The examiner., 1886-07-10
THE FARM HAND.
BY Mary G. Preston.

"I don't like his looks. mamma"
tBut you father says he is a capital
worker and we ought not to object to him
because he's not an Adonis, ought we,
dear? He's not to blame because he is SO
unpleasant to look at. Don't notice him
if his face isn't agreeable to you. Matte"
The girl was very fair Of face herself,
and slender and dainty as flower She
was Farmer Lees only child, and had
been raised very tenderly by her parents,
who, although not exactly wealthy, could
well afford to give their lovely child a
good education and many Injuries. Six
months before she had graduated from
Madame Ms finishing school for
young ladies' and since had turned the
heads of two-thirds of the honest young
farmers in her county. IT she had a favor
tie among them they could not learn it,
for she was pleasant and amiable to each
in turn, and if she went for drive to-day
with John Dale OF Lawrencetown, she was
pretty sure to go for one tomorrow with
Dick Lane of Harrisville, and would prob
ably talk the lightest of light nonsense in
the cool shadows of the old orchard in the
evening with gay, ne'er-do-wen Lewis Yer
eton of Vereton farm, just below them;
and the old fogies all about declared that
GARNER Lees daughter was no more nor
less than q flirting butterfly, who would
neither be able to make good young man
happy, nor think of anything in the world
beside her small vanities and the pretty
dark curls over her forehead.
She had been speaking to her mother,
and speaking to her over her graceful
shoulder, as Mrs. Lee hustled about busy
with some preparations. while Matte
stood at the window. AS her mother fin
ished speaking what we have recorded,
shutting figure slowly crossed the open
space without, going toward the stable.
1t was not prepossessing figure, and the
face above it was simply repulsiye. Per-
haps its ugliness was greatly due to a
great liyid scar, which crossed it from
temple to chin, going down the cheek,
over the lip, terminating below the chin.
1t always make Matte shudder to see that
horrible scar and she shivered now, even
though the eyes that looked up and met
hers for moment. as the new farm hand
passed outside the window, were steady
eyes, with light in them that might have
glorified another face and lashes dropping
over them, long and silken as the lashes
of girl; eyes of deep, dark, mysterious
blue, from which that hideous scar took
all beauty, in the eyes of the girl who
turned iInpatiently to her mother.
''You will be back before night. man.
ma?'
Eyes, Matte; you may look for us any
Time aILeI.SuQS0C.
sGive my love to auntie. and tell her 1
will ride over to spend day with her
soon. Are you quite ready, mamman
Eyes. -ss l@1ae, when / put on my hat.
Jim has gone to get the horse and buggy"
81 saw him go. Let me tie your bonnet
strings. There" tying them deftly, ssnow
am sureI hear wheels. 1 will see you
off. Don't remain out after dark, dear"
Her mother laughed, as they went to-
gether out to where Mr.. Lee was already
waiting for his wife at the door, and the
farm servant, Jim, was leading around the
staid chestnut horse. harnessed to light
buggy. Matte kissed her mother, then
her father and watched them drive off.
Somehow she felt strangely lonely and de-
pressed. She did not notice the farm hand
until he spoke to her.
aYou look as if all wasn't right, Miss
Matte. Is there anything I can do for
you before go back to the fieId?"
She started little, and unconsciously
shrank from him.
tNo, nothing" she answered. "Noth-
ing is wrong, but am a little lonely"
Then she went in, and the blue, long,
dashed eyes of the man followed her until
she had disappeared, then he dropped his
head and went. in his usual shutting way,
on to the field, and Matte saw no more of
him until he came in at six o'clock, hurry
ing to escape the sudden wild storm which
had gathered and burst in an hour. Mat
tie stood at the kitchen window. looking
out at the heavy drops, listening to the
sharp peals of thunder, frequently shroud-
ed in the lurid flashes that lighted the
1arkening world, briefly and bindingly:
the stoljd s'help" was preparing supper,
but glancing occasionally toward the
window at which Matte stood.
'sThey'u not come home tonight" she
said at length; s'nobody would let them
out in such storm as this, Miss Matte"
stThey must have started before it
broke" Matte answered, shrinking
vaguely from the thought of being alone
in that great house on a stormy night,
with these two; then a sharp peal of
thunder crashed from the sky above, SO
sudden as to make her give cry of
startled terror: and, as the lightning
followed 1t, bright, binding, fantastical
she found strong hand on her arm,
drawing her back from the window.
s'You are in danger therep' The voice
was strange to her, rich, clear, command
ing, and with q ring of education in 1t.
She looked up suddenly, and met those
blue peculiar eyes, her own dilating as
she did so, for In them she read some
thipg-something strange, and pitiful,
weird it seemed to her.
A moment later he had turned away,
the figure that had been straight as a
sapling dropping once more, the hand
that had lain sternly on her arm now fall
ing nstlessly at the side of Jim, the farm
hand but Mattie's heart was throbbing
wildly, fearfully, as might the heart of
newly Gagged hnnet.
The storm continued, fierce as one of
those that sweep the Southern flowers but
not SO brief, for when Matte went with
the sshelp'' to bar the doors and fasten
windows securely it was still raging, and
they knew that Mr.. Lee and his wife
would remain with the latter's sister for
the night.
'If ye're afraid, Miss Matte, PHI sit up
with you," the servant said when bed
time had come, but she said it with a
yawn, and h1nttie thanked her and de-
clined.
81 am not afraid" she said; and then
again meeting those strange blue eyes.
which fell as she met them, a tremor went
over her. Was 1t of fear?
She went to her room and tried to read,
but the thundcrs, the binding glares of
light the wild rush of the winds drew