The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1885-10-10

with darker color.
"A handsome maid, egad" said the
| young man. "Who is she? This was
| Squire Letfingwell's house. Can it be that
that stern old Puritan has suffered such a
flower as this to grow here? l will find
out. The maid pleases me-"
So saying, he stepped out in full view of
| the girl and with great grace and con-
| sideratiOn saluted her.
The girl turned, a little startled at the
| presence of this fine man, thus uneX-
pectedly appearing. She colored slightly,
but she courteously returned his saluta-
ton, and placed her hand upon the wheel
| gently to check it's revolutions.
| Il ask your pardon, MISTRESS so rudely
| to have disturbed you, but you were intent
with your spinning, and saw me not till |
| spoke"
The chimney conceals all who ap-
| proach from chat way, and few take the
| path on this side" she said.
| As she spoke she looked furtively, but
| modestly, upon this stranger, as though
| wondering who this courteous hammered
man could be- He, too, fixed his piercing
| dark eyes searchingly upon her for a
| moment, and then, with a smile and a
manner so well bred that she was not dis
| turbed, he approached nearer and held
out his hand. She did not take it, but
looked wondering upon him.
| $50 my memory is better than yours"
he said, his hand still extended and resting
| upon the window still "To me YOU are
now known, and l will make you remember
me. Years ago little girl went out into
the field yonder, down by the brook,
| dressed in bright red garment, and a
maddened and Infatuated animal almost
| caught her on his horns, when a
| young fellow seized her and carried her
! safely away over the stone wall. You
| were the little girl"
Her face frightened, and she looked upon
| him with cordially. "And you were the
| great boy that saved me. 1t is you,
| indeed, Mr.. Benedict, though you are
| greatly unlike the picture my memory
carries of the boy who rescued me, and
whose mischief, my father said, had
| maddened the animal"
eyes" said he, laughing, 81 remember
| that did torment the brute. Mischief was
| my pastime then, fear. But l atoned for
| it. l saved you, and may | tell you, Mis-
| treSs Faith, that never did | better thing,
| and that am well repaid by the vision l
| have had Of you as you sat there uncon-
! sCiOuS that YOU were beheld."
She looked quickly at him, not with dis
| pleasure, exactly, because of the Compli-
| ment, but because she was not used to such
| sudden and frank expressions of favor.
You will take my hand now, Mistress
| Faith" said he.
Eyes, but not there over the window sill
| Come in, and welcome back Mr. Benedict"
She arose and went away, and an instant
| later he heard the great latch in the broad
ribbed door rafting in its socket, and
| there she stood revealed upon the threshold
with her hand extended for him to take
sit amaZes me-" said he when they were
within, that this should be my little play
mate Faith, who did once pull my hair
when l ventured to tease her"
'Surely, Mr. Benedict, your disposition
always was to tease as | remember it."
"And as you have heard people saw" he
added quickly. Il know | was not held in
great esteem when | went away from here,
especially with your father. But he,
trust, has forgotten my misChievousness,
and you, you, know have not regarded
me unkindly."
mot unless you think it is unkind to
have regarded you not at ALL" said she,
with so much of mischief in her tone that
her words were plainly playful.
"'Twould be unkind if it was so, but tits
not. Come, mistress, you now and then
recalled the misChievous Benedict"
well, sometimes, when you were sug
gested," she answered demurely
Suggested? by what, or whom?"
"Of course, if ever | saw maddened,
roaring, tearing bull, then l surely could
not forget my deliverer."
And saw you many such"
Gone"
"Then you have thought of me but once"
Once more, perhaps"
''When:"
'When, by chance l passed by the old
well in your fathers orchard"
THE old WE'LL" said he, thoughtfully.
"What was there in that that suggested
me-"
"Surely, once as you led me to it, you
whispered solemnly to me, and, with terror
on your face, said, as you pointed down
into it, Silence, Faith, or the servant of
the Evil One will rise and take YOU and
then you made me peep over, and really |
saw the horrible suggestion of a human or
tiendlsh form, and | ran, screaming,
away, you laughing at my terror"
81 laughed, but because of the foolishness
of it. have no reason to fear the mystic
rious occupant. Do you go there now?"
"Never, since then"
''You should. The old fellows there vet.
He came up at my bidding this morning,
and he told old Nance Riggs terrible things
about me. Phi warrant ii you go there he
will tell your destiny for you | know the
ghostly servant of Satan we'll"
She looked queerly at him, for this flip
pancy seemed to her to justify the repute
he had left behind him when he departed
from that town to take up his residence
elsewhere. She wondered that one, even
so yirile a man, could speak with trihing
upon such dreadful subjects. 'He is a
strange man as he was a boy" she thought.
He fears nothing seen or unseen now, and
did not then"
Though she failed not to pay him that
tribute of respect that daring compels, and
though she saw that ne had acquired some
of the graces and mannerisms of fine
breeding, yet she feared him, and, as he
drew his seat nearer her, she withdrew,
with simple cunning that amused though
it annoyed him, until she had placed her
self behind the protection of the great
spinning wheel. She did not like his eyes,
though they were bright, and with dis
tress she saw she was tempted to look into
them, only to see that they hid all purpose
and thought except cOndescension and the
wish to be amused by her.
"Mistress Faith" said he, 81 have been
away ten years, and when | went you
were maid of seven or eight. Thus have
l always thought of you. SO selfish and
thoughtless are busy men"
"You were quite a man when you went,
Mr.. Benedict"
Eyes, quite and just, for / was but
twenty -one. My soldiers say that | look
scarcely more than that to day. Mistress,
you should not hide your grace in this dull
town. Surely none pass day by day but
the farmers lads. You should come to
New Haven, where you may see much
gayety and the hustle of life"
81 know none there but one"
"Haye you friends there"
Eyes, one of the scholars in the college,"
zone Of the pale-faced lads" said he
with u smile that was almost sheer.
"Mind them not, my little playmate. Such
as you are for the brave and strong, and
you will find none such among the book