The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1880-07-01
Barbara.

in pretty, careless tresses, Barbara
looked wistfully down the shady street
and then up at the tossing elms, where
the busy birds were chattering. And
sad to relate, frown of discomfort
crept over Barbara's low, white brow.
mo, there were no letters for the
Leightons," said Eben, in rather saw
age mood. II made special inquiries for
YOU" and Eben's lower lip trembled
little, and his voice softened wonder
fully tor him. 81 suppose you are
anxious to get away from this old place,
Miss Barbara 7"
"Yes, am" said Miss Leighton
sharply, with an imperial air. IL am
sick of it. should be glad to 60 any
where from here"
Eben made no reply. He looked
down at the tangled curls, the soft, wist
full brown eyes, the dimple hands clasped
over the mesh of honeysuckles-then
away over the top of the snowy balsams
toward the great world where Barbara's
heart was He was thinking with one
cruel pang which gripped his heart at
that inoment of what life would be at
the farm without Barbara. He hal
tried of late to live without connecting
her in any way with his days and nights,
his duties, his hardships and his joys,
but he had made very sorry work of 1t.
1t gave Eben fright to know how
much everything depended on this
proud spoiled beauty, whose dream now
was to get away from such as he--lhe
common folks around Marlborough.
Barbara, at eighteen, had a great
longing for that gay world of which she
mad read in Summer evenings when sit
ting under the musky vines in the farm
house poHch, when lying amid the cow
slips in the mead wv where, under a
growing weight of care Eben toiled with
great brown hands in the capacity Of
help to the Widow Leighton. Eben
was as much part and percel Of the
place as the crumbling headstones in the
little graveyard on the hill, where all
the Leightons were lying. No one ever
dreamed Of his going away, although
his merits were acknowledged, and it
was cheerfully admitted that the boy
had grown into strong, handsome
man, with shrewd capacities as tiuan-
cier, and turn for machinery. A
great many at the village had dropped
into the habit of addressing him lately
as Mr.. Hexford, and Eben's muscle S
commanded respect He had q little
snuggery in the barn he called his
workshop, where at odd hours and en-
rainy days he iihkered with lathes and
pulleys and edge tools.
When his farm work had been tidied
up and the cows had been MIXED and
turned into the green woodlands again.
Eben shut himself up in his workshop
and pottered over his numerous inven-
tons and thought OF what great
possibilities might have been his if he
had been born something better than
Mr. Leighton's farm hand. He realized
sensibly that there were still possibili
ties fol- him out beyond the dark line OF
elms and frs which he could see from
his study window. But his benefactor
had died and left all the tangled threads
of his affairs for young Hexford to I'M
ravel, and he could not have deserted
Mrs. Leighton and the girls-Barbara
and Theo. 1t would not have been
right or manly. Things were going
straight now, however; the farm was in a
prosperous condition, and even an in
different manager could have kept the
wheels moving which Eben had fixed in
their places. But Eben renamed on at
the farm while the seasons waved and
waned, and the girls were growing into
fine, tall young women, with restless
yearnings for buster life than was to
be had at Larborough.
He had expected that girl so pretty
as Barbara would be some time leaving
so dull plAc-, but h. nevertheless felt
. wild, sv~gs pain in his heart, when
he laarfAd that letter had been sent "a
distant aunt to see If she would not
look after barbara while she enjoyed the
advantages of 6niAhing school for young
hdia The lsasest Summer davl