The Weston Democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1875-current, 1877-04-28

"pN" NHlNNk w iNA Nv ~ tuG VIVA p|VkE
till We could find a buyer. | only wish
she could raise the mOney and buy il her.
/ seli.n
II was, therefore, MS the mi.treSs at the
renovated mansion behind the naples ut
the turn Of the road that Barbara Hawkins
WIS considering herself when tea time
came, and she was quite willing To hurry
back INTO the parlor while her rendy handed
step-mother supervised their solitary "help'
in putting AWAY the tea things.
BY the time poor Bill Emmons made his
appearance, after his long days drudgery
in the one law office Of the village, where
he was the junior, and therefore perhaps
! the working, partnCr.--by that time Barbara
vas ready, cirilly as she received him, TO
wish he would postpone his call until she
could "rcccive him in 20 much better
style" And yet thnt night, OF all nights,
the young lawyer had made up his mind 10
put his fate to the test, "and win or loose it
ALL"
! Not n bad fellow was Bill, and he Ind
more than once reflected how Clarmingly
convenient was the location OF the Hawkins
homestead, and what tremendous lift the
possession Of that and the productive little
fam belonging thereto would give to a
struggling young lawyer like himself. The
fact that he was over head and ears in love
with Barbara made the whole affair abso-
lutely beautiful.
Sad was the trial to his impatient feel.
'ingS, therefore, when all the eloquenCc OF
which he was mastCr--Rnd he had long
considered himself master OF tile situation
as Eelt.-.only resulted in obtaining for him
a promise from barbara that she "wOuld
consult her step-motEer."
"Such n change it, would make for her
il | should leave her?' sighed Barbara.
"Not at all, not at qIl" eagerly cx-
claimed Bill. "She could live with lis,
you know. Everybody likes her. I'm sure
do. She wouldn't be in The, way at all."
But vain was all lG could say ordO, cx-
rcpt that Barbara,S vision OF tthe Grover
farm and house may have recctled disome.
what ms she listened to the pleading Of her
suitOr. She almost hoped Dan might not
come that evening, for not only tue present
situation had its charms, but it might have
its rcrilsIas we'll. Dan Grover was not n
man to be trifled with, she knew, for all
his quiet, self contained waya.
And so it was with something Of feel
ing OF rclicfthat Barbara listened, at last,
TO the bur Of the big kitchen clock striking
nine.
1t was at the same instant that the
shadows OF two who were walking side by
side in the moonlight fell on the gate in IL
singularly unified manner; and then, rs the
gate opened, Barbara sprang to her feet
with Il slight exclamation. She had been
sitting close to the low window seat, and
she had not seen ct, or had forgotten, to
light lamp.
There may or there may not have been
any cause for surprise, but the way OF it had
been this: No sooner were the ten things
out Of the way than Mrs.. Hawkins remcnl-
l,errd an errand she had in the village, and
had Slipped'quietly out to perform it. Nor
would 20 simple n matter have taken two
long hours, but that, just as the widow was
stepping across the little foot bridge ut the
brook, the form Of n tall, broad sliOudered,
vigorous man of, say, thirty-live summers
stoOd before lcr, and n deep voice re-.
marked @1t
Right about face, please. iwant n bit
Of talk with You, and thered he no
chance iorit nj the hOusc.M
Not wOrl said the widow, aS Dan Gro.
yer drew her arm in his, but she thought,
Iii he wants to speak Of barbara, he's
right, ior Bill Emmons must be there by
this time. What ,fO0l she Is! lie don't
begin to compare with Dan."
II must bc confessed, however, that it
seemed wonderfully pleasant, even when
Dan turned up the slIadOwy lane toward
the grove, and when he seemed disposed 10
put off his express business and to talk Of
his farm and his house, and at last OF HIM
self.
al have everything around me fixed as
nicely MS l couldEask for" he remarked ut
length; "but | grow lohclier every day.
The fact il, I've determined TO have wife,
If | can get the one | want; but therc'd
only one in all the wide world. I'd be
lonclier than am now with any other"
"Why don't you spcnk TO her, then 2"
snid the widow, with n lalf-choked feeling
in her throat. ashes very sensible girl,
but don't think ii would be right for me
to Try to influence her. believe womun
lIas no right to marry without loving"
Quick US lightning---very different from
Dams ordinary calm, slow style---was his
responsive query; Have You always been
of that opinion? Have you acted on it?"
The plump, soft hand on his arm WIS
jcrkCd away in an instant, and narbara'S
stcp.mothcr was almost sobbing with angry
and wounded feeling, us she stepped back
irum him, exclaiming: "Iiow dare y0u I!
What have you 10 do with that? Ask
barbara for her secrets, il youwill. Mine
are my own
"Exactlv," responded the steady minded
Dan, Init his voice was shaking nnw in
spite Of llis sclf.eUntrol. ."YOu have told
/. me part Of your secret, Marian Hawkins,
whether you meant 10 or not. knew you
could never have loved him. Now I will
tell YOU mine. You are the one woman
without whom l must forever be lonely.
You have been only too faithful to Bar
bara, or you would have seen il before"
Rapid, earnest, passionate, grew the
strong mans words as he uttered them, and
lie closed with sudden forward movement.
Before the widow knew il, Dams arms were
around her, and even her tears betrayed
her.
1t was too late for anything but to let
Dan have his own way. Such williul fel-
low lie wis, too. And when At last the
widow insisted OH going lomewNrl, their
arrival at the gate was signalized BY Just
such another theft III he had pCrpetratc'l
twenty tiucS already, for llarbnra's cx.
cIamation. had been simply: "Kisscd
herr
Never wus lamp II so quicklyin all the
world before; but, between the finding and