The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1885-09-03

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mis- or anybody else"
After that little more was said for
some time.
Once or twice Jennie, who felt that
she was the innocent cause of the sud-
den silence which had fallen upon
them, attempted to start the conversal-
ton again by asking questions about
neighbors or:affairs on the ranch, but
Erastus only replied in the fewest words
possible, and still looked straight in
front Of him.
Jennie was half inclined 10 be- offend
ed at this. She thought him angry be-
cause Lucy had engaged herself to a.
man whom he did not like. Could
she have seen his face she would have
known that some feeling deeper than
mere dislike for Annelsey was at work
within his breast.
As for Lucy, the assertion OF Erastus,
that he was not going to marry Julia
Ennis or anybody else gave her sud
den start aud nomentary insight into
his true feelings.
Was it possible after all that he loved
herP
| The thought sent all the blood rush
| ing back upon her heart, and for a
moment she felt that she should suffo-
cate. Then came another thought.
| Perhaps Erastus had proposed to Julia
and been rejected. This she felt could
not be unless Julia had suddenly be-
come enamored of some new admirer,
for certainly she had always shown a
| preference for Erastus over the other
| young men of the neighborhood
Sull the thought clung TO Lucy that
such might be the case, and that in
stead of feeling bad because Of her own
engagement TO another, his silence was
caused by pain AT being reminded Of his
refusal by Julia, and her whole mood
changed, and she became 'as cold and
hard as he himself appeared.
As they neared home she began talk
ing giibly Of anything and everything
she could think of tho presents they
had brought for each member Of the
family-t0ys for Johnny, a dress for
mother, a neck-tie for Erastus himself,
and silver tobacco-box for fatherall
bought with money sRved out Of that
sent them for their own use; going on
from this TO tell of their school, and of
couple OF girls who came on the boat
with them as far as Sacramento, where
their parents lived; and how these girls
were related TO one Of their own neigh
bors, and how. in answer TO their in
quiries, Jennie and she had told them
all about this neighbor; how near they
were To their own home; how their
ranch looked, and how II had been in
jured by the washings from the mines.
Here she came to sudden stop.
She had unintentionally run upon that
which they were all trying to avoid the
mention Of, aud there came to her not
only knowledge of her blunder, but
an entirely new feelings feeling that
she was somehow responsible for the
losses and sufierings ofsthis family and
every other family in the valley whose
homes were endangered by the opera
tions of the hydraulic mining compa-
nies at Gravel Hill.
At least she had arrayed herself on
the side of the companies; was engaged
TO be married to one who was interested
in the continuance Of the work which
was certain to bring more loss and suf-
fering 10 these people.
She was no longer of them or with
! them; for from the moment she became
| the wife Of James Annelsey her inter-
ests would be opposed TO those of every
one she had known since they had set
tied in the valley.
Even her father and mother, and
Erastus, must feel that she had delib-
erately chosen to desert them in the
hour of their greatest loss, and had
| -,
save herself from sharing in the hard
ships which might be coming upon
them.
All this passed through her mind in
an instant, and she sank down in her
seat with a feeling of shame, and a
hatred Of herself which made il impos-
sible to say word more.
mo wonder Erastus' is silent" she
thought '.He can not bear even to
speak to one who seems so utterly
selfish, Oh! why did never think
of il that light beforep II is that
which his made him so cold to me ever
since Mr. Annelsey first came. He has
thought all the time that was trying
to save myself from any suffering that
may come upon the rest of them. Oh,
if could only dien'
BY this time, however, Erastus had
partially recovered from the blow
which had fallen so suddenly, If moi
unexpectedly, and was able to take up
the thread of the conversation where
Lucy had dropped it; and Jennie, anx.
ious not to reach home in such a
frozen silence rs to attract the notice
of their mother, also chimed in, thus
giving her sister time to rally again
and when they stopped in front of the
cottage and Mr.. and Mr., Parsons, the
former carrying Johnny in his arms,
came out to welcome them, they
thought they had never seen theil
daughters in a gayer mood, and attrib-
uted it to joy at being home again after
such long absence.
When Mrs. Parsons told her husband
of Lucy's engagement he semained
silent for time and then said:
Il s'pose it's natural, Marty, an
what's natural is ginerally right, but
someway I'm iafeard Lucy will be sorry
fer it some day.
II amt got nothin' in particular agin
the young man, but I'd heap rutheI
she a married Rastus, an | feel GER
tain he'd a asked her eff Mr.. Annelsey