The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1883-05-19


Aud she turned into the shaded lane
that led only to the Blessing farm. DIR, adj
ing to see the old home desscrated by
the strangers hand.
No; there it stood, as she had always
known 1.-THE very picture of home COM
fort, the center of all those modest lux
uries that a well.to-do farmer. of all 9TH
er men, may most easily command.
But, although the dear old house was
unchanged, its inmates were new and
strange to her. A stout middle-aged
man, in a white summer suit, with a
broad.brimmed hat aud cigar, sat on
the steps Of the piazza reading news
paper. fashionably- dressed lady, some
years his junior, swung in hammock
upon the lawn, lost in q novel.
Several children, in broad-brimmed
hats and brown Holland blouses, were
making the lives of two nurses a burden
to them, further down the lawn, among
the elm trees where swing had hung
from time immemorial,
"City" was stamped upon every face
and figure that she saw,
Had Maurice sold the place to some re-
tired merchant, who would over-orna.
ment and disHgure it in the modern yille
style7
"If one could but live their lives over
after they grow older, and are taught by
experience what is best for themw
thought Htster in her Sadness, once
more.
She would have gone up to the house
and asked leave to rest and look around
if it had remained in the care of old
Farmer Williams and his wife, the ten
ants of the upper farm.
But she could not face these prosper
Gus, happy "city people," who would
look at her with their coldly-curious
eyes, and wonder, almost audibly, "what
she could want" even if they did not alb
solutely mistake her for tramp"
Il wish could have gone through the
strawberry pasture once more" she
thought, as she turned back to the rail-
way station, tired, hungry and unre-
freshed.
At the foot of the lane gentleman, in
summer suit of silver-gray, stood lean.
% ing against the bars with his straw hat
:, drawn over his eyes so far that he failed
A to see the strangers silent approach.
"Will you let me pass, if you please!
said Hester, at last, after waiting son. 9
n moments.
He wheeled round, as IL she had struck
a, him, and stared doubtfully in her face.
She uttered a great cry.
g Maurice! Maurice! l heard that you
n had sold the farm, and gone to Color
ado!'
h 'Hester, can this be you," he ans
Rered. s.a-. r-
b His eyes seemed to devcur her. Words
4 rose to his lips, and we're forced back
q again. At last he asked:
a "Is your husband here with you,
;, Hester?"
- my husband2"
"Why, yes! heard that you were
"a married very soon after you went to the
= city,"
a You heard wrong, Maurice! 1 have
o not been married. I have never even
h thought of such thing"
a But why did you go, then. Hester
. Why did you leave Deepdene2 Why did
,e you refuse to marry me, if-if there was
10 no one else in the way?"
y Poor Hesterl
d She thought of the hot city garret. OF
le the dream of fame that never had been
le realized, of the unlucky book that was
]. lying in the black trunk, of the little
IN burial hoard SO hardly earned aud saved
lie The tears came quickly to her eyes
N obscuripg the honest, handsome face Oh
is which she gazsd.
a. Don't CRY. Hester" said Msuric,
lie Blessing, taking her hand. "And tel
ef me why you would not marry me, dear7'
~ Because was a fool" sobbed Hes
ter.
% "Is the folly ended2 asked Maurice
y. hiding a smile as be bent over her, Can
=, not you give me a different answer
- now, Hester2 If you can, we will be jus
- the happiest pair on earth, here on m.
dear old farm"
"But you sold it and went to Colorado,
re said Hester, wonderipgly. "At least
ne heard So"
ay Il was fool, too, Hester; for wen
Ter to Colorado, aud was quite ready to sell
But my brother-in-law, from the city
N. persuaded me to rent 1t to him for on
III year, till had time to think the matte
m. over. When came to my senses al
en- though had not forgotten you, darlip
lie Il was very glad that the poor old plac
was mine still, and came back some 81
ed weeks ago to see it. My sister and he
ID husband and family go back to the cit
next week, stopping at the mountain
ht, on their way. 1 shall be left alone, wit
Boou MI5' "iiialhs 'OI my house-Ae't
,ut er, and her husband as head hired ma
ny just as was before. Hester. won
pre- you take pity on me. and come and shar
in my home? have never cared for an
red one but YOU"
do not know in what words Hest,
answered him. But see her daily i
lad the cream-colored farmhouse. the yer
try model of an active, bustling, gooi-ten
nered farmers wife.
ILL As for the book she has utterly fol
uld gotten it. She needs its recompense Il
ge, longer, and she is far too happy to cal
ey, or wish for fame.
bly,