South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1880-07-16
Ready to Die for Hcr.
WAS there any mail. Ebcn ?, A,

ed wistfuliy down the shady street and
then up at the tossing elms, where
the busy birds were chattering. And
sad to relate, q frown of discomfort
crept over Barbara's low, white brow.
NO, there were no letters for the
Leightons,' said Eben, in rather a
savage mood. Il made especial in
quires tor you,' and Eben's lower lip
trembled little and his voice soften
ed wonderfully for him. Il suppose
you are anxious to get away from the
old place, Miss Barbara?
Yes, l am said Miss Leighton,
sharply, with an imperial air. Il am
sick of it all. l should be glad to 60
anywhere away from here
Eben made no reply. He looked
down at the tangled curls, the soft,
wistful brown eyes, the dimpled hands
clasped over the mesh of honeysuckles
then away over the tops of the
snowy balsams toward the great world
where Barbara's heart was. He was
thinking with one cruel pang which
grlpped his heart ut that moment of
what life would be at the farm with
out Barbara. lie had tried oflate to
live without connecting her in any
way with his days and nights, his du-
ties, his hardships and his joys, but
he had made sorry work of it. 1t
gave Eben fright to know how much
everything depended on this proud,
spoiled beauty, whose dream now was
to get away from such rs he-thc
common folks around Marlborough
Barbara at eighteen had great
longing for that gay world of which
she had read in summer evenings
when sitting under the murky vines
III the farmhouse porch, or when lying
amid the cowslips in the meadow
where, under 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 parcel of the place as the
crumbling headstones In the little
graveyard on the hill, where all the
dead Leightons were lying. No one
ever dreamed of his gong away; al
though his merits were acknowledge
ed, and it was chcerfully admitted
that the boy had grown into a strong,
handsome man, with shrewd capaci-
ties as financicr, and a turn for ma
chinery. A great many at the village
had dropped into the habit of address
ing him lately as Mr.. IIexford, and
Eben's muscles commanded respect.
He had little snuggcry in the barn
he called his workshop, where, at odd
hours, and Oh rainy days, lie tinker
ed with lathes and pulleys and edged
tools. When his farm work had been
/ tidied up, and the COWS had been
MIXED and turned into the green
woodlands again, EbeA shut himself
up in his workshop and pottcred over
his numerous inventions and thought
what great possibilities might have
been his if he had been born some
thing better than Mr.. Leighton s farm
hand. lie realized scnsibly that
there were still possibilities for him
out yonder beyond the dark line of
elms and frs which he could see from
his study window. But his benofac-
tor had died and left all the tangled
threads of his affairs for young Hex
ford to unravel, and he could not have
deserted Mrs. Leighton and the girls
Barbara and Thoe. 1t would not
have been right or manly. Things
were going straight now, however, the
farm was in a prosperous condition,
and even nm Indifferent manager
could have kept the wheels moving
which Eben had fixed in their places.
But Eben remained on at the farm
while the season waxed and waned,
and the girls were growing into fine,
tall young women, with restless yearn-
i1gs for q buster life than was to be
had ut Larborough
He had expected that n girl so pref
ty as Barbara would be some time
leaving so dull place, but he never
theless felt wild, savage pain at his
heart, when he learned that letter
had been sent to to distant aunt to
sec if she would not look after Bar
bara while she enjoyed the advanta-
gcs of finishing school for young Ia
dies. The longest summer days would
fade into short summer nights, and
by and by, when the first yellow
leaves would be dropping into pools
and hollows, Barbara would go away
perhaps forever.
Eben was TO much Of man to sigh
and too muscular to do without his
supper, but he fell into the habit of
taking long walks alone, or of sitting
under the honcysuckles on the porch
where he could see the moon rise aud
where he could hear the young ladies
singing rather plaintive songs, accom-
panied by the cracked strains of the
old harpsichord in the best room.
He had just plucked the first round.
full rose of May, and, twirling it
thoughtfully i'm his fingers as he stroll