Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1870-11-11

to the husking. bee; but Nancy, rs she
lay awake nights, with the tears wetting
her cheeks. thought to herself that she
would not go and witness that girls tri-
umph. From her place of vantage by
the window, with her face looking pale
and her breath coming fast, she watched
Enoch pass by the moonlight, with Lucy
clasping his arm and gazing up in his
face, and almost despisod herself because
she could not sec it unmoved.
Enoch was bewitchsd by Lucy; but the
bewitching did not go very far. lie was
ayoung man who had very good opin-
ion of himself and his constancy had not
been Developed. EIo liked to have n
number of girls fond of him; and he
thought it was rather a fine thing to cool
off towards flame rs he had done toward
Nancy Raynor. Still with all her inno-
cent, pussy-likc ways, Euoch distrusted
Lucy. He had caught her sending billets
privately to Middle,own by the farm.
hand, Zckc and he had not forgotten her
adventure in the stage coach.
The preparations for the huskug-bec
were almost complete, and Lucy was
quito wild with delight. The big barn
was to DO nicely illuminated, and the sup
per of pumpkin-pc, doughnuts and cider
to be spread in tho kitchen after the good
oil orthodox fashion. Aherward the
great barn-noor was to bo cleared, and
black li,Idlcrs. engaged at Middletown,
were to play Tor dancing.
Two days before the husking was
to come oil, Lucy madc Job and apple
pie.bed. job meant 10 be even with her,
and the next afternoon he called up the
stairway:
Cousin Lucy. don't you want to take
a ride behind Brown Betty"
Lucy WAS of course. delighted with tho
proposition. So she stepped to the win
dows and peeped through the blinds and
there was Brown Betty hitched to the
sulky-s light. airy thing, that looked as
if made Of cobwebs, with the tiniest Of
backless seats hung in the middle. Lucy
appreciated the joke, and, while Job ran
back to the carriage e-housc 10 get his coat,
she slipped down stairs, unhitchsd Brown
Betty, and was Of down the road like 4
fash
90. massy to us,' scrceched Aunt
Dorset, running TO the door. That child
will surely get killed. She don't know
nothing about driving, and the mare is
skittish as 4 colt
Job dashed out Of the carriage.house,
looking crcs, fallen enough. shes 4
plucky little piece Of baggage" said he ;
land there's no use trying to get ahead
of her. Don't worry. mother; Lucy is
able TO take cafe Of herself"
There certainly was q sweet little
cherub somewhere up ulofl, who looked
ont for aadacious Lucy. In an hours
time she came back. with a dcmurcIy
wicked glcam in her eye. Brown Betty
had evidently been put through her PAGES.
Lucy threw down the lines with n pro-
fcssional air. and ordered Job to give her
nag some water, "Ior she is rs dry as a
contribution box" she added; land |
would like TO know who is little sulky
now
Lucy explained, later, that accidentally
she had met Mr.. Allen, the young man
who WAS polite to her in the stage. In
return for turning her horse round, sho
had askcd.him to come over TO the hu,k-
ing-bee.
The night of the huskins.bee had
come, and Milton Raynor was blacking
his boot. at the back door of the farm
house.
Aren't you going over to Dorset's to-
night ?" he inquired Of his sister.
"No. am not
Now, would, il was you, Nancy.
1t don't look well for you to stay coopcd
up here at home. Folks will begin to
say you are love-sick."
IL don't care what they say, returned
Nancy; and her voice sounded harsh and
metallic in her own cars. She went TO
her room and sat down by the little win
dow, that was icstooned by the Virginia
creeper, burning with deep autumnal
crimson. The moonlight was falling still
and white on the stubbe fields and belts
of woods. 1t blanched Nancy's face-not
patient or submissive face. Her eyes
might have read poem in that lovely
evening, but they were full OF trouble.
She wanted to crush out the core of con-
stancy and devotion in her heart; but she
knew rot how to do it. She was too
restless to stay within doors so she wrap
ped her head and shoulders in shawl,
and glded out into the shadow OF the
trees along the roadside, until she came
nearly opposite to Uncle Dorset's house,
where she could see the lights from The
barn and catch the sounds Of fun and
frolic from the huskcrs. She was haunt.
od by an irrational desire to spy upon
Enoch and Lucy, and to confirm what she
30 much dreaded TO find true.
Mr.. Allen arrived early, and, with his
white hands. his want Of chin, black
moustache. and city made clothes, quite
captivated The rustic beauties of Stock |
burn. But Nelly Blake, bluc-eycd lit |