Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1875-03-25

So, said Tidy. afterward, che think,
tnat ne has only got to ask, this minute
and you'll say Yes, thank YOU"
Hell find out his mistake" tossing
my head, "if ever he does ask!-a.
though l would marry farmer wher
I've been at boarding school, and car
play the piano and read French! Mercy
II you should see the young men at Wa
teredge, in their kid gloves and broad.
cloth, you wouldn't wonder that I WASH;
ready to fall in love with Eben Andrews
Tidy"
"And what are they like at Water.
edges" asked Aunt Lakeland.
4 Like heroes in romance said
sspitefully; mot at all like Eben An
drews"
No, l reckon they're not: heroes of
hddlesticks and nonsensep
Heroes of yard-sticks guess" add
ed Tidy.
And, sure enough. Ebep did find out
his mistake not long after; though you
might call it mine, in the long run. One
day in March he asked me to 90 down
into the maple grove to see the sap run,
and TO take a drink of it. We went
along by shortcut over the fields,
where the snow yet fingered in soft drifts
The afternoon was clear as crystal, and
when we got into the woods the sun illu.
minated it, shining upon the naked
trees, and creeping through the tan.
| gled boughs, till it seemed like a
great cathedral at evening service,
thought. There was a delicate hush
there too, and once in a while an early
bird trilled hest ating roundelay, and
another responded from some hidden
branch; and the crows went languidly
cawing overhead, and sometimes rabbit
5campered by, and the voices of the
men who were busy over the gypsy fire
boiling down the sap made long rever.
berations, melodious as the wind sweep
ing across sn Eolian harp. We drank
The sap, cool and sweet, as it dripped
| from the wounds in the maple
trees, and stirred the boiling pot
under the cross-sticks, and the afternoon
faded, and the sunset blushed and looked
into the wood, and the workmen dropped
away one by one, leaving Eben and me
| to follow at our leisure. But he fingered
| still, covering the pot, smothering the
| fire, though l had long ago warned him
that tea was waiting. We stood there,
side by side, looking into the smoldering
i
"Come, Eben Andrews, lord of loiter-
ers, can't wait any longer"
Neither can |, he returned, facing
me. 81 must know tonight, Lefty,
whether you love me or notp'
peated. What ever gave you that
crazy notionY"
Because have been crazy enough
20 r ha
had heard that love begets love-"
well, we will let by-gones be by
cones" said |. "rm sure | never gave
you any encouragement. But pray don't
speak of this to Aunt Lakeland"
"a man doesn't usually brsg about
being jilted," he answered. Now,
though / should like to have had my
aunt know ! had refused her precious
Eben, / was sure il she found 1t out
there would be an end of my visits TO
Lakeland; she would never have allowed
Eben's happiness to be placed in such
jeopardy; and somehow, though
didn't care for Tidy Bruce, and had
refused Eben, and was by no means
devoted to my aunt, yet liked to go to
Lakeland l had never asked myself why,
and l didn't care to know.
"Well, Tidy" said /, that night, after
Aunt Lakeland had had prayers, and
Eben had taken his candle and gone to
| bed, and we we're left to rake over the
kitchen fire, "well, Tidy, Eben's found
out his mistake"
Her eyes snapped like brands of fire.
and the color flew all over her face.
III guess you'll find the mistake IL
yours before you're much Older" said
she. "Tll wager, though, that he doesn't
feel anxious; he knows you only want
to be coaxed."
| Perhaps l did. But | must say II
| nettled me TO see how well he bore
| himself. Ihad read in novels how the
hero was either soured by unrequitec
affection or became spiendidly melan.
choly and morose and lost his appetite
| but Eben didn't carry out either pro
gramme; he behaved just as usual, and
passed his plate for a second piece OF
pudding, and made jokes, aid didn''
seem TO mind.
| II guess Eben was joking the Other
day." Tidy suggested, pleasantly.
"Pretty serious joke" said l. "Sup
posing had said yes2"
Then it's supposable case, ehs
thought as much"
1t was dreadfully mean in me to men
ton it to Tidy at all; but just wanted
to show her that wasn't ready to marry
Tom, Dick and Harry because they
should see fit to ask me to, and at the
same time / wanted to impress upon hel
that she was no prophet. Tidy was ter
years my senior, and if she knew how te
mislead me for her own advantage made
it easy for her. l was like one having
eyes and seeing not. Eben never hintee
| love after that, however. He was al
ways kind. and obliging. When / went
home he often carried me to the mex
town, ever 30 many miles away, where
met the stage for Wateredge, and we hso
the long lonely road to ourselves, prom
Use YOU; but he never once said love, ol
pressed my hand under the buffalo-robes
as Young men will, I've been told, or re-
ftrred TO that afternoon in the maple
grove, which was hardly ever out OF my
mind. It was about two years latel
when made my annual visit at Lack.
land at Thanksgiving time. There were
| only three of us to sit down TO dinner TO-
gether, and Aunt Lakeland said:
"Of all things one seems to need 9
large family at the holidays. How
wish had ten children all coming home
with their husbands and babies! ! do
a L.