Morris tribune., 1880-12-30
A SUMMERS PAsTIME.


wardly entered the plain country parlor,
where the owner of both hand and glove
awaited him.
won't you help me?" she said, in very
helpless way, and held out to him the little
fingers as she spoke.
He saw then, that the task of buttoning
was still incomplete. A dark red flush
mounted to his face as he undertook the
duty assigned him. He could not see the
little, mOcking smile about the beautiful
mouth, as it puckered itself into tiny
mOue at his uncOuth efforts, or the laugh
ing malice in the hazel eyes. He only felt be-
meath his touch the cool, firm flesh OF the
exquisite arm, and thought, with sort OF
unconscious reasoning, how great pity it
was to hide away any part OF it, even be-
meath thing so dainty as the pearl tinted
glove.
Thanks she said, careressly, when he
had finished his task. Are the horses
ready?"
YES" he answered, and handing her in
| to the light wagon as though she were a
| queen, he sprang in beside her, and drawing
| up the reins, soon went speeding down the
country lane.
| Two short weeks before, Adelaide Armon
had come down from the gay city, to the
| quiet farm house, to regain, if might be,
some of her faded roses. Later in the
summer, she was to undergo the usual wat
ering place ordeal: but, as little respite
between the now and then, she had chosen
to spend the month of June buried among
it's fragrance. Of course she should be
unutterably bored, she prophesied with mute
resignation, and equally, of course, there
would be no necessity for more than one
Saratoga" of frightful dimensions; there
| fDr xr,if1 LODI I'LL, r.
dain that on the first evening of her arrival,
she was formally presented to John Ra-
leigh and, looking anxiously up into his
six feet of stature, decided that, after all,
even in this rural spot, few toilets might
be necessary and the hours would not
prove so heavy as she had feared.
Mr.. Raleigh was a farmer himself, of
good family, she learned, but one who
scorned not to till his own SOIL and who
had evidently titled it to some purpose
He had a college education, too, but had
singularly enough, supposed the years he
had spent in acquiring an education were
years to be devoted to that purpose, there
fore returned home almost as ignorant of
the social world as before going into it. All
women he venerated. To hear man speak
lightly of a woman always brought flush
to his cheek. To him womanhOod and
Miss Armon was to him a revelation He
had known her for two weeks, she had &C
complished her purpose-he was desper-
ately in love with her. That she might
not love him in return was an easy matter
for his mind in its humility, to grasp, that
she should try to win his love for pastime
and compassionate she should infict upon
him with deliberate intent, wound whose
scar might never heal-would have been
received by him as gross calumny In his
eyes, she was pure, innocent, beautiful
child. All through their drive the touch of
her arms still thrilled him. until, when they
had returned and he lifted her down gently
to the ground, an irresistible impulse
caused him to whisper:
II am coming over this evening. l want
to speak with you"
Foolish boy she said, to herself. as
she drew off the dainty gloves within hel
own room. MY visit is but half done, an6
already he wants to bring matters to a eli
max. 1t must not be. I need him vet a
little longer"
Therefore when true to his promise, he
returned and begged her to 60 out with him
for little walk in the moonlight, she re-
fused, and petulantly shook her head She
| was tired, she said, but ratified on gaily OIL
every theme, until he could not speak the
words he had meant to utter. That night
he went away with strange, new pain in
his heart, yet loving her more madly thai
ever.
She had gone out for a strell the next
morning, when she suddenly encountered
him. He had scarcely slept since he had
left her the night previous. She read his
purpose in his eyes, and strove to divert it
AS we'll attempt to stem Niagara.
Miss Armon, he began, Il love you?
should not have had the courage, perhaps,
to tell you, but that / have dared hope my
love might not be unwelcome to you.
know how bright and beautiful you are, and
how / lack in all that you possess. But
oh, my darling! my darling! what 1 have
not the courage for is to live out my life
without you. Will you share it, Adelaide,
and mold it as you will?"
The words were out now. She might nc
longer hope to avert them. 1t remained fol-
her but to punish his presumption.
Sir, she said, you forget yourself, and
presume greatly upon my having been
thrown upon your society,"
The mans face paled with a sudden pal
lor. A hauteur and dignity equal to hel
own robbed him of the humility moment
before apparent.
Did l understand you to use the word
presume, Miss Armon?" he questioned
May ask you in what lay presumption
Silently he waited her reply. 1t was hel
turn to be embarrassed and i'll at ease. She
had meant to play with harmless tool.
Already she discovered her mistake
1.-THE difference in our Stations" she be.
gan, hesitatingly.
He stopped her hating sentence with up.
lifted hand
Il understand" he interrupted, sort OF
white, repressed wrath shining in his eyes
Because l am not one of fashions fops
you gagged the gulf between us. At least
Miss Armon, offered you an honest mans
, love. 1t was yours to reject or accept
there was no need to insult it.
And turning on his heel, he left her.
Was it only the humiliation she had meant
to infict, but which had reacted upon her.
self, which caused the hot blood to dye hel
face, and the smarting tears to rush to hel
eyes? She watched him out of sight, hold.
ing himself proudly erect, and the sunlight
full on his fair hair CLOSELY cropped) as ht
; held his straw hat in his hand, to let the
the summer breeze play about his bare tenn.
| pies. Could it be that something was go.
ing out of her life she fain would hav,
kept there. Once she started forward, hi
name upon her lips, but she did not ute
it. The man was mad. What destiny die
: he offer her? Only farmers wife! Thel
, she sobbed, but checked it, wondering VIII,
, she wept. In weeks time she had gon,
,, back t. her home and thesold gay life await
ing her. She had not recovered her roses
her friends said. She had thought t.
amuse them by relating her rustic Irritation
but some how they never heard the story
Her lips were dumb.
\ She had gone back to her old life, and, o
| course, the old amusement Of playing witt
5 hearts, but it had lost its zest. OF all tn,
men who fiocked about her standard land a,
she was rich, and young and beautiful. Their,
were many, there was not one held up il
. silent and unacknowledged comparison witt
t that other, but failed in the test. How
ornndlv he had rebuked her-bOw Scathins