The Benton weekly record. [volume] (Benton, Mont.) 1880-1885, 1880-06-04
my mind, and my heart grew harder than

EWhy. Aunt Kent" said I, sit is tot
absurd! He has already been to the minis
| ter md the minister's wife, and then to tht
deacon and the deacon's wife, to ask then
to intercede for him. I wouldn't have ;
man anyhow after he had made such {
goose Of himself"
Aunt Kent opened her eyes in mild as
| tonishment, and then ! remembered she
had named nobody. Then | stopped sud-
denly and felt my cheeks begin to burn.
s'Dear child,' said she, tenderly, "when
you have seen few more Of the ups and
downs of life you will think more of a good
mans love than you will Of these outside
manners. Mr.. Brodhead told me he had
been in this strait to some of our mutual
friends, but he supposed they had not
spoken with you. And we mustnot judge
him by the standard we would apply to
some people. He is shrinking to timorous-
ness, especially with ladies. And he says
he is conscious that he always appears his
worst before you. Poor man! I've seen
him sit at church with his eyes fixed on
the ribbon of your hat as it fiuttered in the
wind, and looked SO hungry and so hope
less, that my heart just ached to comfort
him.
This time my face flushed with anger as
well as shame.
'sIfeel humiIiated, Aunt Kent said I.
"I hope nobody else has seen him make
such silly spectacle of himself
''Bella, my dear, you are wrong" inter-
posed Aunt Kent, gently. owe muststake
people as they are, not as we would have
them. The man is cast in delicate, sensi-
tive mould, and this is nearly or quite a
matter of life and death with him. |
doubt if you are loved again by so worthy
a man, and l am sure you will not be by
any more sincerely. hope you will not
be so misguided as to throw away such a
treasure only for romantic notion
Icould not laugh at Aunt Kent's tender
earncstness, but shook my head and felt
from the bump Of firmness
down to my boot soles. Thus ended the
third lesson.
Weeks after this, one day in..the Edawn-
ing Of the year." when the bees hummed
and the lilacs bloomed, [ went out to dig
blood-root where the road ran through a
bit of woodland, little north Of the village,
Because if we didn't need it, somebody
might, and Aunt Susannah considered a
few roots and herbs $50 handy to have in
the house," Presently [ felt an uncon-
scious, magnetic drawing to look up, and
there stood Mr.. Brodhead. To this day |
cannot tell how he came there. 1t was as
though he had shot up like a field lily, out
Of the ground, and he stood with his eyes
dropped shyly as a girls, and his handsome
Ups trembling. l pitied him almost as
much as Aunt Kent had done.
ut will kill me if don't speak; and it
will kill me if do, and you don't listen" /
said he, throwing out his words in jerks,
ike water running from straight-necked
bottle, and looking suddenly at me with
such pathetic feeling in his great brown
eyes that l began to feel abashed. For
what was that he should be so stirred by |
nc?" .-...-
''You couldn't care any for me, l sup
3ose?" he said, humbly.
perhaps L might, / don't know" | re-
olied, almost involuntarily.
"Dear men' But love story sounds so
liferent when man tells it himself.
And SO, presently, it was who trembled
md cast down my eyes and blushed; and
t was Mr.: Brodhead who looked as though |
le was master of the whole world and the
stars besides.
Aunt Susannah, waiting behind the
window, thought was gathering
herbs to stock pharmacy, for the sun had
lropped behind the cedars en- the top Of
Mount Margaret when | went home with
Mr.. Brodhead by my side, my hands empty
out my heart full.
Yes, we are engaged, and are to be mar
led two weeks from next Wednesday. |
And the moral Of my story is this: IF
5ou want your business done, go; If not, |
;an1 W