The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1878-07-18

at them until Mrs. Marshall directe
their attention to them. Then sh
simply replied:
tAhl yes-they are early. aren
they?' How nice your peas are, Mrs
| Marshall
AS days passed, Atheline saw Vert
ner Fales very frequently. He wa
Mr.. Marshall's chief advi =, and tool
his meals with the family He neve
spoke to Miss Herne, never seemed t,
be aware of her presence; and thougl
she said to herself every day that sh
would go away from the farm on pur
pose to be rid of his society, still sh
did not go.
One fine evening she started t,
walk down to the village. 1t was full
two miles, but Miss Herne was goo,
pedestrian. She had not gone ia
when carriage stopped at her side
and looking up she met the dark bril-
liant eyes of young Fales.
will you ride down P he asked her
NO. she answered, shortly and un
graciously enough.
'Ahv He did not repeat the invi
tation, only gave the sleek farm horses
the rein and went on. A few rods
ahead he stopped at the cottage of the
widow Morgan. Nellie, her pretty
golden-haired daughter, was gather.
ing honeysuckles in the yarn.
Vert said something to her, as Ath-
cline swept down the road, and very
soon the carriage, with Nellie beside
the handsome driver, dashed past
Atheline, enveloping her in cloud oi
dust. A,heiine said that night to Mrs
Marshall.
is it the Widow Morgan's cottage
down by the willows?'
yes. She lives there all alone with
Nellie. She is the belle of the village.
the widow?'
mo. dear, Nellie. She has tho pink
est cheeks, and such pretty yellow
curls. wish You could see her!
Atheline shrugged her shoulders.
Blonde beauties are not to my taste
Dear mel how very close the air is!'
Two days afterward Miss Herne
went off by herself for a ramble in
the woods. In truth, she spent a
great deal of her time in solitary wan
among the shadows of the
pasture groves and beside the river.
She spent the afternoon pleasantly
wild flowers, aud near sum
down she seated herself on q fallen
tree to arrange her treasures.
A couple of colts started out of the
and with the shy, yet ar
dent curiosity of their race, they be-
gan making advances with view to a
closer acquaintance. Atheline was
city bred, and of course she had an
idea that all animals in a pasture were
to be regarded as savage. and with a
bound she reached the top of high
stone wall, intending to leap down on
the other side. But on the other side
zz--H wide, deep ditch nearlv
full of water, and she dared not make
the leap. And to -kea1i tke-Way
she had come was impossible, for the
frisky colts were putting their heels
into the air in q way extremely ter
rifle to woman with nerves.
Velt Fales was moving just beyond
the ditch, and directly he glanced up.
An amused expression came into his
face. Athelinc could have forgiven
but that. And that, never !
He bounded forward, reached up his
strong arms, and taking her down,
carried her to the firm ground beyond.
How crimson her face grewl
'How dare you p she cried, hotly.
you looked uncomfortable. If you
are offended, save your anger for some
one who will appreciate it,
He took up his sc1ie and resumed
his labor. Athe;ine hurried home at
war with everybody. She ate no sup
per and went to her room at eight.
She tried to think herself disgraced by
the free touch of that country clown.
The hands he had held so close thrilled
under the cold flash of their diamond
rings; the cheek his soft hair had
brushed glowed red as wine.
Miss Herne wondered what was the
matter with her that she could not
sleep. Tho night was so warml She
put her wrapper around her and sat
The hours. before the dawn away Ibe-
lore her chamber window. When she
went down to breakfast che found
copy of Mrs. Browning's sonnets on
her plate; the very book she had
wished for yesterday at dinner; and
IN opening it little slip of paper fell
,ut. And written on it were the
words:
spoke rudely to you yesterday; l
I'm repentant. Forgive me.
Although she had never seen his
she knew that Vert
Fales had writted it. She tore the pa
Der into shreds, shut the book and
ossed it among the papers on side
able, mentally vowing never to look
inside it so long as she lived.
Do not, / beg you, get the impres.
ion that this heroine of NINE was bad
she was only proud and
Ingry with herself for seeming in any
way interested in a vulgar laborer.
Before the week was out she had
earned egough Of Vertner Fales' his
ory to force her to respect him. His
ather had been a wealthy merchant,
,ut through the villalny of friends had
'een reduced to poverty. He had died
hortly afterward, and left fragile
wife and two sons-Vertnera and Juan.
Iertner was in college at the time,
within three months of graduation;
'ut he left at once, and devoted him.