The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1880-05-15
BARBARA.
ANNIE ROBERTSON NOXoN.
Concluded

| White hands which EOen had not.
Days after this, Eben in an agony OF
jealous anguish was compelled to accord the
stranger great many other advantages and
accomplishments. lie rode well, was a
good shot, talked huently, sketched pass.
ably understood women, and was Miss
Leighton's most ardent admirer,
Eben foresaw all this, and yet once when
their mingled voice hoated out to his little
den, he brought down hammer wrathfulIy
and smashed his thumb nail. Morning
and night he saddled and brought round
horses for Barbara and Mr.. Ney, and
went away TO his work in the hot
fields while they were cantering down
the shady roads, and Mrs. Leigh
ton and Theo were beating eggs in the
buttery and getting up rare dishes for tea.
| The letter had come from New Haven and
Barbara had answered briefly that she
could not 20 until some time later. She
had never looked so animated and beauti-
full as now. She rarely saw Eben, sending
him her requests by her sister, and Eben
went on at his inventions feeling as if
every blow of his chisel drove out a piece of
his hearts core. And, although he would
have scorned the idea, Ebcn had grown
wonderfully haggard and pale with great
dark circles under his eyes since DR.. Orms-
by had introduced Edgar Ney to the Leigh
tons He took little pride in the knowledge
that he was the better man of the two, but
he did know that he could crush Ncy with
one hand into limp, shapcless mass, and
he wondered sometimes why he did not.
One day he was seized with a tit of tremb-
ling. He was pruning pear tree when he
looked up and Barbara stood before him,
in her habit switching at the mottled but
terflles that tiuttered on the holy-hocks,
and around Eben's brown hands.
How pale and i'll you look, Ebcn." 1t
was the least she could say, and it was the
truth. Eben's heart beat madly for a mo-
ment and then went on slowly
II am not one to get ill., Miss Barbara; |
am not Drowned so much as usual, per-
haps"
His Miss Barbara" sounded oddly, and
his looks belied his words. She looked
down at the ground and SAID nervously:
Il hope you will not argue with me this
morning, Eben, but I've set my heart on
riding the colt, Tam O'Shanter, to the falls.
| am not in the least afraid
But am" SAID Eben, calmly. II can
not permit you TO risk your life with that
vicious colt
Mr.. Ney will take care Of his vicious
ness Barbara answered, trifc insolent-
ly.
mr.. Ney may ride O'Shanter and wei
come, but cannot consent for you to-
Then | must do it without your consent
BE so kind as to have the colt around in a
quarter OF an hour
Eben finished his pear tree and went
into the shop to wash his hands Of blood.
He had cut himself TO the bone. Barbara
and Ney sat on tie porch reading from the
princess" when the horses appeared. The
colt sheried and reared when Barbara
sprang lightly in her saddle, An admlra.
bic horsewoman, she held her own finely,
and Eben stood as if rooted to the ground
until a turn in the road hid them from
sight, then like deer he set of down
tootway toward where the railway crossed
the road as with horror he remembered
that the morning express would come down
in ter minutes The riders had stopped
by the way to permit Mr.. Ney to dismount
and gather the first cardinals for Barbara.
As they trottcd sharply down the road, the
roar Of the train was heard Just beyond
the curve, Maddcned with terror the wild,
young horse Barbara rode reared, plunged
and sprang away from the other horse and
darted down the cut toward the train.
With hoarse shout to sit firm Ebcn
rushed out from the copsc and flung him
self under his hoofs, lie caught the bit
in his hands and pulled the colt on his
launches, and then a violent kick made
HIM drop like a log. Some woodchoppers
came to the rescue, and as they lifted Bar
bara off the train Numbered by. Eben was
picked up for dead, and even Mr.. Ney de-
clared he was a brave fellow
In an agony of grief and remorSe Bar
bara hung near him all those tedious days,
when Ebcn's mind wandered and he NUT
tered troubled, incohcrent sentences, in
which, poor fellow, he told all his hopes
and fears, He was now indeed haggard
and ghostly pale, with an ugly scar in his
left temple, and his hands lay weak and
ncrvelcss on the coveret. The first mo-
ment Of sanity and consciousness which
came made him sigh and wish that he had
remained oblvlous to life and its miseries.
1t was Barbara who leaned on him while
her great brown eyes filed with tears.
"Oh, Eben; how can you bear to look at
me- You can never forgive me-"
"You would not say that if you knew
what is in my heart"
Can not you tell me Ebcni ! am so
wrctched."
II am sorry for that | must not tell you,
Barbara cannot suffer more than |
have
"Then shall ! tell you somcthingl" and
she Ind her face in the pillow. He put out
his hand and touched her head caressingly. |
II have been very wiliul and blind and
very unhappy, Eben. would have given
my life to save yours, as you gave yours for
me,
"But, Barbara; oh, Barbara, my darling;
! gave mine because loved you better
than life, than Heaven. would rather
have died than live 10 lose YOU forever