The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1880-05-22

talh so.
The boy took up his cap, and went
back to his chopping, while the girl
with flushed face and strangely
bright eyes, then she came quietly
into the kitchen aud began washing
dishes.
Fred had every inclination to be
kind and on intimate terms with the
new conner. Kind he was, but it did
not seem possible to he very intimate
with poor house girl. Fred decided
in his own mind that she was the
proudest piece he ever saw, and he
was very much provoked with him
self that he could not help liking
her, for she certainly appeared to care
but very little for him. 1t was true
at rare intervals she seemed suddenly
to thaw, and enter delightedly into
his plans,to chat and laugh with him
in way that charmed him, but when
next he came eagerly to her he was
almost sure to find her cold, reserv-
ed little thing.
But one day, after she had been at
the farm for about two months, there
happened an incident which effect
lively broke down the reserve that
the child had so long striven to main
tain.
1t was a warm, thawy day in Jan
uary. Fred had been out in the
meadow half mile below the house
all morning, when Mrs. Wyllis told
Marjory to run down and call him,
and bring him back directly.
MaHory bounded through the woods
that separated the house from the
meadow; then, on the borders of the
low land, stopped and looked for
Fred. She could not see him, but she
saw the prints of his boots in the
soft, watery snow, where he had
bounded from hllock to hillock
across the meadow, and into the ce-
dar swamp below.
1t seemed to her that she had walk
ed days in the swamp, though it Was
no more than three hourse, when sud
denly she thought she heard faint
halo, sounding half smothered by
these heavy changing trees.
She rushed forward in the direc-
ton of the sound, her clothes catch
ing and tearing among the under
brush, her feet splashing water up
on her face. She shouted as she
painted on:
I'm coming. Which way2
"Out here! Come quick p
1t was Fred's voice that she heard,
and there was the sound Of struggle
and pain in it that somehow gave a
frightened gasp to the girls breath.
After few minutes she broke
through tsngle Of horse briars up
on the banks OF little pond,in whose
dark, stagnant waters she saw the
boy for whom she hNd been sent, his
head thrown back, his hands holding
fast to n floating log of half-decayed
wood, that barely kept him up.
Marjory stood for one moment re-
covering her breath and trying to de-
eide upon what to do. Fred looked
in silence at her, an instinct telling
him that she would do the very best
thing. She clasped her hands, and
cried:
II will get long pole and reach it
to YOU and turned to find it, while
Fred said despondingly:
"You are not strong enough"
But the frail looking arms were
muscular, and seemed now endowed
with superhuman stength. With
much painful maneuvering on the
part of both, Fred had grasped the
pole and was dragged to shore.
Overcome by exhaustion, the boy
sank down at her feet and tears es-
capped his eyes as she took his head
upon her arm; and he felt an almost
uncomfortable desire to kiss her, but
he restrained, feeling rather doubtful
as to how she would take it.
Sooner than he would have liked
she started up to go home.
They plunged on briskly for half
an hour, the boys wet clothes steam
ing with his exercise, when suddenly,
with very blank face, he exclaim-
ed:
"Marjory, / don't know where we
are! am lost p
In the gray wintry dawn they came
out upon highway five miles from
home, and ploddcd onward, until a
farmer took them up in his cart and
carried them home to the distracted
parents.
Fred was sick a month after that,
and with the fond tyranny of affec-
ton insisted upon Marjory's waiting
upon him every minute, until his
mother was half jealous of the little
girl.
In the days Of his convalescence,
when he could sit by the kitchen fire
while Marory knit or sewed, he first
discovered what voice of music his
nurse had
The boy, weakened by illness, would
lean back in the chair. and while the
wild melody OF her songs filled the
air, tears of exquisite delight would
fill his sunkea eyes and roll down his
cheeks.
Ii was upon one Of these times,
when Mariarv was singing fragments