The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1885-03-04

"Oh, please don'tp' prayed she.
"The truth is, there's no men to find"
"No mon to find''
"No. We've given up keeping
men--and a good thing, too. 'Twould
be shame, indeed, to keep lot of
idle, useless men about place when
fathers got a grown-up girl of course,
twas different when was child"
"A farm without hands! Patience
what does this meanp What has
happened while I have been awayP
What have I come back to findP"
"Why, Stephen, how scared you
look at one!' she said with smile
and though / have said she was not
pretty girl, l reract my wrrds humbly,
seeing her with Stephen Hsrlow's eyes;
and all the more, since her voice was
as light and as sweet as q girls can be.
He had come two hundred miles to
hear that voice and to see that smile;
and now they made him afraid she
looked so fragile, and yet SO brave.
"You find-me, and you'll find father.
too"
He took the saw from her hand, and,
in minute, had done the rough work
that had taken her two wasted hours.
Now" said he, you're free to
talk. Don't tell me that you've got
rid Of your men because there's no
need"
81 think-I think-we must have
Just one man-to saw. Oh, Stephen,
how did you do that so fastP Then,
there's use in those teeth after allp'
Are you going on without maids,
too?"
"Of course. When farmers got q
grown-up girl, what does Ire want with
q parcel of maidsP That woald be q
shamer'
"Who milks the cows?"
II do. At least-I shall. We're
not keeping COWS, Just now. I'm sorry
you have to do without cream. On, |
do love work, Stephen! It's ever so
much better than music and French
and the use Of the globes-I never could
make out the use Of the globes; could
you? / like to feel useful; it's the best
fun in the word"
Patience. You can't cheat me.
You're going to cry"
"rm not And it's because I've
pinched myself with the saw. Cry!
Stephen-how dare you say I'm going
to cryP"
you've hurt yourself with that con-
founded saw! Give me your hand"
mo. haven't hurt myself-indeed,
/ haven't; that was only-fun, you
know Don't look at me! tOW cry,
if you do. Don't know rvemade my
self look like / don't know what with
trying to saw that wood? Is it Millport
manners to look at girl when she isn't
fit to be seenp"
"Anyhow, to look at You is what I've
come from Millport to do" said he.
"Patience, I'm going to take your hand
so; and | am going to look into your
eyes. just think what feel about you
and yours. Your rather is my best
friend. He's made man of me; what
ever I'm ever to be for good ! owe to
him. I'm his, heart and hand. And
I'm yours-you know how. And yet
you won't even tell me when he's in
trouble, so that / may help him all l
know how"
Patience Blackthorn had been in
many minds since she had first heard
her old playfellow voice at the gate
At first she had meant to be saucy, just
to punish him for nothing; then she had
meant with her Blackthorn pride) to
brazen out the poverty at Legs Croft
before the young man who had only
seen it rich and tlourishing; then some
thing in his masterful way forbade her
to be anything but angry with herself
for crying. II he had never come she
would not have shed tear, even had
she sawn through her wrist instead Of
the log; but, he being there with his
strength, she might be girl again, and
sit down and cry-not so unhappily as
it might seem.
'Poor father!' said she. IL don't
understand things-they didn't come
into music nor the globes-but they're
gone all wrong ever since-I think
ever since you went away. We've had
to sell all the stock for song; and last
harvest was just terrible; and we can't
pay the men their wages from week TO
week, and so they have to 90; Giles,
that might have stuck to us, and all
1t don't so much matter to me, because
I'm young and strong, and it's dread
full to think Of all the time I've lost;
but there's father, he's not strong and
he's not young. You'll be sorry to see
how he's got to look. I'm trying to
keep things going with my own hands;
I'm trying hard; but-there, you see !
can't even get stick of wood in two.
IT'S but poor welcome we can give
you this time, Stephen"
"Good Godl You mean-ruin! But
your brother Dick-where's hep"
Don't ask me that, StephenW she
cried. Don't let father hear his name!
We-don't knOs0."
"Patiencel Why, you loved him
better than your father, and your father
almost better than you!"
Hes not done anything wrong,
Stephen-you mustn't think that; Dick
couldn't do anything wrong II he
tried-but father fancies so; and that's
been the worst of all He could have
fought through, II Dick had stayed;
but he's not even let him be named
since he went away. Oh, Stephen, I'd
Just die of gladness II you could find
out what's become of Dick, and bring
him home. And for father to think
| b;s ovvp con nick has heen IN blame