The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1885-04-01

all when he is truly true.
What made him so latep Once she
thought she saw him in the distance,
and took out her handkerchief to wave.
But, she was trifle short sighted, and
presently perceived that she had mis-
taken hat and a coat for the man; and
the wearer presently turned out of the
path towards Legs Croft by way of the
church, and struck off towards the
crossroads by the Half Moon. "Pm
afraid he thinks me q little cold"
thought she. "But never mind that
he shall not think so forever" But at
last she had gone so far that her eager
ness to meet him would seem little
too warm and eager, all at once. So
she sat upon stilc and waited there,
thinking happily, while the rocks cawed
home, and listening to the sheep-bell
tinkling far away. But still he did not
come. And at last she could only de-
eide that his buyings must have kept
him in Manchester, and that he was not
coming home at all before morning. 1t
was a disappointment, for she had gone
forth so full of love and joy. But still,
men must be men, and have their work
that makes small women jealous and
large women helpful and wise. Pa
tience Blackthorn, though small, was
one of the large.
She fully expected, however, to see
him turn up for breakfast, and prepared
special provision for q man hungry with
an up-and-down-hill walk from Hun
chester to Leys Croft When she did
not come she looked for a message pres
emily: and when that did come then for
a surprise and startle. She would be
going about the place and would light
upon him hard at work, as If nothing
had happened; and then there might be
sham falling-out, for the sake OF what
would follow. Then, when he did not
come to dinner, she began to fear that
he had sent message by some chance
idler, who had lost it by the way. For
she had a head on her shoulders, and
never jumped to uncomfortable conclu-
sions unless compelled. Besides, Ste
phen was Stephen; there could be
nothing really wrong, or without good
cause. No doubt he had sent that
message, and no doubt would outstrip
his errand-boy.
Nevertheless, she would not 90 down
the road to meet him, just to-day. She
did not like to seem running after him;
and he must stand his trial for negli-
gence, even though he was acquitted
beforehand. And it was perfectly easy
TO keep her resolution until the days
work was done and the first occasion
for breaking it had arrived. So, as
she would break it, she struck COM
promise. She would go along the path
till she struck a hedge corner, whence
she could see him coming a long way
OIL without herself being seen, and
whence she could then run round home
so as to receive him as If she had never
been outside the newly-mended gate all
the day. Nor would she tell him what
she had done till that day ten years.
So thought, so done. She went into
her bush, and waited there. till sure
enough, she caught sight of figure
coming down the hill. She did moi
wait for better assurance, and she for
got that chief part of her programme
was to run away. So she darted out
into the path, and waved her white
handkerchief as a signal that she was
there.
But how her very heart blushed to
find, even while her kerchief was wav-
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
fallible-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 iive-and.
twenty years. The truth is she was
getting anxious, in spite of herself, and
was capable Of taking cloud in the
sky for Stephen, had that suddenly
gathered along the hill. She furled hel
flag forthwith. But then it struck
her that Farmer Marrish was himself
coming from the direction of lunches
ter, and II so, he might be the bearer o
message from Stephen. So, making
believe she had not seen him, she mad
n pretence Of studying the promise o
the blackberry crop till his ploddinl
pace brought him up to her.
"Good evening, Mr.. Marrish," sale
she. I...
"Good evening. Miss Patience. j
looks settling weather, now-just whei
the lands crying for rain" H
His words were certainly common
place enough; but even then it strucl
her there was something odd about hi
manner. Farmer Marrish notoriousl
never drank. beyond his solitary night
cap, anything stronger than watel
Cruel, or his abrupt and yet hesitatin
manner, and the way in which one for
seemed anxious to hurry on while th
other as plainly was bent upon staying
and a certain constraint about his word
as II they would jostle unless kept in Of
der, would have given her additions
! proof that he had been at Manchester
whence O farmer was not supposed I
|, return quite as he went thiiher.
Finally the stopping leg prevailed.
tom Blackthorn all rightp'' aske
he. "I must come and give him a loo
: up, before long. Only Ills hard to fin
the time, in this busy world--and n
body TO help mo but my own hand
4 not but what they're better and strong
4 everywhere; ay, and younger, to
Youth don't belong to years, Miss p