The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-08-28

fingered as he closed the gate, and thI
sense OF his poverty and idleness al,
come upon him then with { deadl,
weight. What Halter to him, or to am
q one, which way he drifted y! AS b,
walked down the path among Ann
Polly,s nodding hollyhocks, he could
have found in his heart to envy the OLE
woman her quiet little way-side nook
and the undisturbed certainty Of he
homely existence.
So it was Squire Vander's daughte,
he had escorted SO bravely with the
umbrella Squire Wander. who ewned
as Aunt Polly had told him, 'sno enc
OF lands in th5ae parts.' g ssWhat foo,
L am to be lingering about here =
thought our friend, as he wandered on
"Pll be off by the next train"
But then, hadn't he a commission &c
Miss Wander, wasn't he. e.charged with 3
message for her. and wasn't business bust.
ness? HeEeard the resoundins whistleo OF
the train as it swept out of sight while
he still loitered. He passed the sduires'
big mansion wistfully. What right had
| he to look in at the pickets-a Door
wandering waif that would shortly be
in want of a breakfast? The great
fields of waving corn goldened in the
sunlight, the orchards on the slopes
hung Justify ripe with fruit, and under
the trees hcre and there the cattle stood
| cooling themselves in the shade. and
lazlly whisking off the flies pretty
sun-lighted scene, where probably no
comfortable farmer, no ohospitable house
| mistress, would have conceived it posi-
bic thst the decently dressed young
man strolling idly by was without a
dollar in his pocket or an object in the
world.
Object Oh, well, perhaps not ex-
actly that. Not if one can translate
that CLEAN in the young mans eyes, as
through the trees that skirt Squire
Vander's lawn he catches a glimpse of
pretty figure in futtering muslin, sit
ting and swayiHg itself leisurely in a
great swing under the boughs OF a
spreading oak {; to and fro, and fro, the
airy figure fits, the leaf shadows en-
broidering her white dress, and plints
of sunlight spangling her braided hair.
Should he venture in? He stood irres-
olute, and as he stood there came an ir-
ruption of small boys through a side
gate-a pack of hungry youngsters just
let out of school,
81 say, Bessy, is dinner ready ?" they
cried.
"Come here and give me a swing, ans
wered Bessy, inconsequently.
As they approached, the boys caught
sight of the watchful, wayworn face
face peering through the shrubbery.
"Why, that's the chap was down at
the store after situation p cried Jack,
Jim, and Jerry in chorus.
Bessy turned hastily she knew her
friend of yesterday in moment. 'tOh,
come in | come in p she cried. 81
ought to have thanked you fer your
kindness last night"
"I iust-just missed the train" said
the traveller, startled out of his self
possession, and naturally, under the
circumstances, giving utterance to the
first fib that suggested ITSELF"
Going away9 Why, don't you find
it pleasant here ?"
"Very pleasant, but"
''But the hotel and boarding-houses
are all full, suppose"
"TO tell you the truth, burst out
the young may, won to strange conf
dence by the frank eyes looking out at
him, and speaking out the bitterness of
his heart, "It would make very little |
difference in my case-they'd crowd me
out, whether or no, for l couldn't pay |
for a room"
Not pay for a room Bessy's eyes
looked up at the broad front of her
fathers house, where door and window
stood open, free and spacious. So
much room and to spare while others
were so straitened. But the shadow on
her face was quickly turned to smile
at beholding the alacrity with which
Jack, Jim, and Jerry had monopolized
the swing
"Now there's fellow could give us
a regular toss all together - cried little
Jack, his merry black eyes looking out
toward the tall figure at the gate.
There is no resisting fate, and before
be knew it Mr.. Brownley was fairly in
that sacred inclosure, the leaf shadows
futtering over his tall figure, and over
merry boys, as they swung, laughing,
twice, and again. And while they were
gentleman with an ivory-headed cane
came walking up the path.
"Father," said Bessy, soberly, "this
is the young gentleman who was so
kind to help me in the rain yesterday"
"And such a fellow to lift p cried
Jack, as he came down from his ride i'll
the tree-tops.
'Ah," said the old gentleman, cycling
lhe youth sharply, "Mr. Brownley,
whom I saw yesterday, I believe"
Hes regular brick, father p cried
Jack. "Such swing If you take
lim in the store, it II be jolly-then we
IAN swing every day p
cay, ay," said Mr.. Wander, smiling,
IS his young people clung about him ]
. ay, ay, to be sure; that's all young /
olks think about nowadays jolly
incl Well, well, come in to dinner, ),
Mr.. Brownley, and we'll talk the mat
er over. Aud so you thought it 20 (
larm to try again. Nothing like per- =
severance, my lad - I
Mr.. Brownley did not state that he {
anne with a message from Aunt Polly. z
Perhaps he forgot to deliver it alto {
,ether. I am not sure. G
But this I can affirm, that in the I
nnals of Evansville it is related that {
be successful Mr.. Brownley, the hon '
red and honorable Mr.. BroYnley, rose {
D his present estate from a very hum {
lie position-a mere place behind a l
Ounter-and, as some hint, by first Sc
uring place in Bessy Vander's heart,
'hieh situation T understand he holds |