Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1881-04-16
swallow her breakfast, and her mother


"Don't you feel well, childp noticed
that you were fidgety last night. You're
feverish,. Ildoubt not, with the spring
weather.
Hetty was glad that her mother per-
mitted her TO 60 70 her room and lie
down. There was never fire in her
room, but she drew the bed-clothes over
her head and wished that she could thus
shut herself out from the whole world.
She felt forlorn and miserable. All her
sweet, foolish dreams of love seemed to
have been rudy stricken at a blow.
Walter had ceased to care for her.. He.
had been won from her by that hand
some, stylish girl from Philadelphia;
and Hetty hid her face in her pillow
and almost wished that she could die. So
Her mother sent for her to come down
to dinner. There was, she said, no use
in staying up stairs in the cold, and the
child would be better by the fire, with
some nice, warm soup. In. there all the
afternoon Hetty sat, while her father
and the boys went to church and her
mother, read "Baxterls Rise. and
Progress " and sang dismal hymns to
the baby. ..ss..i.r-aass-aa.a--
Het," said Bill, upon his return
from church, 81 saw your old bean, Mr..
Walt Hayes, at church with y Miss
Mitchell, and he shook hands with me
and asked me. how the family was.
She's real swell, / tell you, and ifyou
dom shine up some she'll eutlyou OUT
q" William, don't you let me hear any
more of such slang talk from you," said
his mother, reprovingly. , -
"And Hetty,; said her little sister, as
she carefully drew off and folded her
gloves, 81 heard Kate Haye, telling
Mrs. Green that Walter and Miss
Mitchell were going back tomorrow to
-philadelPhia, ana Mrs. Green said she
supposed that was one reason of his
coming to Riverside, that he might travel
home with her."
Hetty lost all heart and hope at this.
She longed for sympathy-to lay her
head on her mothers knee and tell her
all. But Mrs. Lockwood, though she
really loved her children, was not one
of those gentle and sympathetic mothers
to whom their children thus turn; and
Hetty went again to her lonely room,
and wrapping herself in a shawl, seated
herself at window and looked listlessly
out.
A few people were passing. She
hardly noticed them, until she suddenly
met pair of brown eyes; and she drew
back with burning cheeks and beating
heart as Walter Hayes passed. - How
handsome he looked! and as her mother
had observed, how improved in appear
ance! And she what could he think of
her, sitting there pale and forlorn-look-
ing, with her hair all disordered about
her face? He might come this evening,
perhaps, and yet she hardly wished it
now. 1t would only be painful to see
him. Still, she dressed herself and went
down stairs, though her head was throb-
bling and she felt really i'll. And all the
evening she waited and watched, and
Walter never came, and she knew that
he did not care to see her. And so end
ed the long, dreary day. q
Next morning Hetty arose feverish
and ill. But she busted herself about
the household work; and when her
mother, observing only that she was dull
and languid, remarked that she needed
a walk, and desired her to carry jar OF
butter to old Mrs. Simpson, she made
no objection. The day was pleasant,
and tying pink-lined hood about her
face, Hetty set off alone on her walk.
1t was rather long distance that she
had to go-out of the village and across
a field, and then by lonely pathway
lying by the foot of hill. Mrs. Simp.
son kept her some time talking, and il
was late when the girl set out on her re.
turn.
Slowly retracing the little pathway,
Hetty paused at the stile which led into
the open field. 1t was pleasant there
The sun shed a golden light over the
beech boughs, and breath of spring.
time fragrance foated on the air. Some
how Hetty felt soothed as she stood
resting on the stile and looked dreamily
at the white clouds overhead.
An approaching footstep startled her
Turning, she saw a mans figure coming
along the pathway. Her heart gave {
great throb, and then seemed to stanC
still. ~ y
He came straight toward her, hi,
! hand extended, his lip smiling, his eye,
looking straight into her own. .,...
"Hetty!" .r u.. .i..r ua
She looked up at him, half in hope
half in doubt, and the color came anC
went on her face. - "a
"Hetty, I have wanted so much to Sc,
YOU" .s....
: She could not mistake the sincerity o
| his tone or the look of the brown eyes
and she answered, simply and naively
| 81 thought you had forgotten me."d
Forgotten you'll" r....... -...,--, .
She could not have told how it hap
, pened but somehow she found hersel
. seated on the step of the stile with Wal
ter beside her, and her cheek close -ah
J very close-to his, while all the 'worlt
around seemed transformed into
strange beauty and glory. Such mira
Giles does moment sometimes work il
our lives. u MmE 4 N
AS they walked slowly homeward to
l gether he told her that one thing an,
another had prevented his seeing her
: among the rest, Bill having told hin
confidently at the church that she wa
t too sick to come down stairs that day
( statement which he had unfortunate
} credited, and when this morning he hal
r called and learned from her mothe
where she had gone, he lost no time i
| following.
"Bdt, Walter" said Hetty, hesita
3 tingly, edo you know heard something
4 ahout Won ond-Miss MITCHELL -