The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 18??-1882, 1881-11-11
shan't incommode you any more than

shan't incommode you any more than l
can help
Miss Richardson made her gracious
reply, and became interested in her
book.
At length she yawned, and closed it.
The afternoon was rich in billowy
green and stretching plain, and across
the green level the day was mellowing
away to its close, the sunlight falling
upon it like winn0wing grain. Miss
Richardson felt the timid and conid-
ing little touch again upon her arm,
and turned to meet with her handsome
eyes the wistful, appealing ones look
ing toward heI.
Would you let me go into the dim
ing-room to dinner with you?' asked
the flute voice with tremble, of ap
prehension in it.
oh, yes,' said Miss Richardson,
smiling, I'D just as lief you would as
not
'Oh thank you so much,' was the
reply, after breath of relief. Il
should never have courage to go IN
and eat alone. The walters are in such
a hurry, and / don't know where to
sit. and 1 never can find my own car
when IN ready to come back
So was that Miss Richardson
came to have charge, and, somehow
so much clinging timidity opposed to
her own independence seemed sort
of bond. Before the second day was
out she had given her dainty and
pretty companion petting tap or two,
short and contented laughter rippled
up between them, confidential under
tones of talk passed from one to the
other, and finally Miss Richardson
leaned forward and said:
Il haven't any idea what your name
is. l think it ought to be Posy,
though
And the small woman smiled as she
answered, 1T isn't though, it's Marthy
I-Marthy Fairchild.'
And then the magnificent, gorgeous
radiant Kate replied, just as she would
have caressed a bird; "Ah! and shall
call you Marthy, then-shall not ?"
Not one dim thought of warning had
she, not a single swift feeling of recoil,
not one idea that she was hugging to
her heart rival-she who held sway
among men with waltz, and tete-a-tete,
and repartee.
But under the feet of those who
tread volcanoes the ground will some
times break; one can not forever walk
on the edge of the precipice; thin ice
will part.
They were sitting side by side, as
usual, one evening; the window framed
a. calm, mild star. Sitting SO silently,
how stl ange if they had known each
was saying over the same. The star
was shining kindly-shining and twink
ling like an eye mildly shrewd, and
then it gave place to another and an
other. till the night sky seemed shaken
full with a lustered dust. Presently
Miss Richardson began to hum little,
in her soft contralto, and Marthy's
bird-like soprano took it up like car
oil, under breath. The men under
the dull lamp in the further end of the
car held their fingers on their cards for
a moment, and the fretful baby
ceased its crying. Two women hushed
gossiping, and stared, and under pre-
tense of flare, the passing porter
turned down the flame in lamp while
he stopped to listen.
'Marthy,' said Miss Richardson,
very gently, where did you learn
that? 1t is such an Old-fashioned,
sentimental thing. 1 shouldn't won
der if it had been a love song in 1776.'
'Oh, yes, l shouldn't wonder If it
had. 1 learned it way back in Yer
mont-Oh, how far that seems now!
: l used to sing it with Richard-but
that seems only yesterday, though 1t
has been years and years. I've never
/, told you of Richard, have 1? His
anne is Powers, and it is he I'm com
ing to California to meet. A long,
long time ago, when was such little
girl scarcely remember it, some kind
: of sickness broke out, and mother and
father took it and died. / can just see
mother lying with white flower in
her hand as they closed the coffin-lid,
3 and then in day or two some woman
said she wondered what was to be
l done with me. Somehow or other
a got to grandpa's in among the hills,
5 and the cows that gave me living
t Grandpa was just my mother to me
Q over again, and there 1 stayed and was
}, so happy with him. / have always
, been little girl, and never shall be
q anything else. When / am an OLD
d woman it seems as though shall still bt
}, little girl. How it all came about
u never could imagine, but it was just as
d the flowers came up in the spring, ant
: is the fruit gets ripe in the fall
Grandpa said one morning he should
have young man come to help mt
d with the milking, and before night
1t knew Richard; and, somehow, / thinl
o 1 must have been ripening ready t.
know him, for my heart was all oPel
= to him from the first. He came up tt
q me when it was twilight, and said he
d Good evening, Marthy,' and then
II seemed to fall into flutter, and II
II feel that he seemed to know it. Oh
| never can tell how Richard seeme'
a to me. Every night after that, as
u went along the meadow path, h
T. came and said, Good evening
Marthy'-just so; and took to listen
4 ing so hard for his coming that m
I heart hurt me, and beat in my lips an
re cheeks, and all the time grandpa neve
knew. One day the sky was so blu
,s and the air was so sweet was certai
in that something was going to happer
m and whether 1t was the birds singin
pr or my heart beating out rhythm, d
n not know, but in moment SCENE
al to be standing among the flowers, fo