Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-05-15
BARBARA.
ANNIE ROBERTSON NOXON.

shady street and then up at the tossing eifnS
where the busy birds were chattering. And sad
10 relate frown OF discomfort crept over Bar
Dara'S low, white brow.
mo, there were no letters for the Leightons,"
said EDen, In rather savage mood Z" made
especial inquiries for you" and Eben's lower
Zip tremeled little, and his voice sOftened
wonderfully for him. 4" | suppose you are
anxious to get away from the old place, Miss
Barbara
Yes, am" said Miss Leighton sharply. with
an imperial air. g am sick OF IL all. should
be Glad 10 go anywhere away from here
Eben made no reply. He looked down al tne
tangled cuTlS. the soft. wiStful brown eyes, the
dimPled hands clasped over the mesh or Money
suckles-then away over the tops OF the snowy
bdlsams toward the great world where Baroara'S
heart vas. He was thinking with one cruel
pang which gripped his heart at tnat moment
ct wnat life would De al the farm without Bar
bara. He had tiled OF late 10 live without con-
Meeting her in any way with his days and
nights lis duties. his hardShip5 and his Joys
but ne had Ill al sorry work OF II. L. gave EOen
q fright 70 know hO.} much everything de pend
ed on this proud, spoiled beauty. whose dream
now WIS 10 g,t away from sch rs he-the COM
mon folks arOuuG LaItOrOUgh.
fi-htce1 ha a great longing for
hat gay world OF which she had read in sum-
meT evenings "nTiI sitting under the inuSky
vines in TIE farm house porch. or when lying
anna cowsiipS iii the me adow where, under
grosIng WEIGHT of care. Eben toiled with
great bow hand In the capacity OF he'p to the
WldO" IL Lton. f en- Was as much part and
parcel OF ~ place a t1o crumbiing head5tone5
In IN ltflf gravy I'd on the hill, where all the
ed OF his going a~ ay, although his merits were
Acknowledged ana Al was cneerfully admitted
that the boy had grown into a strong hand
some man, with shrewd capid les as finan-
c1er. AMI turn I, r machinery. A great MANY
al the village had dropped into the habit of adj
dressing him lately as Mr.. Hexford, and Eoen's
muscles COMMANDED respect. He had little
snuggery In the barn he called his workshop
where at odd hours and on rainy DAYS he tin.
ReTed win lathes and pqlleys and edged tools.
When his farm work had been ttded up and the
COWS had been MIXED and turned into the green
woodlands again, Eb2n shut himself up In his
workshop and pOtteTed over his numerousinvel-
tons and thought of what great possibilities
might have been his II he had been born some
hing better than Mr.. Ieighton's farm hand.
e realized SenSibly that there were It'll pos
ollitie5 for him out yonder beyond the dark
ne OF elInS and frs which he could see from
bis study window. But his benefactOr had died
aid left all the tangled threads OF his affairs
fer young ilexfOrd TO unravel, and he could not
ave deserted Mrs. Leighton and the girls
barbara and TheO. It would not have been
right or manly. Things were going straight
now. however: the farm was in a prosperous
condition, and even an Indifferent manager
could have kept the wheels moving which Eban
had fixed In their places But Eben remained
on at the farm while the seasons waxed and
waned, and the girls were growing into fine
tail young women, with restless yearnings for
buster life than was to be had at LarborOugh.
lie had expected that a girl so pretty as Bur-
baTa would be some time leaving so duh
place, but he nevertheless felt a Wild savage
Jain at his heart, when he learned that let
would not look after Barbara while she en-
JOyed the advantages CT a finishing school for
20, ng ladies, The longest summer days wo Id
aGe into short summer nights, and by-and-b =
v hen the first yellow leayeS woald be drOppin.
Tito pools and holOWS. Barbara would so
away-perhapS forever.
Eben was too much OF man to sigh. and too
N VASCULAR to do without his supper out he fell
into the habit OF taking long walks alone or OF
sitting under the hOneysuckleS on the porch
where he could see the moon rise and where he
could hear the young ladies singing rather
p,atntfve songs, accompanied by the cracked
strains OF the old harpsichOrd In the best room.
lie had just pluched the first round full rose
or May, and. twfrl1ng 1t th0ughtfully in bis
fingers as he strOlled down the garden path TO
ms Workshop, when he heard the breezy Hut
ter or muslin robe and light football behind
him On the gravel walk. He turned with
blaze OF fire in his black eyes and the rose ex-
tend. d.. His hand dropped 10 his side. IL was
Thee who came rapidly after him swinging a
white sun bonnet by one string.
