Sharp County record., 1877-11-16

dear sake, to bear it. | told myself tat
| would say no word against it-at lest
till thou vert gone, when George cold
pull it away-but can not even for cle
little moment. All, my angel, wait until
l am dead, and then they can draw over
me the pail, and put candles at my he'd
and feet, and do with me what they vii ;
but while / am yet alive can not 'e
treated like dead body"
Miss Betty said no further word Of
entreaty or remonStrance, but let the
miserable fimsy thing fall out of heI
hands upon the floor; and having
smoothed Fifne's pillow, and held some
milk to her lips, and promised to come
again in the morning, Miss Betty took
the woodland road home again.
1t was now quite dark, and big shad
ows seemed to threaten every step of hel
way. Her heart was heavy within her
and her poor little feet seemed scarcely
able to carry even her light weight
along. What wretched, abortive at
tempt had been hers to alleviate the
misery of poor Fifne! 1t was as tb
beautiful widow had said, she had h,1
her labor for her pains-the beautiful
mocking widow, who was no doubtful
ing home through the gloaming"lth
the Rev. Reginald Roake.
At that very moment Miss Betty
heard the ramping of hoofs behnd ner,
and stopped aside to let the lig'T-llmp1ea
pony of the widow pass by. me oaSket
sides of the phetOn were Illed with
wild flowers, and the whit hands OF
the minister held bunch I shy, sweet
forget-me-nots as blue as Miss Betty'S
eyes. :,
The widow drew up her pony, and
bade Mise Betty get inoy her side, lest
the hobgoblins of tb, wood should de-
your her; but the yong girl stoutly re-
fused, nor would sic be coaxed from
her decision. -.
II am not afraid of hobgobiins," she
said, thinking IN her heart there could
be none so greedy and rapacious as the
beautiful widow herself.
"Now what is 30 be done with this
obstinate cAild?r said the widow. The
minister had long since leaped from the
wagon and approached Miss Betty; but
she turned her back upon him, perhaps
to hide the tears of wrptchedness which
wore falling out of her eyes.
"Pick her up and put her in here by
me,n said the widow. 81 am myself
little afraid of the satyrS of the wood.
Come, child, do not be goose and get
Jealous of your grandmother. The gen
tleman there has gathered a pretty nose
gay of forget-me-nots for you that were
left over from spring, We have been
looking for you far and wide, and he
has done nothing but 5alk to me of his
love for you till l am sick of the refrain.
Betty turned swift melting glance
behind her. In a twhkling the minis
ter had lifted her to the widows side,
and forgot to take hi; arm away. 1t
was quite dark, and the only star that
shone in the sky was that of Venus.
They drove rapidly on, Miss Betty's
heart humping in unison with the
hoofs of the pony.
81 told you," said the widow, "you'd
have your labor for your pains. We
stopped at Fifne's. Tie poor creature
was full of alteration fol you. She call
ed upon every saint in he calendar to
shower blessings upon your head. She
said that you had brought her some
beautiful ice and some delicious jelly,
and net that was most wonderful.
"But she refused them all" said Miss
Betty.
"Ah, yes" replied the widow; :" hut
George did not refuse them. He had
chopped up the ice in his milk, and had
spread all the jelly upon his bread, and
had wrapped himselfup in the mosquito
netting, and lay upon the lounge when
we entered, snoring, as Fifne said, like
an angel. Fiji was parched with
fever and devoured with mosquitoes,
but she declared to- me that she was
quite comfortable and happy. do not
understand it.''
But Miss Betty did. She nestled
closer to the arm about her, and lifted
her flushed and radiant face to the one
above her own-
"My sweet little Samaritan" he
whispered; and although the widow
could not understand the happiness of
Fiine, it was quite clear to the heart of
Miss Betty.-Harper's Weekly.