Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-05-18

mary, Glove pink, and white rosebud, and
fastens II in her dress, to her own and Willie's
great satisfaction.
Mrs. Warren Is in the kitchen, getting tea
ready. 1t is nothing new for Phoebe to tea"
at Hawthorne Farm, and she accepts Mrs.
Warren's invitation this evening ali the m Jre
readily because she is extremely hungry: and
Mrs. Warren always sets forth her rarest
dainties for her delectatiOn. Phoebe is great
favOrite at Hawthorne Farm-haS been ever
since she was child. Mrs. Warren is
pleasant, mOtherly woman, and Phoebe OF en-
comes to her with her troubles. Willie is NJ IS.
Warren'S grandchild: his father is soldier
and his mother is dead, and he himself is
cripple for life. But Willie rules Hawthorne
Farm with rod of iron.
Phoebe does not mention Mr.. Warren's mes
senger TO Mrs. Warren-peChaps She has 10
gotten all about him; but when he preSelJly
comes in to tea with Farmer Warren and sits
down with tier at the table she is not over-well
pleased. Sh deyoteS herself to Willie, whose
high chair m ISt always be placed over against
hers when she teas at the Farm. Mr.. War
rem is joyial. good natured man, great
politician, and, of course. Wilies devoted
slave as well as the rest The title white faced
child rules the big, burly. red faced farmer As
he rules everybody else at Hawthorne. 1t Is
pretty to see Phoebe and the chill together
and SO Mr.. Penrose seems to think. And
Phoebe. though she cannot utterly ignore the
strangers presence, manages TO make very
good tea OF brown bread and honey and goose
at AshbroOk, nor such tea either. Perhaps
Mrs. Warren knows it, and is liberal in her
miniStTatiOnS accordingly.
1t grows DUSK while they are at tea, and Mrs.
Warren deputies her new inmate to see " Miss
Phoebe" home. Phoebe sees no necessity for
any escort, but the good woman is more than
nate too. SO she departs with him under pro-
test, down the garden walk, across the road
and home through the meadows, where the
cornerakes go crake; crake, .crake-crake,
among the long grasses and the meadow
sweet. They do not lOiter by the way, but 1t
is not unpleasant to Miss AShe to be escorted
home by AR. PenrOse, even against her will.
At the Stile he bids her good night, and she
tells Martha nothing about her new acquaint-
ance.
CHAPTER III.
SO the June days pass, one by One the roses
bloom and fade, and Martha AShe puts on her
Washed-out musIlns every afternoon, and sits
In the dusty drawing-room but visitors are
more scarce than ever at AShbrOOk. The Main
warnings never call now, and old Mrs La
Touche pretends not to see Phoebe if she meets
But the work at the mill goes on briSkly and
old Nick reports that the Townsends say 1t
might De made paying concern II it was pro
of her ability, sitting in the Office day after
day, getting plentifully Wilitened with flour,
and blachened by her friends, who never heard
and therefore, and for that sole reason, setting
it down as most reprehenSble proceeding.
But Phoebe is making money; she will be
able to pay rent for Ashbrook; and she in
friendship of the five Misses Mainwaring But
poor Martha is greved to the heart The
curdte upon whom she has set her affections is
the brother vi the Misses Mainwaring, and he
is subject to pettcOat government. He used
to pay formal visits at AShbrOOk, sitting OppO
site to Miss Ashe on the StilfeSt and most I'M
comfortable chair In the room, his high hat
on the floor beside him, his umbrella in his
hand, and MS long-ttiIS sweeping the dusty
boards. But he never comes now and Martha
moulnS for HIM III secret. He is long and ca
daIerOus OF ylsage, like his sisters; Du, wnat
OF that? Martha AShe is over thirty years OF
age. and even a cula ate is acceptable to her. be
he never 50 medgre.
Phoebe is sorry for her sister. But il will be
better for her too i'll the end. And Laurie nd,
written for more money. Sir Aymerald Asne,
their kinSman, is coming to Herne Court and
II behoOveS her 10 look her best. Why should
she not set her cap at Sir Aymerdld ASne?