Iheo was Saucy. petulant, provoking young
person or sixteen, whose FRANKS and whlmS had
Often tried Eoen'S temper sorely-having HIN
stop The harvesting TO saddle RulOf her pOny or
NEEDLE with his tools and upset his newest in
VentlOn. But TheOs eyes were such lovely blue
and her smile so bawitching that Eben had nor
The heart TO ScOld. besides he had humOred her
III all ler WiifulneSS himself and there was the
1alhteSt rest mblance 10 Barbara In the brow
aid dimpled Chin which tied him hand and
foot.
oh. what lovely thing" said Theo eovet-
ing The rose and stretching out her plump little
hand. lis IL for Me-
NO" said Eb-n rather gruffiy. I've had an
eye on this bud for some time | nOti ed that
your Lady lSab2lS d:e liz fine coldiUIOl. You
Will have cluster OF them Oy The day after to-
morrow.
.'Well. you oh stingg suppose you don't
MIND running down TO the mai! lof ne; forgot
what Barbara asked me 70 do, and / shall GET a
ScOlding from mamma who clat haze Bah
crossed in anything. you know"
81 shall have 10 go down and see Manson
about the wagon gear anyway tonight, and /
can just as well stop az the pOSt-offica. Is il
the l5tJer froEl-I:om New HlVen?" And Eoaa
very thOughtleSsly biz of the leaves OF the
II eth.
les, it was the letter from New Ha-en. and
FL en- was charged 10 bring up new novel. and
ONE pink sewing silk and eighteen celiulOid
buttons by TneO, who ran after him 10 suggest
chocolate tarame!s In case the letter Jailed
IL was sort OF satisfaction to him that the
letter d.i tail. But 1t hurt him TO see Barbara's
disappointment. lie had remembered Thc5'5
wOIlanish little errands and he stu held the
rose, which he laid now on Barbaras clasped
hands. For all Sue had grown to haze the old
place. she loved its Old fashioned big fluffy roses
as fOHdly as when child aud E5eu had braided
long garland oi them for her out OF the finest
ard best.
She caressed the rose and tucked 1t In among
the curling locks, where IL nestled Just against
her cheek. EDen flushed and paIei as he re-,
membered now he had laid his heart in the
heart OF that rose.
The letter VIII be sure TO be here to-mor-
row, he said gently. Il am going down me
INST thiIi5 III Jilt I;iuFDiuS. Inc young it1ieS
around LaTbOTOGCh are hot 10 be without a
gallant this season. \ hands0Lne young m an
lrCm New York has come down to star some
weeks In the neighbOTh0od: met him with mr.
Urmsby In the gig.
Eten was not slow to note that this biz OF
news awakened faint show OF interest ia Bar
bdla-
hat was he like" said Barbara b,ush;py
little Il trust lie IS an acquisition. D.l h.
look like a gentleman"
YES, he looked like oLe E0en was conpelled
10 aCnit that he did. ana that he wore c!tgan.
Clothes, and had slender soft White hand which
Eten had not,
Days after this, Eben IL an agony Of Jealous
anguish was compelled TO accord the stranger i
great many other advantages and acco np!.5l-
lnentS. He rode VOL, WAS good shot TALKED
huently, sketched paSslbly, understood women.
and was Miss Leigh,OnS most ardent admirer
Eoen ioreSaw ali this, and Yet once when their
mingled voices ii0ated out 10 his little den he
brought down a hammer wrathflily and
smashed his thumb nail. Morning and night
ne Saddled and brought round horses for Bar
para and Mr. Ney, and went away TO his work
IL the hot fields, while they were canterinc
down the shady roads, and Mrs. Leighton and
TEeo Were beating eggs in the buttery and get
thg up rare dishes for tea. The letter mad
come from New Haven and Barbara had an
sWtfed briefly that She could not 20 until Soue
time later She had never looked 50 animired
and beautiful as now. She rarely saw EOen
sendlDg him her requests b. her sister