The Red Cloud chief., 1884-05-17
ILL.

Which, euI oI cOn>lutTdLlcn lOT ucT, i
will leave the reader to surmise.
One early autumn noOnGav, John and
Meggy were >hambling slowly down the
road that led to tine orchard gate OF
Glen Nook.
As they approached a short turn in
the road, a tree that came staggering
from the TX, and fell with = crash, so
startled the drowsy marc that she
swung swiftly about. h%urliL;. her rider
with great violence. TO the gr,und.
The worn and S:nrwy harIS of the
woodman We're Is genie IS women'S.
as they bore the bruised form into the
sunny east chamber of the Lester
home.
FOR days he lay as unconscious be-
meath the snowy counterp;ue As if it had
been his shroud: but AT last the pat ient
watchers were awarded by q twitching
OF the amariated face and the SLOW up
lifting of the heavy eyelidS.
As the softened. but still keen eyes
of the invalid peered through the tan
gled sage-brush of eye browS. they
looked into the quiet, speaking depths
OF eyes, aglow with ut least a passion
ate. If NOT Il more tender interest.
But, if the eyes rave a suspicion Of
the hearts secret, the lips did not: for
they only said: ''puir mon," and this
50 coolly that John looked again at the
dark eyes; but they were speaking no
longer.
Now / will not betray the confidence
OF the little woman by disclosing her re-
solve. which almost startled herself:
but l will tell YOU her strategic plan of
action. 1t was very simple. trivial"
the reader may say. Merely the subduing
of his stubborn will (Which she Justly
impeached as q higl-handed tyrant),
and this moi so much to her own will as
To his better and truer nature.
Did she succeed? Let us see.
You will remember, my dear, for
charity'S sake, that he and She. and the
sense of the prOprieties of both were
n~aively Scotch.
On the morning after his recovery of
consciousness. Jeanie came into his
oom and. As she arranged the flowers
of a fresh bouquet she had gathered,
said:
"Ye maui tax some parritch, noo."
"Maun.' thought John. each sep
arate bristle of his misogyny erect.
Il dinna wush ony parritch,," he
growlei.
"Dinne YEP" thought Jeanie. 81
sad We maun." But she would not ar
que. this little She oniy said,
with the sweetest air of Difference ::
''Will VI hae it warrum or cauld:?"
Il Wilma"
With 4 NEST a~rtleSs. pre-engaged
manner she arose. saying:
Il guess We had letter hae it war
rum"
As the door closed softly behind her.
John buried his head in the pillow,
muttering: Isle a wee bit saucy
bodie."
Soon the door opened and Jeanie ap-
peared. quietly stirring a dainty bowl of
''parritch"
Turning TO the male attendant
Watty, who did not seem to do much
else than To sit IN the edge of his char
and bob his weak eyes at the sick man
she said:
"Leeft the mon up gentle"
In n few moments John founl him.
self bolstercd upright in bed. with the
look of protest on his rugged face shad-
ing almost into one of S~upplication.
Moo tax yer parritch, that's 4 guild
mon"
"Jeanie, woman, dinna l tell We
But the bowl was in his lap, the spoon
in his hand, and she was humming her
way through the hall. What could he
do? Only what he did.
When Jeanie returned to take the
half-iiniShed bowl to the kitchen John
saw. or thought he saw. Just the suspi-
clon OF a smile stirring in the placid
depths of her eyes; and he read, or
thought he read. its meaning.
A few DAYS afterward Jeanne sat by
the window of the invalid's room,
t~houghtfully plying her needle.
Through the open windows came :.
fresh sweet breath of air, cooled by a
brief shower. and scented by the per
fume caught from the white censers of
the appie-blosSoms which it had swung
in the wide orchard. The breeze kissed
gratefully the forehead OF the sick man,
who lay dreamily gazing at the busy
spinster until be was thrown into the
greatest discontinue by Jeanie's fold
ing her hands over her work. and gaz-
ing shrewdly and rctiectively at him.
80 We ken what l wur thinkin' ABBOTT.
puir mon:?'
An upheaval of the pillow as The shay
gy head plunged under it was her only
answer.
John designed this rather ili-consid-
cred maneuver 10 be interpreted aS
meaning that he ''d;dna ken or care"
But the Tranquil! woman was pleased to
leave ii uninterrupted.
Il wur a-th;nk!n' how Draw We wad