Would not that be grand thing for them all?
fhHoe sends her 1--WE pound note-haif her
earnlngS-Wlth sigh. 1t would be grand
lhlnS Tor them especially; but ii She were lin
Laurie place she would rather their rent We're
paid.
So PhGbe goes down to the mill at six O clock
every morning and works hard there all day
Two OF III ee times, MIR. PenrOSe comes iuIo
the Office with messages from the farmer, and
TWO or Three times she meets him on the way 70
and from the miIi-but not often. He fishes in
the river, OF shoots rabbits in the fields about
IL
counters him. She does not 60 to Hawthorne
fdrm as She used. Willie Warren cries out foI
her sadly, but she will seldom be persuaded Go
stay for tea. Perhaps she does not like t. give
MI. PenroSe the trouble of seeing her HON -
perhaps IL Is Tor some other reason. But Mr.
PenrOse seems like seeing her home. He iSuu
Ike ION townsend or Aaron Grahim-,a,.
has discovered this factlOng since. she stand,
upon her dignity with him; but il is not as she
Stands upon II with these young men. rom
townsend IS The, son OF her late fatne.
steward, a man VINO had been dismissed Tor
palpable dishonesty. Aaron Graham is the
brother OF the village SchOolnaSter. Poor AS
they are, the Ashes nave never associated IN
familiar terms with such people as these. With
the NafrenS IL Is different. If PnnDe AS..e
were d rich heTeSs, she would still tea ar
Hawthorne Farm, and enjoy it too. Blu: the
NaTlenS never presumed Oh this familiarity
10 place themselves on an equal footing with
tnelf VlSller Mr.. PenrOSe is not SO deferential
he treats her as gentleman should treat
lady but he does nothing more. He even as
serts himself sometimes, as a man will over a
woman, and Phoebe cannot resent it. Sac
knows that he is right; and, even if she som :
times dlsregardS him from spirit of con ra
dlctlOn, she is always forced to acknowledge
tnat II would nave been better if She had AIKEN
Ii Phoebe Ashe were asked how it has come
about that she and this young man ale no,
only acquainted with each other but friend
alter fashion, She could very possibly n Jt
tell. She Is not girl to form friend snip
very easily, neither is she one to think twice
OF ordinary compliments, such as every pretty
girl receives. Not that Mr.. Penrose PAYS her
compliments: but she finds erSelf recolIec,-
ing speeches he had made, more subtle than
compliments and dreaming over them while
she sits at her dusty office table, with the
ciang and clank OF the mil in her ears
she never mentions his name to her sister
marina. AShOrOOk Is about half a mile from
the village; the river passes through the vii
lage hrSt, where Ii is crossed by a bridge of
three arches, then runs through the Ashbrook
property, down by the mill, and 50 EDWARDS.
10r miles and miles, 10y twenty thOrpS a lit
Tie town, and half dozen bridges" Bat Ttw
Mill Is too far from AShbrOOk village for even
the Misses Mainwaiing to be aware of every
They know, OF course, that Phoebe AShe has
low caste by managing the mill herself, but
they do not know that Ph1ue AShe has a
lover IhlS Is perhaps not very wonderful
since PhnDe does not know it herself and a
girl Will generally be aware of such tact her
self before even the most inveterate gossip
Neither would PhRbe be very we'll pleased
herself II She did know it. She may m IN lye
the mill OF necessity, but that is a diife. 'enf
thing from having young farmer for a lover
She acknowledged to herself that John Pen.
rose is not a common farmer, bui is the ideal
knight, the larry prince VINO is to come for the
youngest OF the three princeSSeS one of these
days? Scarcely, Phoebe thinks, with A shrug
and goes on seeing him now and then sneak
ing TO him occasionally. and nobody warns
her, for nobody knows.
Whatever may be in the girls heart, as the
June days come and go, John PenroSe makes
no secret OF what Is in his. By degrees Phoebe
begins TO read 1t, and the reading makes her
understand her own. But she never betrays
herself. Her piquant sauciness keeps him at
a @ orr and rhnyr ,al,