The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1873-07-24

arate twig seemed ghostly finger point
ing, as with one accord, toward the sugar
| orchard.
''Forward-to your fate !" whispered
imagination, rendered suddenly bold by
the Silly beauty of the time and place,
| and, for moment, the girlish face as
sumed look of dreamy tenderness in
keeping with its fair yet half weird sur
roundings; but the next her favorite
Watchdog, common sense, gave the
alarm-the spell was broken, and with
an angry flush at her own foolish fancies,
she hurried forward, and muttered
| "My coffee will be as cold as the moon
shine, if | stop to watch that
| And yet, as she caught glimpse of the
ruddy freight through the trees, she
paused tor moment, toying nervously
with the tassels OF her hood, as through
the stiffness she could distinctly catch the
| sound of familiar voice that was neither
| her fathers unmusical bass, or Jim's boy
ish treble, but clear. ringing tone that
sent its CHEEKY echo down the long, wood
ed avenues, until it seemed as il the snow
spirits had caught the pleasant sounds,
and were tossing them gleefully from one
to the other in the shadowy tops of the
pine and fir trees
| "He's there still,' Say muttered, in a
pettish undertone, "but | don't know as
that's any business of mine )" and she
stepped boldly forward into the lighted
circle, and without a look to right or left,
marched straight up to where her father
stood, carefully watching the boiling sap
in great iron kettle that, swinging lazi-
| ly from its crane of tough birchen wood,
70 10 fbo
| tacks of the roaring, wrathful fire with an
equanimity worthy of notice.
"Here's your coffee, father. How are
you getting along?"
First rate We've had an uncommon
good day; sap's run like a sluice all day
long, an I've been on the keen Jump
every minute, till Pm pretty well tuck
cred out. BEN" raising his voice high
above the noisy bubling of the boiling
sap, and the equally noisy swapping and
| roaring of the fire beneath Ben, here 5
our luncheon. Let Jim tend your fire,
an you come and get your coffee before it
cools."
A heavy step crunched the snow beside
them, and Says brown eyes We're uplitt-
ed in careless recognition.
'How do you do, Ben ?" with glance
at the soiled and bespattered broadcloth,
you're quite stranger to your country
friends; didn't even know you were at
home until father happened to mention it
this morning"
Il only came last night"
The young mans tone was subdued
and he cast timid, appealing glance at
the coldly indifferent face of the girl be-
side him.
She laughed rather derisively:
"YOu must have felt particularly anx-
ious to see your friends at home, to spend
the whole day out here in a neighbor's
sugar orchard"
''Oh, Ben knows what he's about I" in
terrupted the squire laughing. "He
knows that | can tell him more news in
one day than he could hear at home in
one week"
1t was happy diversion, restoring the
young mans self possession, and giving
Say time to feel somewhat ashamed of her
uncalled for sharpness, and the two We're
soon chatting together with the freedom
and frankness OF lifelong friends and
neighbors
"When are you going back to the city?"
And Say took dainty sip of the deli
cious syrup that was cooling in her fa-
theirs cup,-a sip too soon, Judging from
the slight grimace that distorted her pret-
ty face. as Ben replied sienifcantlt
"Never TO stop"
81 thought you liked there, she said,
coldly.
ono county life is the life for me.
Glover fields are sweeter to me than
the perfume of Jockey club and cologne,
and" giving his voice tender signih-
cance, 1.-The artless simplicity and un-
adorned beauty of the country maiden is
far more lovely than the tlounces and fur
bellows, the airs and affections, OF her
fashionable city sisters, in my eyes"
She gave little impatient twirl to th
cup in her hand.
Nonsense ~ she retorted contemptu-
ously, s.you talk like a hero in third
rate newspaper story"
the young man colored as much with
anger as modification:
"How sharp you are, Say he said dep
recatingly. ." You won't allow anyone
to express his own sentiments in his own
fashion without making fun of him. do
like the country and everything about Il
farmers life better than | do the city and
trade, and as for"
Say interrupted him again in her most
acid tones: "There, there, I've heard
enough OF that No doubt your parents
will be very glad to have you at home
with them"
She spoke the concluding words with a
cool Indifference that made her listeners
face redden angrily.
"I'm not going to stay at home, now.
| shall start for California next week." he
said with a little quaver of pain in his
voice, that Say pretended not to notice.
''Do you think you'll like country life
there better than at home ?"
She asked the question with an illcon-
cealed smile, that reused the young mans
temper beyond control.
'If | meet with scorn and contempt
there" he said wrathfully, sit will be
easier to bear as coming from the hands
of strangers than from those whom have
looked upon all my life as friends"
Say said nothing, but her face, as seen
by the ruddy freight, was coldly un-
moved, and the young maa turned away
with proud light in his eye that contrast
ed strangely with the grieved and quiver-
ing lip.
"Well SQUIRE" he said, with an effort
at careless ease that dld not escape the
old mans keen eye, 'you don't need me
any longer, suppose? so I'll just say
good night, and be off for home" And
scarcely waiting to hear the others cor
dial thanks for his timely assistance, he
walked hastily away, and in a moment
more was lost to sight in the shadowy
forest beyond
The old man watched his retreating
figure with face at once grave and
puzzled.
"There amt finer looking young fell
low in town." he said to himself, and the
look of perplexity deepened on his kindly
face as he glanced across at his daughters
trim little figure, clearly defined against
the glowing fire that she was leisurely
feeding from a stock Of chips and broken
branches on the ground beside her; land
she always did think, till lately, that he
was as good as the best. l don't see for
my life, what's come over her all at once.
Here Jim." addressing his boyish as
sistant, 'this kittleful is billed enough, an
you may dip it off into the pans, while |
see to the rest"