Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-04-04

old farm house.
Evening came, and, as usual, they
walked down the lovely lane which led
to the village and church. This was
not their first visit to Beacondale church
by any means,so that they walked in and
toek their accustomed seat. The service
had commenced and the young men were
hastily finding their place in the prayer
book, when they became aware OF strang-
ers, occupying the seat Immediately ia
front of them. They were bonnie strang
ers. too-the prettiest handed pray
er-book to the late arrivals, and from
That moment VIII Ferguson was gone
man. HIS heart was no longer his own.
a He felt that he had met his fate, and
al through that service he was trying to
devise a plan whereby he could become
acquainted with this girl who had so
completely captivated him at one glance,
and little attention did he pay to what
the clergyman said that evening. After
service he returned the book, which gave
him an opportunity of saying one word,
and hearing that same Word-'Thank
you-from those pretty lips.
That evening on their way home the
two friends called on an acquaintance,
and, while seated there, putting cigars,
they heard soon the sound of merry, girl
ish voices, and into the room walked the
three fair strangers OF the village church.
They appeared perfectly at home here,
and the mistress of the house introduced
them as Miss landlord, Miss Annie
landlord and Miss Maggie landlord.
Miss landlord and Miss Maggie might
just as well have been still at church for
all Will Ferguson saw of them. He was
too much occupied in gazing. on Annie
the one who had lent him the book at
church-the one with whom he fell over
head and ears in love at first sight.
l am not going describe Annie
landlord; 1 might differ in my
opinion from Wills and hurt his feelings,
and l could never get him to say what
she was like, as he used to declare that
he couldn't do her justice. I will say
she was not one of your awfully- pretty
girls; she was pretty, but I think
it. was her general behavior and move
ments and her conversation which were
more calculated to win mans love.
Many Sundays passed on, but each one
found Ferguson over at the Thorpe farm
and always to church in the evening.
Sunday was the bright star which he
kept his eye upon all the week before,
and he generally contrlved to see Annie
for few minutes at their mutual friends
on their way home.
1t appears that these young ladies and
their mother were spending few months
at this charming village, it house rented
for the purpose by their father, man of
business in West Riding; and, as the
winter drew on, they began to think Of
returning to their home in the busy town.
VIII to all appearance, was no nearer
gaining the affections of Annie then be-
fore he saw her, and, yet he felt it was a
step, and. indeed, a stride in the right
direction to have Ter acquaintance. 1t so
happened that the day the landlords
went home Ferguson started on bust
ness journey, and contrived to travel by
the same train as his lady friends. He
met the train (of course by accidenD
at St. Olaves Junction, and there
enjoyed the immeasurable delight of
two hours ride in a railroad car along
with the girl he was anxious TO WIN.
What matter if her father and mother
were IN the same compartment? 1t was
enough to sit beside her and talk idle
notblngs and commonplace bits of stale
news, and then it paved to something
holder. When they parted he took her
glove, and, as the train moved on, bear
Ing her to her home, he dared to throw
kiss while her parents were not looking,
and as she nodded and smiled, he knew
for the first time that at least he had
made fair beginning.
Time wore on, and Ferguson, in the
course Of journeys which he often made
in connection with his business, occasion
ally called, and once spent whole Sun
day at the landlords house at Hamilton.
After time the landlord girls went to
Beacondale on visit to to the Wears nd
then once more Ferguson was regular
attendant at the church, and once the
girlsspent Saturday and Sunday at the
Thorpe farm, and he drove them to church
IN his gig. And all the time Will Fer
guson was being bound tighter and
tighter by love chains, which he could
uOG GlIOW 1IOA HILL ~ nO 1CSOlfCO w
follow matters up, and at the first favor
able opportunity to speak to Annie and
her father of his feelings, and ask for
a chance, at any rate, if only
That if only. 1t was gnawing at one
side of Ferguson's heart as his love for
ANNE was gnawing the other. Something
lay heavily on his mind, and his friends
noticed that he walked often with bowed
head and knitted brows. He stuck to
the Office until late into each evening, in
stead of leaving, as was his wont, at .
o'clock, to spend his evenings with gen
ial companions in various ways. Yet no
one but himself knew what the trouble
was. The fact was he VS. short in his
cash he had rashly used some of his
employers money in some mad specula-
ton, which had failed, and to make this
loss good, he speculated again. This
also proved failure, and he grew reck-
less and took more and more. He never
kept account of how much money he had
used, and he was at last afraid to balance
the books to see. However, he at last
sternly resolved to do something, even if
he must borrow money, and, in doing so,
tell the whole story.
He was the only one who need take the
books in hand, and his employers would
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