The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1885-04-23

till she strueS hedge corner. whence
she could see him coming long way
OF without herself being seen, and
whence she could then run round home
50 As 20 receive him as if she had never
been outside tie newly-mended gate all
the day. Nor would she tell him what
she had done til that day ten years.
So thought, so done. She went into
her bash, and waited there. til sure
enough, she caught sight OF a figure
coming down the hill. She did not
wait for better assurance, and she for
got that chief part of her programme
was 20 run away. So she dared out
into the path. and waved her white
/ handkerchief IS q signal tina: she was
there.
Bat how her very heart blushed to
find. even while her kerchief was way
ing, that it was not stephen coming
over the hill. Surely, according TO all
belief. Love does not make such blund-
ers as these. Love has preScience in
falliblc-can See without eyes, hear
without ears. and fly without wings
at least so the poets say. And she had
made the mOnstrous blunder of seeing
! Stephen Harlow in old Farmer Mar
rish-no; she could never confess that
to him, not even that day fVe-snd-
! twenty wears. The truth is she was
+! getting anxious. in spite of herself. and
was capable of taking q cloud in the
SKY for Stephen, had that suddenly
gathered along the hin. She furled her
tag forthwith But then if struck
her that Farmer Marrish was himself
coming from the direction of lunches
ter. aud if so, he might be the beater OF
a message from Stephen. SO, making
/ believe she had not seen him, she made
pretence of studying the promise Of
the blackberry crop till his Flooding
pace brought him up to her.
Good evening, Mr.. Marrish," said
She.
Good evening. Miss Patience Il
looks settling weather. now-iuSt when
/ the lands crying for rain"
! His words were certainly common
place enough; but even then it ssrRck
/ her there was something odd abou, his
manner Farmer Marri>h VIGOROUSLY
never drank beyond his solitary night
cap, anything stronger than water
/ grail, or his abrupt and yet hesitating
/ manner, and the way in which one fOpt
seemed anxious to hurry on while the
other as plainly was bent upon staying.
and certain constraint about his words
as if they would iostie unless kept in or
der, would have given her additional
/ PROOF that he had been at Manchester,
whence q farmer was not supposed to
return quite as he went thither.
Finally the Stopping leg prevailed.
Tom 3lackthorn all right?' asked
he. Il must come and give him look
up. before long. Only It's hard 10 find
! the time. in this busy world and no
body to help me but my own hands;
not bat what they re better and stronger
everywhere: az, and youager. too.
Youth don't belong to years, Miss Pa
tience. I'm a younger man than | was
twenty years agO."
10" was he. though gnarled and dry,
what middle-aged eyes would. term old.
/ But Patience wondered what an extra
ordinary oid-looking, head on young
! shoulders he must have had, if it really
! looked older twenty years ago than
now; the idea of developing backward
puzzled her; for if Stephen should age
! in the same fashion, and she with him,
! they ought TO become mere children in
! twenty years.
You've been at Hunchester?" asked
she, feignipg Indifference. What u
year this will be for blackberry jsmr'
"Hunchester? No. That is, yes"
said he; for somebody might have seen
! him there, and he was not man to
throw away Ire. She saw nothing in
the contradiction-excep that Farmer
Marrish must assuredly have been
/ tempted from cruel for once in a
while; and, not having the modern
| feeling about such lapSes on the part 81
acknowledgements as distinguished from
selGess woman, she was rather amused.
! It would be a good joke for her father
when he got home. Yes. But there
was nothing going on there. Nothing
at all. At least nothing to speak Of
I'm not much good at the sbOp-win-
dowS.' he said, with what he meant fef
a lively smile.
! He knew, as surely as if she had tod
him so, that she was waiting 10 meet
: Stephen Harlow; and this knowledge,
and the sight of her, instead of provOk-
( ING instant repentance for cruel
/ wrong, only inilamed his jealousy, his
: greed and his desire. He was misera-
bly, conscious that he did not know the
81. aight way to Il girls heart, Ike his
rival; and so, as lie must needs get
! there somehow, Il crooked one had to
serve. Re it said for him that the vii.
( famous plot of getting his rival Oat Of
= tho fold nv dnnvino him had NOT come
tull-blown into his brain. Stephens
letter of summons, fairly full and alto
grther to the purpose as it was, had not
put him into full knowledge of the stu
alton; this he did not attain until he
reached Hunche ter. and learned for
h ;m>clf how things Were. and how they
would go if let alone; or. rather, il
given push, to send them a little more
sharply in the way they were going OF
, themselves. But the seed had been
soHn: and no sudden impulse could be
brought in 10 extcnuate Farmer Mar
rish's No" And, ii he suffered any
qualms of compunction the way back,
they were laid at rest st sight OF Pa
thence blackthorn and her pretense OF
looking for blackberrieS.
NO" SAID Patience. thinking him
her freud, bat still not caring to veal
her heart upon her sleeve for any
pair of eyes but one to see. She
wan ed to know if he had seer
Stephen; but she wanted him to tell
her without her having to ask
him. Mol shouldn't come to vol
fer the fashions. But never looked II
Z