives of bees on a rude
bench beneath peach-tree in one corner of
the garden, and Nathan, catching at them
as for dear life, asked Matilda dozen ques-
tions about their habits and the best method
nf tearlng them. She toplied 10 briefly and
concisely that the subject was soon exhaust
ed, and he was obliged to cast about for
something else. The currant bushes were
discussed, but they were not very prolific
subject either, and then the raspberry vines
had their turn, and after that the hops, and
the hlrnips, ami polaioes And then the
late rain and its damage to tho crops; and
this at last brought out genuine utterance,
and left the mechanical utterances to go for
nothing-just what they were worth.
81 am sick Of farming, and of the life Of
farmer" was the exclamation that had the
ring Of sincerity in it.
sob, Nathan, hoy can you say 30, and
with such nice lot of land as you have q
And then Matilda dwelt on the beauty Of
the woods and the orchards and the springs
of water, and the hills with their sheep and
cattle. "All it needs to make it perfect,
she said, lis white cottage nestled undei
the maple-trees at the end of the lane.
"That's pretty notion enough that o.
love in cottage" said Nathan, chilling al
her enthusiasm; ''but be-hanged if / be-
leve in it much, after all Any how, Tn
sick of farming; it's al. hard and hateful, ,ant
I'm sick ofit"
..You don't believe in love in a cottage
after all After all what ?"
''Oh, don't know-after all that's been
said about it., Nathan answered with slight
tone of impqtiencc.
"Wcll, do believe in 1t, and wouldn't
believe in anything else If I could." And
Matilda began to paint the picture with all
the glowing colors that the loving heart re-
fleets so well upon the outward world but
Nathan interrupted her by an ejaculation SO
completely out of sympathy with her that
she could not go on, and both felt it relief
Whon Mrs, Hastings, from the open window
of the kitchen, called out, "Come, children,
supper is ready!"
What pains she had taken that Nathan
might miss nothing to which he was in need
at home, and how delicious and plentifully
hospitable it all WASP" The tea pot was OF
tin, to be sure, but bright as silver, and the
tray was covered with napkin as fine as
her cunning fingers could spin, and as white
as the driven snow.
The bread was scarcely less white, and
the butter was golden and hard, and all print
ed over with field lilies. Then there was
the honey and the gooseberries, and the
cake, and the cream-but what need that we
should name.all the inviting delicacies there
spread out !?
"Come, Natty, you shall sit opposite
Tilly," says Mrs. Hastings, herself sitting
down but Nathan blushed, and stammered
an excuse-he was sorry, but he could not
drink tea with them that night he had pro-
missed to be at home.
"But we will not have you excused =
cries Mrs. Hastings, with good-natured de-
fiance. "Your promise to us is the oldest,
isn't it, lilly? So sit down without more
ado. A pretty story it is if am to go to all
this trouble for nothing!"
But still the young man positively declined.
He must not, could not, dare not; he had
come, indeed, only to make his apologies,
and bring an invitation from his mother for
Mrs. Hastings and Tilly to pass the evening
with her. Would they come? With all his
heart he hoped so. And he glanced at
Matilda distrustfully. She saw his appeal,
but did not answer with look or smile; and
then he said, approaching her and taking
her hand: Promise that you will come,
won't you!"