The Mineral argus., 1884-11-27

she answers, the corners OF hef mouth
trembling; cit is SO different
hate it," with quick passion, land yet,
dropping her voice, Il hate myself
more for feeling so. o, help me,
help me bear it ALL" she cries
suddenly, turning to him with a piteous
little gesture. He soothes her half i'm
patiently-is it a shade of annoyance
which crosses his face? And then,
lou must be brave. Miranda. he says.
| She moves away from him pushing the
hair back from her forehead and o
ing up steadily, Eyes" she
"I will be brave and patient" Then
presently, as if longing to be assured,
''You-you will come, l know you
will, with a little break in the voice
she tries to keep so steady. "Of
course" he says, lightly. She looks at
him half wonderingly. This parting,
which was so terrible to her, can it be
but a small thing to him?
A dreadful feeling of doubt and
loneliness comes W. her. She turns
to the window in dumb agony and
gazes into the crowded street. f1tz-
gerald PAGES the room a few moments.
Then he up to her. nj
randa," he says, this sort of thing Is
awful. YOU know. We had far better
cut it short" He takes both her hands.
She is quite calm and passive now. 1t
| seems TO her that all feeling has left
her. Through inte1se suffering she has
almost passed into Inconsistencies of
pain her face is white and still. Fitz-
gerald looks at her ~curiously. "Miran-
da, listen he says gently, "we can
write, you know" A little CLEAN of
eagerness passed oven her face. "Yes, >"
she 'I had not thought OF
that" Then the strange, cool apathy
returns. She lets him hold her in his
arms and press his lips upon her brow
without a sign or word. She hears him
say that he will surely come next year, ="
she sees the puzzled look with which he
regards her, she says "Good-by" In an
odd, hard sort of voice, which sounds
strange to her own ears, and then-itis
all over and she is alone.
A little more than two weeks later
the deacon stands on the little wooden
platform of Romulus station waiting for
an incoming express train. His scanty
gray locks are combed carefully over
his sun-burped neck; the palm-leaf hat
has been discarded in favor of a very
stiff, very high, very uncomfortable
beaver the one suspender is hidden by
a Sunday coat of supernatural black
ness and shininess. Altogether the
deacon is "gotton up smart" according
to Mrs. Tiffany, who has snorted con-
temptuously at the idea of call this fuss
bein' made for that Mirandy." Mrs.
Tiffany, however, is in a high state of
suppressed excitement herself, as are
also the girls. Ag has purchased the
gayest bonnet to be had at the Corners
(blue satin and yellow feathers), with
the express and declared purpose
of ''takin' the shine out of Miriam
dy's furrin' f~ixin's," and Liz has spent
the greater part of threedays in perfect
ing wonderful arrangements of her
enthusiastically colored locks which an
rangement is declared by her friend,
Miss Price, who has lately visited Chi
cago, to be the "latest European" style.
1t is a fearfully hot afternoon and there
has been no rain for a fortnight. The
little grass plot is brown and dusty, the
sun beats down fiercely on the yellow,
sandy path. inside the house an early
supper is set on the table, flies are buzz
zlng about tie wire-gauze owe which
protects some sticky-looking pre-
serve" and a big bumble-bee, which
has come in through the window, and
accidentally tumbled into the pewter
milking, has managed to get out of il
again, much to his own establishment
and is slowly travelling across the table.
leaving little droppmgs of cream to
mark his progress. Mrs. Tiffany, hel
cork-screw curls gathered into a knot
behind one ear, her sleeves tucked well
up to the elbow, displaying a liberal
expanse of red arm, is standing on the
doorstep, Liz, attired in a pink gown
and y profusion of cheap jewelry, is
lolling on the horse hair sofa reading &
dime novel.
And the deacon brings Miranda home
y y
Slowly and YEARLY the days have be
come weeks, the weeks months, and the
months have heightened into years, anC
two years have gone by since Mirandai
homecoming. 1t is again an evening
in June, and the deacon's palm-leaf ha
is used vigorously to beat off the mosquI
tos as he and Miranda stroll down tn,
quiet. deserted path. Father, she began
suddenly, L want you to do something
for me-" "Now, that's kind o'cur'ous,
remarks the deacon, "for l was Just
thinkin,' Mirandy, what thar was l coul'
do fer to make yer happier" "Why
father" she cries, with a little at
tempt at a laugh what has put j
into your head to imagine that T L
not happy? Such a silly, old ia