The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1880-03-11
DaltOn's Sweetheart.

eS. he answered.. pdLluS d Y HCl a us
leaned back against the old gnarled tree,
with a daisy in her pretty hand.
A sunbeam peeped through the branches
over their heads, and kissed a little brown
curl that had strayed from the keeping Of
the picturesque rough hat kissed the sweet
dark eyes making them laugh and dance;
kissed a merry little mouth, and at last res
ted on the fair daisy, the child Of sun
beams.
II wonder who you AVE named it, Mr..
Dalton? Will you tell me afterward"
If the daisy Is wise and has the number
of petals [ wish, he said, with a look which
made Ethel Clifford drop her eyes quickly
as one by one she threw the snowy petals into
her lap. whispering softly, Friendship,
love, Indifference, hate"
One by one he picked up the little tell
tale things, picked them up with such alin-
gcring touch, and held them in his firm
hand for was not the daisy his-dear little
type of whose name it bore.
Meanwhile the sunbeam peeped at him
and lighted a manly, honest, earnest face.
that only half revealed the chivalrous spirit
and concentration of thought and ain that
made Edward Dalton the true mar that he
was.
"Oh, Mr.. Dalton. | know you'll be pleas
ed. 1t is friendship - said Ethel, with
a frank smile.
A shadow passed over his face.
But | an not, Miss Ethel"
Not She cried, growing earnest. 'Oh,
why not? Don't you feel that friendship
means a lifelong trust
"Your words make ne feel deeply that |
Am not satisfied with the flowers decree,
for l named the daisy-Ethel."
A deep sigh heaved from the sympa-
thetic heart through the quivering little
lips.
.'Oh, Mr.. Dalton, 1 ana so sorry"
why. Ethel2' he sadly asked.
observation-disclosures I am so fond of you
I love so much to be with you, and |
SO long that we should be as the daisy says
friends"
'sBut don't you feel, deep down in your
heart, that even your beautiful picture of
friendship is cold2 Add to it the flooding
sunlight of leve, and you know what | give
you and what | ask for in return
But the answer was almost a sob.
"Oh, MIR. Dalton, l am SO sorry"
''Think Of it. prayerfully, one little mo-
ment, dear heart. God grant you, do you
know yourself?"
The little head fell for a moment on the
clasped hands. Then she raised her true,
dark-grey eyes with a beseecbing glance.
and simply, gently said, "Only friendship"
lie IUdBiy, DIdNC l0CC wa uIuS away,
but Edward Dalton folded a little hand in
one OF his, while he whispered:
God bless you, child. Gsod-bye!'
The to-days quickly turned into yester-
days, and Ethel Clitford's life was happy
altogether happy.
She felt that she had been true to her own
heart that June morning when Edward Dal-
ton had said Good -byei' for surely it was
not love that she had dreamed of in hel
woman's fancies, so she put him away with
a sigh for his sorrow, and lived on her hap
py, busy little life. But, as the months
rolled by, a shadow fell on her happy heart
she knew not what it meant, and plunged
deeper into the pleasures and duties OF hel
life, but the shadow grew into craving, as
shadows often will.
One sunny June day, as she was rambling
: in the field, she came unexpectedly to the
spot where a year before Edward Dalton haC
told her the story of his love. She had eve1
avoided the spot since then She did no
know why. But there she was and SO she
fingered. She looked down on the fresh
green grass and started, but she only saw
daisy near an old gnarled tree, looking VI
at her with its innocent little face. Sh'
stopped and picked it, and a tear shone OIL
it as she put it in her breast, for it had show
her that the shadow on her heart was love
Uuc RTCdC CIdVluS Wdo vi Wild IL hau pu
from her a year ago.
A few nights after Ethel Clifford stood be
fore the mirror, restlessly putting the fin
!, ishing touches to a ravishing toilette
smiling at her pretty self as she c~arelessl
tucked a bunch of daisies in her belt. Sh
looked down at them a moment, hesitated
selected one from the bunch, counted tn
| petals, and poutingly rejected it then anoth
4 er, till, smiling, she kissed one, and nestle
it under the bow at her neck. Oh, a rar
d little schemer was Edith Clifford
5 An excited, expectant look made her fai
face more bewitching than its wont. Ed
:. ward Dalton was to be among the guests a
e the lawn party. He had returned from hi
!. foreign journeyings, and Ethel had not see
him since-since that long ago time.
S She greeted him with quiet, cordial dig
e nifty, but there was only a time for a greet
ing.
The evening wore on and he did not com
n 70 b>r uol <ho oJI Love lid - Lie hoor1