The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1877-06-08

lgntnlng, on the whole, i am glad that |
you won't marry me- for you've got no more
heart than an adder" And then he could
have bitten his tongue out for saying what
wasn't true, when his heart was almost break
ing for love of her and if she had showed
that she was wounded by word or look, he
was ready to abase himself beneath her feet
and take it all back.
YOU'RE amazing polite, Mr.. Thurman,
must say, she returned. 81 am sorry you
asked for what you didn't want, because it
would have been awkward If : hadn't refused
l didn't know that this was the way folks
made love-calling names, when I've always
| treated you WELL"
Treated me well with vengeance ~
cried Ben, his face white as star, and his
| eyes like thunderbolts. "Do you call it
| handsome treatment to let me 60 on loving
you year after year, while it strengthened
| with my strength, without hint that you
| couldn't return measure for measure? And
then to go back upon fellow and throw him
over because he doesn't live like a nabob,
though he loved the ground you walked on,
and thought nothing too hard to do for you
| If that's what you call treating me well good
BY don't want ever to see you again"
Louisa had been looking at him with
sparkling eyes. She rather liked to see him
angry it was vastly becoming. And then
he loved her so desperately. She felt a
strange, delightful thrill at her heart, as if it
responded secretly. She had half mind
to go to him and hold out her arms and be
clasped to his beating heart, and forget am
bition and luxury and choose rather heaven
on earth and while she had hestated he
had said 'Good-bye-I don't want ever
to see you again-good- d-bye."
81 return the sentiment, "said She instead,
81 believe l can live without you. Good
| bye" And when he was safely out of sight
she took revenge in good cry.
But now that he was gone, she began to
find how much she had depended upon him
how much more his presence was to her than
any dream of worldly prosperity, however
golden. Perhaps but for this breach she
never would have known how dear he was
to her, nor how little she valued the super
tluities of life in comparison. Well, one Of
the three was to return before the winter
season of logging began, in order to lay in
provisions for the camp-as they had only
taken up enough for week or ten days
and perhaps Ben would be the one to come
in which case he could hardly avoid bring
ing her some word of her father and uncle.
And then who would predict but he might
think it worth his while to reiterate his love
in his eloquent style? And then Louisa
laughed wickedly at the prospect, and
decided that if he was enough in love to do
thus and thus, it would be safe for her be-
yond peradventure to take her own time
about making up, to show supreme indif-
ference TO his regard. No more heart than
an adder, indeed What was it, then, that
ached so day after day, as the dull, cold No
vember wind sighed about the house and
touched the neighboring pines into Eolar
harps and swept up the dead leaves, only tC
scatter them again? Why was she alway:
straining her eyes down the frost whitened
country road? And what was it that trem-
bled in her bosom whenever speck appear
ed against the frosty sky? But Louisa had
reckOned without her host. Ben was not the
man who was fond of reiterating love that
had been received so coldly He didn't
mean to leave the woods till March, if he
could hold out so long Moreover, it was
Mr. Bruce himself who proposed to go back
with the OK team and bring the supplies and
hire the men.
Il don't feel quite right about the head,
said he, "and | want Louisa to cosset me
Then I'll go out to Shopton and see Scales
and Weight about the supplies, and be back
: before you and 81 have eat up all this 'ere
2 victuals."
t can right, sir" said Ben, smothering q
, twinge of disappointment which he wouldnt
2 own to himself. even get the hovel ready
for the cattle while you're off, and take 6
tramp through the woods and spot the bes
timber for telling"
! "That's enough to do" said Uncle ST.
mon.
t "You'll be back in five days, say ?"
p eff I'm lucky. How's the stores, Si?"
| ppOu lOI NCth, suCh az
J they are. But the sooner you get back the
E better. It'll be easier for you if you can
! manage to get up before heavy snow
t comes. You see, we haven't had anything
a but spits yet, though, maybe, we're going tc
hev an open winter"
Gay, ay," answered Mr.. Bruce, as he
= drove Off through the woods with the OK
j | team. provisions for a week, eh That'l
e | tide ye over, | reckon. There's sight o.
5 work to be got through with in a week:
e time There's the supplies to be got anG
!. | the hands to be hired lemme see-five cut
e ters, two teamsters and cook that's abou
d | it, and to have em ready to start when do
d and | amt so young as | was, Heyday, it,
e rub and grind, lumberman's life, isp'
n Alas there was more to be gotten through
e | with in weeks time than Mr.. Bruce haC
d an inkling of; so much that it ran over int
e | the next week, as work has a trick of doing
= When Louisa saw that it was only her OLE
e | father trudging along with the returning o,
; | team, her mercury went down to zero in hal
d a second. She saw before her weary thre
b mo lths oflone iness and longing, and she saw
# 100, that she deserved it.
1t Its deuced cold day for an old man,
t said Mr.. Bruce, shiyering before the WOO
fire, as if there should have been special set
e Of weather created to suit customers
d Whats that you've got cooking on tn
e crane, Lu? Stew amt got ne more al
is petite than bear in August. Brndle an
e Trot were slow as cold molasses they V
; seen their best days, reckon, like thei
o master. Wish I'd swapped EN- to Dunn fc
r the yearlings aud boot it would hev been
k good bargain. 81 sent his love to you, Ii
3. I've got cold. reckon I'll turn in an
lie sleep it off,"