Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1870-03-30
FREDERIC'S WE.

Eliza Orange stood at the lon. ujeat blu
in the pantry, with a pie in one hard and
II knife in the other She was bendGg a
little her whole mind was apparently Glle. |
with the work of trimming the dough FROM
the edge Of the pie. But really she was
working by the barest kind of mechan cal
instinct, and it, might as well have been a
cabbage pie she was pairing 70 dexter
uuSly, for all the thought she was giving
the work
The sun shone through the hop vines at
the little wooden barred wndo W, Pickering
ou her hair and making glcam Of light
aud shadow on the wall before her The
white day lilies in the Bit of garden bed by
the door, sent breath of fragrance, and d
merry cricket piped to his fellows under
the hearth stone.
The day and place made quiet picture of
cheerful peace, if oaly it had been filed by
heart at rest BIT to Eliza Orange the
sky above aud the September landscape it
shone upon we're covered with thin veil
Of green To her the sun was clouded and
the sweet flowers were scented with the
der of decay. Even the hou.ely sigl is of
home about her-the egg beate-, the skim
liner, the four-scoop hanging on their
lals, filed her with loathing and dispai-.
Il canno, bear i, | cannot bear it !
shall die. Oh, no. shan't die. | can't
die and must endure what | cannot
hear she moaaea, deep in her heart.
There was a distant whirling whir Of her
mothers spinning wheel, far away in the
garret. the water dripped with a ceascless
iow N the rub under the shed, the hem
lock sticks in the stove cracked and smut
tered in disgust at their fate, and some.
WHARF some body called out to the oxen tha,
dragged acreakiny cart.
By and Ly the door opened :ind shut, and
there was a sound of footsteps coming a
cross the uncarpeted floor.
Eliza turned, with Sudden impulse TO
shut the door upon herself and her misery (;
and then came quick feeling of thankful
nes, for anything and anybody that might
help her to escape for while from her
thoughts.
4, the same time girls voice called.
Iay, where, are you?'
Here"
Where are you at 2
Here in the pantry" replied Eliza,
turning little to put spice box upon
'lClf, that. he might hide the marks of
tears on her face
\ Young girl il wood colored calico
dress aud pink sun bonnet came in and
seated herself on high sugar tub.
Oh, Mile, is it you? | am glad you
have come. Take an apple, will you =?
There are some real nice Porters Oh the
shelf behind yuu,'' said Zay, in q quick,
animated voice, stlll keeping her back to
wards the newcomer
Mile took an apple and began eating
II, not speaking at first, but looking with
great searching eyes at the dropping figure
before her.
II MiIiie Bergin had not been born in the
qa-ete,t. most stagnant spot in the world,
aud woman besides, she would inevitably
have become detective officer for not so
much a. a mouse could scamper behind the
W''nseot but she knew hy ready intuition
"Aa: It was scampering after.
And now she said, directly.
What is it, Iay? Anything about
Frederic? Tell me.
h1yreplied by the downfall of a tear
upon the pie she still held, and sudden
shaking Of her whole frame that she quiet
ed as suddenly, and with an effort to steady
her voice. she replied
Frederic and | are through, Millie,
What Oh you mean p gasped Millie,
throwing down her apple and stretching
open her eyes still wider.
1t is true, replied Eliza, in calm des-
pair. Il shall never see him again. II fine
were going by the window should not look
out, and he would not look in. We are
nothing to each other any more.
"Zay Orange, l don't believe it Tell
me all about it, quick" cried out Mile,
IN ready sympathy.
II was ouly last night, )" replied Iay,