The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1872-02-23

those "ripe and real" women whom
Byron preferred. Her best feature W.
straight nose, which, - Miss Bronte.
says, will give clear look in any face.
Hers bore marks Of trial and hard earned
rest, but its purity struck Shirley with
awe. He never knew how long he
leaned against the door.post, gazing
with his soul In his eyes at tho sleep.
ing girl. He learned her by heart in
that look, as II she had been lesson,
from the little purple sprig on her
white gown to the blue veins in her
forehead. He saw woman Tor the first
time, and he never saw another with
the same eyes.
From that moment the current of his
eager soul set only on her; rage of
covetousness possessed him; she was
the one thing needful to round his life;
it must have been for her that his heart
had waited through his youth.
He drew back at last with an inward
wrench, in the fear that she might wake
and find him spying on her solitude. He
went into the cold kitchen, and there
Rachel found him, sitting bolt upright
on the old. fashioned settle.
LOU nave not peen slttlng mere all
night, hope" she said.
"No," said Shirley, with look of re-
pentance that he had not done so, and
so have been worthy of little scolding
on her part. She had twisted up all her
wandering hair into a loose knot, but il
did not alter the picture which was
newly hung for all time in Shirley's
memory. He longed to tell her some
how that she must use him in every
possible way to save her own strength,
but the rightw words were slow in coming.
"Miss Gordon" he began more than
once.
"That name sounds odd to me-" she
said. II have never been anybody but
Rachel. My mother belonged to tho
Society of Friends, and though she
never made me quite a Quakeress, l
grew to love their simplicities. You
may call me Rachel, if you like"
Shirley only bowed, and set about
making the kitchen fire. To call her
Rachel was no comfort il seemed to
put her farther away from him, when
their acquaintance did not warrant it;
but he now recognized the Quaker ele-
ment in her face, the pure quietness
which so often looks out Of those gray
bonnets.
"whiiest thoughts in whitest dress.
Candid meanings bat express
Mind of quiet Quakeress."
Three or four days welt by on wings
while these two young people kept house
together and wal. ed for Miss Strone's
fever to spend Itself.
1t soon dr.wned upon Shirley that he
must have fallen in love with this plain
girl. Nothing but the old, old love
could 80 transfigure mere living and
breathing in her sight. 1t struck him
with q certain impotence that no man
had ever found words that would do it
perfect justice. To all it is, at first,
something new under the sun.
He hid it closely from Rachel, how.
ever, and grew more ceremonious and
dull. Rachel looked at him sometimes
with the quizzical smile which the first
words she had ever heard him speak had
provoked.
She sat by the bed side one day, while
Shirley stood in his favorite position,
holding up the door post. Suddenly
Miss Temperance raised her head from
the pillow and stared wildly from one
to the other. "Arthur, you love herr
she almost screamed; /" / see it in your
eyes. You never looked at me like
that. Rachel has weaned you away from
me II
A flush rose to Rachel's pale cheek,
and Shirley hailed it with big heart
throb. Then he tried to soothe Miss
a., l.
could think Of
Have you any idea why she calls me
Arthur" Shirley asked Rachel when he
saw her alone.
EYES," said Rachel, with the flush
again in her cheek.
"Don't tell me if it pains you
"You may as well know it. Miss
Strong was engaged to Arthur Gordon,
my father, and, while she was i'll with q
fever like this, my mother came to take
care of her and won away her lover.
believe, at least hope, she had no idea
of what she was doing, till Miss Strong
saw the change in his feelings and re-
leased him. Nv father thought she did
not mind it, and had never really cared
for him, but my mother knew better
how strong minded women suffer. While
my father lived they were all on appar-
emily good terms THAT was part of Miss
Temperatures pride), but as soon as he
died she forbade my mother to come
into her sight, and dread her becoming
conscious again, lestshe will transfer the
enmity to me-"
"She could never do that" said Shir-
ley, eagerly.
"Why not?'
Because" stammered Shirley.
"That is a woman's reason"
A ~