The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1881-05-19

haying time last ?"
Miss Hetherington looked up, and
was surprised to see that Mrs. Fries
had turned an old woman. From a
comfortable middle age she had shrunk
aMd faded into something quite pitia-
BILE. The red in her cheek, which had
hitherto bloomed like that in a winter
apple, had suddenly fed, and her eyes,
which had always held the snap of
virility, were sunken and dull.
cts too late to tell you not to in
terfere with john" she said; Its too
late; the mischief's DONE"
Miss Hetherington was touched and
interested. The fault she had found with
her summer reading was that she
something before her eyes.
She suddenly put up her soft white
hands, from which a shower of lace re-
coded and catching the trembling. wrin-
killed. hands of Mrs. Fries within her own,
she drew her gently into chair by her
side. behind the honeysuckle.
"Dear madam, dear Mrs. Fries" she
said, in that low, caressing voice which
was valuable accessory of Miss Hether-
ington's, "don't, please, worry. l assure
you there is nothing to worry about"
Begging your pardon, miss, l think
there is" said Mrs. Fries; ''if you amt
in earnest, my John is; and that's what I
want to talk to you about this morning.
1 don't soy you're all to blame. It's per-
haps Just as natural for you to 60 around
trappin' foolish boys like John as it is
for that nasty black and yellow spider to
lie in wait for flies"
Madam Miss Hetherington drew
herself up haughtily.
Begging your pardon again .-perhaps
I'm wrong; perhaps it may be Is John
hopes, though sorely distrust it. You
amt the kind of girl to take kindly to
farm life; and there may be q way to
leave the farm behind the farm and me
too, and everything that might be q
trouble to you-if you only love John.
All! you draw back. thought you
would. I told John so last night.
'Johp,' says I, she's fooling you; that's
only her summer sport, and he tried to
laugh me off. But I talked on and on,
trying to show him the pitfall he was
umbling into, when all at once he
turned upon me and mother, hush!'
sez he; there's only this to say. in that
case. what's fun to her is death to me!
And don't say you can help it, any more
than yonder spider can help catching
flies. The Lord made you both, and
sent you, but wished it had pleased
him to send you somewhere else and
spare my john"
"Ill go-Tll go now" beginning, in
fact, to gather up her draperies.
cts too late now. The mischiefs
done" And it seemed that more mis-.
chief was at hand, for great cry arose
from the opposite field, and bad sight
could be seen from the veranda. Moth
ing less than stalwart man dethroned
| from his proud perch on the mower and
trampled under hoofs that had hitherto
seemed to move only at his bidding.
Miss Hetherington stood there as if
turned to stone. Mrs. Fries had disap-
peared, and in the meanwhile they were
bringing the poor young farmer to the
house on a rough litter. l approached
| Miss Hetherington. 81 think we had
better go" ventured to say, for I was
| the only other summer boarder. "Come
let us 60 and pack up and get away,
Kate"
She turned on me fercely.
"You, woman!" she said, and talk of
going at time like this!"
II spoke as boarder, Kate, not as a
woman. You know we have no right to
intrude any further; we were not wanted
in the beginning; we forced ourselves
upon these worthy people,"
1--WE didn't know there was q man
within miles," said poor Kate; THAT
is, young mani mean IA gentle
man
"Of course we didn't" said, encour-
agingly, but we know now to our, to
their, to everybody's cost. Let's get away
Kate; it's the refinement Of cruelty to
stay any longer.
She stood there quite dazed and led
her quietly upstairs into our arkened
room. The whole household seemed
kept in readiness for any sort of catas-
trophe. confess was dying to get rid
Of it, and threw open the shutters tho
better to see to pack our trunks. Upon
winch Kate ran over and closed them
again.
"How can you let the sun come in on
the carpet in that way?' said she, land
the flies. Haven't we done her enough
injury already"
'Speak for yourself, my DEAR" said,
and ct that moment the poor little old
lady ran in, crying and wringing her
hsnds.
HE isn't-isn't t." stammered, while
Kate became white as the wall she