Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1885-09-25
face deepening into a smile ejaculat-

80 you are little Paul Dorsey.
NY! how time flies. When | last
saw you, you were only a little
shaver. 1t must be nigh onto fif-
teen years ago. And to think OF
Lucindy's remembering me all these
years and sending her son to see
me. Not that | have forgotten her
not a bit. Only with one thing
and another one hasn't time to
think much-of old days. You see
YOUR ma and / went to the same
academy, and we thought a sight
of each other; only somehow after
both of us married we sort of drift
ed apart. Your ma she married a
wealthy city man, while | got wed.
ded to a well-to.do farmer, and so
gradually we each went our own
way. Not to forget each other
though, as you see, and now, my
dear, excuse the liberty, but it
comes natural like, being you're
Lucindy's son, I'll send one OF the
men down to the village after your
trunk, and You'll just stop along
with us and be as welcome as my
own son, if had one, and Martha
and I will do our best to make you
comfortable and mOtberly Mrs.
Duncan laid her hand with an APP
proving pat upon Paul DOrsey's
slightly STOPPING shoulders, while
he, coloring somewhat, cndeavored
to thank her for her warm hospi-
tality, but was cut short with;
Bless you, it's no put out, we
have lots of room, and it will be a
real pleasure TO me to see Lucindy's
son making himself to home in my
house.
/ And thus it was that Paul Dor
sey became a guest at Willow
Brook Farm.
That evening after her visitor
had retired Mrs. Duncan observing
to her daughter:
Poor young man, he hasn't bit
of appetite. | don't wonder Lucin-
DIV fretted about him. She writes
| that he is always that taken up
with books, that she can hardly
ever coax him to 60 about a bit
With young folks and enjoy him
self. I've been thinking Marthy, il
you was just to kind of make be-
lieve you need his help now and
again about the garden and such,
it would do him a sight of good,
and he'd never suspect it was for
the sake of his health, and Mrs,
Duncan laughed, a low, pleased
laugh, at the thought of the decep-
ton, while Martha exclaimed:
why, mother. you are getting
to be a regular conspirator. But |
am afraid it won't work, he's So.
so odd.'
Paul Dorsey had been told to
make himself perfectly at home
so the morning after his arrival he
withdrew from the breakfast table
1 TO his own room, and forthwith
to unpack his books preparatory tC
a good days study. Everything
vas at last arranged to his salts
faction, but somehow his thoughts
we're strangely wandering this day
although not a sound disturbed the
cool Quietness of his surroundings
A pair Of blue eyes seemed t
glance mockingly from the mustS
page he fain would master, and h'
caught himself repeating aloud
the ld.fashiOned name Of 'Marthy,
which took unto itself the sweetest
of sounds by reason of its connec
ton with so pretty an owner. Sud
denly, with a thud, the book feI
from his hand, as, exclaiming: 'B,
Jovel that's her voice. Paul Dor
sey, with one stride, was at th'
window making sad havoc Of th'
dainty dimity curtains with clumsy
! hands.
Martha, accompanied by a tai
stalwart fellow, was passing dowl
the garden path, her infection
laughter floating merrily upon tn
balmy air as she chatted away t
the young man at her side, who ap
peared to be enjoying the subjec
under discussion as much as hel
! self. AS they disappeared froT
Paul, with rather a blank look, II
} sumed his seat and sought to az
( ply himself to his interrupted task
but not with the old ardor did h
work, and for She first time that h
= could remember, he listened am
l iously for the bell to summon hi
Q to luncheon.
3 The days slipped into weeks, all
still Paul Dorsey remained CUES
: at Willow Brook Farm, and it b.
/. came no unusual sight to see hil
a obediently following Martha's d
!, recuons concerning the uprootin
0 Of certain weeds, or the fastenln
b of some vine more securely abor
8 its support. An honest, bron2
J. tinge had replaced Pauls once sa
g low complexion, and the books
/. well, they had become secondary,
!. more potent charm having outr
1 vailed them. Mrs Duncan congra
ulates herself upon her happy for
! thought that was working such
9 change in her friends sou, an
J, Martha admitted with sligl
n hIush that. Mr. Dorsey WAS pettin