The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1876-12-28
CHAPTER VII.
WHAT ANNIK HEARD IN HER BED
ROOM.

WHAT ANNIK HEARD IN HER BED
ROOM.
Annik had been unhappy ali day.
She had slighted Silvestik, and she
had allowed Lao to speak to her too
freely, and this evening he had come
In to see Guerik, and had again spoK-
en- familiarIy to her, rs IL there were
an understanding between them.
And when she looked scornful and
angry, the farmer pstted Laos shoul-
der and encouraged him to go on.
tIt is the way with women, friend
Coaifrec," he said, winking at him
''tbey always say No when they
mean Yes"
At this Annik famed into indig-
nant words, and running up the stair
case ladder to her little room, she
drew the oolt across the door, re-
solved not to 20 down till Lao had
taken bis departure.
She sat half an hour in the dark
ness thinking of Sllvestik, and puz-
zling over his strange behavior.
From below cams the sound Of mems
voices broken by the tapping of the
chestnut leaves against her window.
She began to feel tired of waiting
Lao was still talking to her uncle.
She had no candle, and through the
wide chinks in the rough flooring of
her room the red fire-light peeped in
lines here and there.
ar am tired" AnnIk thought,
"I shall not go down sgain tonight, "
and she began to prepare for bed.
The large silver headed pin which
fastened her bodice slipped from her
fingers and fell on the floor, and she
stopped hurriedly, least it should roll
through one of the creviees. she felt
for it in the darkness, and as she
found it flush of joy glowed on her
cheeks. Silvestik had given 1t her
as fairing last year when she had
danced with him at the Pardon of
Pout-Aven, But the glow faded
quickly into q trembling chill Or fear,
and instead of rising from her knees,
Annik lay dawn on the boards, plsc-
ing her ear on one of the larger crew
ices marked by the line OF red light
that glowed up from the room be-
meath. She had heard her name
spoken by Lao, coupled with the
word "wife.n
"Trust me,D Guerik said, In an
swer "Annik shall be your wife in
8 week.
"Why not sooner? lean Ill spare
q week my mates will be getting
unruly, and I should have liked 3
day or so with the little one in Brest
before go of again. Why cannot /
wed Annik on Monday ?"
| lan4had ftXOfl ora a fine
fellow to lecture me about dealing
gently by the girl, and then want to
marry her out of hand without any
approaches"
"Lsave me alone, my friend 1
| know the sex.n Laos laugh made
the girl shiver as she lay listening.
AZ Told you that three days ago.
Meantime Annik and / have not
kept apart; and"-the spesker
paused, as IL he looked round to Sc.
cure himself against q listener; he
went on in . lower voiee-'I have
learned something else. Mark you,
this is between ourselves-that young
! fool Kergroes, with all his sheepish-
psss, is mad with love for Annik
He has sold his soul TO my grand
mother for q spell 10 charm the girls
love-" .H. r.H. El..
"And are you fool enough to be-
lieve such old women'e tales, Lao T?
/ should have thought even Silvestik
had more sense. What may this
spell be ?'
Trembling in every limb, Annik lay
straininK her ear to catch the answer.
'She has sent him tonight to the
Rocking-StOne. She tells me the
spell will fail, but that its pOvSf 6ill
drive Silyestik distracted, and that
probably be will rush on to the sea,
and be carried Of by the waves, as
that poor fool Pierre was some years
ago, for Ursule has fixed the time for
trying the spell at the tune Of the
tide. This must not come 90 Annik's
ears. A woman, however pretty, IS
such q fool, that If 9 man runs any
risk for love Of her, she loves him at
once, and, who can say, perhaps gives
herself up to his memory. Silyestik
will not be missed for week or so I;
folks win think be is at Nixon. 1t
is 3 good plan-aha my granGmOth-
| er Is Q clever woman"
Annik lay as II spell-bound her
senses seemed to be going; but just