The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1875-05-20

him that tea was waiting. We stOo
here side by side, looking into th
smOuldering embeTs, when 1 sal
again.
Come, Eben Andrews, lord OF l0it
erers, l can't wait any ionger.D
Neither can /, he returned, faein
me, 81 must know Tonight Lefty
whether you love me or not ~
"WheJner love y0n or not % re
peated. Whatever gave you tina
crazy notion
"Because have been crazy enoug
: to love you, Lefty" he answered
''and had heard that love beget
lOve.p q.
"Well, We will let by-go1es be 10y
gOnes," said /. Pm sure 1 never CAV
you any encouragement. But pra
don't speak of this to Aunt Lack
land"
"a man doesn't usually brag abou
being jilted," be answered. Now
though should like to have my aun
know had refused her precious E0en
L am sure il she found it out ther
would be an end of my visit to Lack
land ; she would never have allowet
Eben's happiness ID be placed in sucl
Jeopardy, and somehow, though
didn't care for Tidy Bruce, and haI
refused EOen, and was by no means
devoted to my aunt, yet liked 10 q
to Lakeland, had never asked my
self why, and didn't care to know.
"Well, Tidy" said /, that night
after aunt Lakeland mad prayers
and Eben had taken his candle anC
gone 10 bed, and we were left to rake
over the Kitchen fire-"well, Tildy
Eoen's found out his mistake !"
Her eyes snapped like brands oil
fire, and tie color flew all over her
face. "I guess you'll find the mis-
take is yours before you're much old
er," said she. "I'ii wager though,
that he doesn't feel anxious: he
knows you only want to be cOaxed. u
Perhaps I did. But must say il
nettled me to see how well he bore
himself. l had read ID novels how tie
hero was either soured by unrequited
affection, or became slendidly melan-
chOly and morose, and lost his ap-
petite Tut Eben didn't carry out
either programme he behaved just
as usual, and passed his plate for q
second piece or pudding and made
Jokes, and didn't seem to mind.
81 guess Eben was joking the other
day." Tidy suggested, pleasantly.
Pretty serious joke" said 1. ''Sup-
posing hau said yes ?'
"Then it is asupposable cas-, en- L
/ thought as much"
1t was dreadfully mean in me to
mention it to Tidy at all !; but L just
| srrar cd oh that I uro1nf 4
ready to marry Tom, Dick and Harry
because they should see fit to ask me
to, and at the same time L wanted to
impress upon her that she was no
prophet. Tidy was ten years my
senior, aud if she knew how to mis-
lead me for her own advantage L
made it easy for her. was like one
having eyes and seeing not. Eben
never hinted love after that, how
ever. He was always kind and obli-
ging. When went home he often
carried him to the next town, ever 50
many miles away, where l met the
stage, for Wateredge, and we had the
long lonely road 10 ourselves, l
promise you /; but he never once said
love, or passed my hand under the
buffalO-rObes, as young men will, Pve
been told, or referred to that after
noon in the maple grove, which was
hardly ever out OF my mind. IL was
about two years later when l made
my annual visit to Lakeland at
Thanksgiving time. There were on
ly three of US TO sit down to dinner
together, and Aunt Lsckland said
''Of ali things, one seems to need .
large family at the holidays. How L
wish l bad ten children, all coming
home with their husbands and ba-
bies 1 do wish Eben would get mar
ried and briug a wife here u'-
81 can't find any one to marry me,
said EOen, as cool as q January MORN
ing.
"PoOh that's likely, the girl ,0ouId
be foil who'd refuse you, if | do say
it," think that she sometimes for
got tnat he wasn't bone of her bone,
and flesh of her flesh. You'd never
have to ask her but once !"
"That depends upon the GIRL" said
1, not thinking what was saying.
81 never should ask her but once"
said Eben.
"Row unfeeling ~ said /, easy as q
cushion, though, heaven knows, L had
great lump IN my throat, and I
should have cried If 1 hadn't said
something disagreeabie instead.
Though we had a surprise party
that night, and all the nelghbOrs far
and near came in slelghs-if you
lived within ten miles of Lakeland
you were a neighbor-and the house
echoed with fun and frolic, and we
played forfeits, and danced in the big
Kitchen, yet L felt heavy hearted in
leading in Virginia reel with Tidy
Bruce he was famous dancer, but
that was the last time he ever tipped
on the fantastic toe, thanks to me
Aunt Lakeland was getting feeble
that winter, and she begged me to stay
till spring for now that sister Nell
was married, had to do the visiting
for both, and had been nothing 10th
before but must say that [ felt
miserable and sore about Eben ; and
it seemed to me ali at once that he
must think l stayed because L
couldn't tear myself away from his
neighborhood, and that l was sorry
for what had said down in the ma
pie grove; and SO, when mother
wrote that there was to be a grand
ball at Wateredge on Christmas
night, announced my intention of
going home. We had q remarkably
comfortable season, though the sleigh
ing was tolerably good yet there
had been no very cold weather, and
folks seemed to believe that the ma
ture Of winter had changed, aud there
wouldn't be any to speak oi. Aunt
Lakeland said everything to keep me,
anu Eben thaWed enough to say that
there wasn't the crowd he had
thought il, and the season would
seem ten miles longer without me.
But go would.
81 suppose you can send me down
to Fsring to meet the Wateredge
stage with John 2" 1 asked.
But John, the hired man, had rheu-
matism.
-'I wouldn't trust You with any
body but Eben, this season of the
year. John would be sure to lose the
way if be hadn't rheumatism. You
might wait for the mail carrier, and
drive back with him."
The mail arrived only once week
at Lakeland.
"I shall do nothing of the kimd,D
said 1, ''I shSll start tomorrow if
have to walk.
ave couldn't hear to your walk
ing" said Eben, laughing, "unless
you wore your snow Shoes"
'fVery well, them" said Aunt Lack
land, who was trifie put oEt, "Eben
must take you himself, though there's
no more need of your going than
there is OF my goingto Gretna Green.
You'll likely get showed up at Far
ine, and NOT reach home till after
Christmas, and serve you right
Come, Eben, can you say something
to make her stay :"
"Pve said my say"
~ believe she only wants to be
coaxed after all }" persisted my Aunt.
''I dare say it's q way women
have, but never humcr them in it,"
IwouIdn't have stayed after that II
il had rained blue devils all the way
to Faring. Oh, I fcGs a headstrong
piece! 1 was set upon showing Eben