Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1880-07-21

l noticed that your Lady Isabels are in
fine condition. You will have a cluster
of them by the day after Tomorrow
well, you old stingy, I suppose you
don't mind running down TO the mail
for me; 1 forgot what Barbara asked
me TO do, and I shall get scoldIug
from mamma, who can't have Rab
crossed in anything, you know
Il shall have TO 90 down and see
Manson about the wagon gear anyway
tonight, and 1 can just as well stop at
the post Office. Is it the letter from
from New Haycn?' And Eben very
thoughtlessly bit Of the leaves of the
rose and mangltd them with his strong
white teeth.
Yes, it was the letter from New
Haven, and Ebcn was charged to bring
UP q new novel. and some pink sewing
silk and eighteen celluloid buttons, By
Theo, who ran after him 10 suggest
chocolate caramels in case the letter
failed.
II was q sort of satisfaction to him
that the letter did fail. But it hurt him
to see Barbara's disappointment. He
had remembered Thco'e womanish
little errands, and he still held the rose,
which he laid now on Barbara's clasped
hands. For all she had grown to hate
the old place, she loved its old-fashion-
ed big fluffy roses as londlyas when a
child, and Eben had braided long
garland of them for her out Of th c
finest and best.
She caressed the rose and tucked it in
among the curling locks, where it nes-
tied just against her cheek. Eben
flushed and paled as he remembered
how he had LAID his heart in the heart
of that rose.
The letter will be sure TO be here to-
morrow he said gently, Il am going
down the first thing in the morning
The young ladies around Larboroush
are not to be without 4 gallant this
season. A handsome young man from
New York has come down to stay some
weeks in the neighborhOod. l met him
with DR.. Ormsby in the gig.'
Eben was not slow to note that this
bit Of news awakened a faint show oil
interest in Barbara,
what was he like: said Barbara,
blushing little. L trust he is an ac-
qcistion. Did he look like gentle"
man?'
Yes. he looked like one. Eben was
compelled to admit that he did, and
that he wore elegant clothes. aud had
slender soft white hands, which Eben
had not.
Days after this, E5on in a fit OF jeal-
Gus anguish was compelled TO accord
the stranger great many other advan-
tages and accomplishments. He rode
well, was a good shot, talked fuently,
sketched passably, understood woman,
and was Miss Lelghton's most ardent
admirer.
Eben forcsaw all this, and yet once
when Their mingled voices Aoated out
to lis little den, he brought down
hammer wrathfully and smashed hi;
thumb nail. Morning and night he
saddled and brought round horses Tor
Barbara and Mr.. Ney, and went away
to his work in the hot fields, while they
we're cauterlng down the shady roads,
md Ms. Leighton and Theo were
beating eggs in thc.buttory and getting
up rare dishes for tea. The letter had
come from New Haven and Barbara
had answered briefly that she could not
90 until some time later. She hat
never looked so animated and beautitS
as now. Sac rarely saw Ebcn, sending
him her requests by her sister. anC
Eben went on at his inventions feeling
as If every blow Of his chlsel drove oa
piece Of his hearts core. Aud, al
though he would have scorned the idea,
Eben had grown wonderfully haggarC
and pale, with great dark circles un-
der his eyes since DR.. Ormsby had in
troduced Edgar Ney to the Lelghtons
He took little pride in the knowledg
that he was the better man OF the two,
but he did know that he could crust
Ney with one hand into shapcles'
mass. and lie wondered sometimes why
he did not. One day he was sclzet
with a ft of trembling. He was prun
aing q pear tree when he looked up ant
Barbara stood before him, in her habit
switching at the nettled butterflies thai
futtered on the hollyhocks, and aroun
Eben's brown hands.
'How pale and i'll you look, Eben'
| 1t was the least she could say, and
was the truth. Eben's heart bea
madly for a moment aud then went. o
slowly.
Il am not one to get i'll, Miss Barba
ra l am not so much Drowned as usu
al, perhaps
His MISS Barbara sounded oddly
and his looks belied his words. Sh
looked down at the ground and SAT-
nervously:
Il hope you will not argue with mt
this morning, Eben, but Pye set IN
heart on riding the colt, Tam O'Shan
ter. to the falls. L am not in the lea'
afraid
'ButI am, said Eben, calmly :
, cannot permit you to risk your lie Will
4 that vicious colt.
l.