The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1885-04-24

L
she could see him coming long way
off without herself being seen, and
whence she could then run round home
SO as TO receive him as if she had neve,
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 not
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.
Bat how her very heart blushed to
find, even while her kerchief was way-
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 five-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 her
flag forthwith. But then it struck
her that Farmer Marrish was himself
! coming from the direction of lunches
ter. and if so, he might be the bearer of
] a message from Stephen. So, making
| believe she had not seen him, she m:tde
a pretence of studying the promise of
the blackberry crop TIL his plodding
pace brought him up to her.
Good evening, Mr. Marrish," said
she.
Good evening. Miss Patience. II
looks settling weather. now-just when
the lands crying for rain"
His words were certainly common
place enough; but even then it struck
her there was something odd about his
manner. Farmer Marrish VIGOROUSLY
never drank. beyond his solitary night
cap, anything stronger than water
cruel, or his abrupt and yet hesitating
manner. and the way in which one foot
seemed anxious to hurry on while the
other as plainly was bent upon staying,
and certain constraint about his words
as ii they would jostie unless kept in Or
der, would have given her additional
proof that he had been at Manchester,
whence farmer was not supposed to
return quite as he went thither.
Finally the stopping leg prevailed.
Tom Blackthorn all right?" asked
he Il must come and give him look
up, before long. Only It's hard TO find
the time, in this busy woodland no.
body to help me but my own hands;
not but what they're better and stronger
everywhere; ay, and younger, too.
Youth don't belong to years, Miss Pa
tience. I'm a younger man than l was
twenty years ago"
Nor was he. though gnarled and dry,
! what middle-aged eyes would term old.
But Patience wondered what an extra
ordinary old-looking head on young
shoulders he must have had, if it really
looked older twenty years ago than
now; the idea of developing backward
puzzled her; for if Stephen should age
in the same fashion, and she with him,
they ought to become mere children in
twenty years.
you've been Mt Manchester" asked
she, fcigning indifference. what a
year this will be for blackberry JAM"
..Hunchester9 No. That is, yes"
said be: for somebody might have seen
him there, and he was not man to
throw away lie. She saw nothing in
the contradiction-except that Farmer
Marr,sh must assurediy have been
tempted from water-gruel for once in a
while; and, not having the modern
feeling about such lapses on the part Of
self-indulgent man IS distinguished from
selHess woman, she was rather amused.
1t would be good joke for her father
when he got home. Yes. But there
was nothing going on there. Nothing
at all. At least nothing to speak Of
I'm not much good at the shop-win.
dowS," he said, with what he meant fol
a lively smile.
He knew. as surely as if she had told
him so. that she was waiting to meet
! Stephen Harlow; and this knowledge,
and the sight of her, instead of provOk-
ing instant repentance for cruel
wrong, only intiamcd his jealousy. his
greed and his desire. He was misera.
bly, conscious that he did not know the
straight way to a girls heart, like his
rival; and so, as he must needs get
there somehow, crooked one had to
serve. Re it said for him that the vii.
famous plot of getting his rival out OF
the field by denying him had not come
full-blown into his brain. Stephens
, letter of summons, fairly full and alto
gether to the purpose as it was, had not
put him into full knowledge of the 81 u
alton; this he did not attain until he
reached Manchester. and learned for
himself how things Were, and how they
would 60 if let alone; or, rather, il
given push, to send them little more
sharply in the way they We're going OF
themselves But the seed had been
sown: and no sudden impulse could be
brought in to eytenuate Farmer Mar
rish's 'No." And, he suffered any
qualms of conjunction the way back.
they were laid at rest at SIGHT of Pa
tience Blackthorn and her pretense OF
looking for blackberries.
no" said Patience, thinking him
her friend, but still not caring to wem
her heart upon her sleeve for any
pair of eyes but one to see. She
wanted to know if he had seen
Stephen; but she wanted him to tell
her without her having to ask
him. MOI shouldn't come to yot
for the fashions. But never looked tc
see you coming from Manchester on any
but market-day."