The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1884-11-20

Hastings, fast asleep, her little face
resting upon her toil-worn hand. Her
work was all forgotten, the large kettle
filled with garments put on to boil, but
! the fire was nearly out beneath it.
Burt Fay took in the situation at
glance: the tired girl had been resting
while her clothes were boiling. and had
fallen asleep.
He looked with an eve of pity on the
fair young girl, all too slender for such
heavy work, and then without unneccs-
sary noise he piled the dying fire with
fagots, and seizing the pail near her fill
ed the waiting tubs with pure spring
water and cautiously retraced his steps
Meanwhile Jette was far away in the
land of dreams. At first these dreams
were confused and hazy, but after a
time dreamland seemed 10 resolve itself
into certainty, and small, slight,
but coal black gnome stood before her.
His eyes were like points of light, and
he seemed made of the glittering coal
Jette was so used to seeing.
She gazed steadily at him, so strange,
yet seeming so benign.
'Jette Hastings" the curious being
said, Il am the Coal Sprite. The time
that you are wronged, but take that
which is offered you. The Coal Sprite
| has come to YOUR assistance, and soon
will bear your burdens from YOU"
And now he picked up her pals and
| filled her tubs with the glittering water
of the spring.
She stirred slightly and opened her
eyes, and what was her astonishment
to see young man working busily over
! her tubs.
Jette closed her eyes until he had
finished his work and departed, and
then she sprang to her feet, saying to
herself
What strange thing, and why
should he fill my tubs? He must be
Que of those engineers, and is certainly
kind-hearted." And then the yividneSs
of her dream drove all else from her
mind. 1.-The Coal Sprite! What
strange dream! And l can remember
every word it said, too" And she re-
peated word for word the singular
dream, and finished by copying it in
her notebook.
Then she glanced at the well-filled
tubs. and laughing softly, said,-
"What must he think of me to sleep
in such an open place? l wonder who
he can be?'
But she returned to the Mountain
House that evening with a lighter
heart.
HAS the administrator been here?'
she asked when she met Mrs. Hastings
in the kitchen.
"Yes; and he has decided to give you
the highest part, and it will be settled
uDOn Won bV-anlsb sbV "
but | want my property nOw,"
said Jette, bitterly. ''And it's just as
l supposed; l shall have to take the
poorest part"
You will take what the law gives
you, replied Mrs. Hastings, sternly.
"And the law gives us eighteen months,
and we have decided to wait the entire
time"
Jette felt very angry, but the words
of her dream came back to her with
strange force.
Take that which is offered you.
You will think that you are Wronged,
but take that which is offered YOU"
She crowded back her anger, and
made no reply.
When LeOla came in to tea that
night, flushed and triumphant, with
Mr.. Fay in attendance, Jette flushed
hotly; but she remembered that he had
thought her sleeping, and SO she feign-
ed utter Inconsistencies.
The companions of Mr.. Fay joined
him the next day, and the work on the
! new road began; but all his evenings
were spent at the Mountain House, and
in some way brighter days for Jette
Hastings began also.
The young man spent almost every
leisure moment by her side, proposing
to give her lessons on her mothers pi-
ano.. Jette very gratefully accepted
unawed by Mrs. Hastings frown, and
she progressed rapidly in spite of every
obstacle.
One day LeOla and her mother held
consultation all by themselves.
This must be put stop to-" said
the young lady with tears in her eyes;
she fancied she loved Burt Fay very
dearly. "She is so set up learning to
play that she thinks she will come be-
tween us if she can"
Il can manage her," said Mrs.
Hastings. Her property shall be given
| to her tomorrow, and then she shall
walk. | can do the work some way"
| - The MONDAY stage next day held
| young lady passenger. Jette's passage
had been given her to relatives in
Virginia, and she had been hurried
| away without time for farewell to any
one. Her piano and many other things
which were her mothers had been left
behind; but she had nowhere to take
them, and Mrs. Hastings calculated on
them as her own prey.
About half way down the mountain
the stage stopped where the work on
the railroad was going on, and a pass
enger entered. 1t was Mr.. Fay, who
smiled pleasantly when he saw Jette.
"Ah, Miss Jette," said he, lit is
pleasant to have agreeable company.
l am going down to Dudley to send the
engineer up with my engine, the Coal
Sprite;' the rails are laid half way up
now; we will soon be as high as the
| Mountain House."
What did you call it?" asked Jette.
recalling her dream.
The Coal Sprite, with the car
which carries our engineering outfit. "
said he, smiling. "And you are proba-
bly, on a shopping expedition to Dudley.
May wait and return with you?'
NO" said Jette. swallowing a lump
in her throat, Il am going away fOrev-
er, Mr. Fay, to my uncle's in Virgin
ia"
'Is not this sudden, Jette?" he asked
in surprise. Pardon me, Miss Hast
ings, but l should have thought you
might have told me"
Il did not know it myself till this
morning. Mrs. Hastings has, in fact,
sent me away"
"A glimmering of the truth passed
through MIR. Fay's mind. and then he
told her in earnest tones the story OF
his love, and begged her to be his wife
that very evening.
You have no near relatives, so why
delay?" he urged.
And so the knot was tied, and the
"Coal Sprite" carried back that even
ing happy bride and groom.
The young couple proceeded straight
to the Mountain House.
"Mrs. Hastings" said Mr.. Fay, cool
", 81 have brought my wife back with