The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1878-05-25

MISS Herne was beautiful, and an heir.
ess in her own right. Her near rela
tives were all in the world beyond, and
there were none to place upon her any
restraint.
Mrs. Marshall, with whom Atheline
boarded, had been an old friend of her
mothers, and took a kindly interest in
the girl S welfare. Just interest enough
not to be burdensome-not to make il
seem otficious; for there certainly is an
extent to the degree in which people
may be interested in us if we are to be
rendered happy by it.
The Marshalls were quiet people;
they had passed their lives on the farm
where they now resided, and which,
for the beauty of its location and sur
roundings, stood without a rival.
Miss Herne slept late in the morning
after her arrival at the farm. When
she opened her window to let in the
fragrance of the sweet air and the mu-
sic of the birds, the beauty of the morn
ing struck through to her heart as
nothing else had the power to do. She
acknowledged the sovereignty of ma
ture, but she instinctively looked DOM
upon the sturdy farm-laborers who
went whistling away to the fields in
striped frocks and blue overalls. What
a pity, she thought, to have to con-
found the sweet smell of crimson clover
and damask roses with the overalls and
striped frOcks.
Atheline was q naughty patrican.
This half contempt for the lower classes
of society was part of her education;
she was not to blame, perhaps, for her
prejudices. She had been taught to
regard the contemplate distinctions of
society as second in sacredness only to
her religion.
She went down to her late breakfast
IN pink wrapper, with all her shining
hair hidden away in gold-colored net.
Her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes
bright with looking out over the dew
wet fields.
While Atheline discussed the nice
breakfast set before her by the careful
hands of Mrs. Marshall, Mr. Marshall
read to her from the morning paper.
He was interrupted by the entrance of
one of the farm hands.
"Shall we hoe the corn in the Han
son lot?'
The voice that uttered the question
was deep and mellow, but it grated on
the sensitive ear of Miss Herne, and
she glanced up at the speaker with an
expression of annoyance on her face.
She met the eyes of the man fastened
upon her; not in admiration, but with
the cool scrutiny one bestows upon an
indifferent stranger. Miss Herne flushed
slowly, and was desperately angry
with herself when she felt the blood
creeping hot to her cheek.
The face beneath the rough straw
hat was brown as a berry, but the eyes
unusually fine, the features good, and
the bronze hair and beard soft shining
as floss silk. Besides, he was tall,
slender, and muscular altogether a
man to be depended upon.
Atheline scorned herself for looking
at him, and wondered if she was eX-
pected to eat her breakfast with that
country loon looking on. Mr.. Mar
shall, good old soul, felt called upon to
do something in the case.
"This is Miss Herne, Vert. She was
wishing for water-lilies only little
while ago. 1t is rather early, | sup
pose; do you think you could find any
for her?''
81 will make the attempt if you wish
me to, SIR Vert replied, never once
looking at Atheline.
In spite of her cool self-control, she
felt the slight. He would do his mas
ter's bidding, but not at her pleasure,
and she silently determined that if the
lilies came, with ever so subtle fra
GRANGE in their golden hearts, she
would not notice them. Miss Herne
was doing very unwise thing; suffer-
ing herself to get indignant with this
man, and thus allowing him to occupy
her thoughts.
At dinner a slender glass full of lilies
stood beside her plate. The dreamy
odor almost made her dizzy with de-
light, but she would not look at them
until Mrs. Marshall directed her atten-
ton. Then she simply replied:
"Ah! yes-they are early, arnen't
they? How nice your peas are, Mrs.
Marshall
As days passed, Atheline saw Vert
ner Fales very frequently. He was
Mr.. Marshall's chief adviser, anC took
his meals with the family. He never
spoke to Miss Herne, never seemed to
be aware of her presence; and though
she said to herself every day that she
would 90 away from the farm on pur-
pose to be rid of his society, still she
did not go.
One fine evening she started to walk
down to the village. 1t was full two
miles, but Miss Herne was a good pc
destran. She had not gone far when
carriage stopped at her side, and look
ing up she met the dark, brilliant eyes
of young Fales.
"Will you ride DOWN." he asked
her.
"No," she answered, shortly and I'M
graciously enough.
"Ahr' 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 gathering
honeysuckle in the yard.
Vert said something to her, as Athe-
line swept down the road, and very
soon the carriage, with Nellie beside
the handsome driver, dashed past Athe-
line, enveloping her in cloud of dust.