Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1886-05-06
THE FAR HAND.
I don't ike his looss. u,amm..r

II
worker, and we ought not TO Oh est to him
because he's not an Adonis, ough. we, dearf
He's not to blam. because he Is so IN
pleasant to loox at Don't notice him il his
faco 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 good
education and many Injuries Six months
before she had graduated from Madame
N-'s finishing school for young ladies,
and sincs had turned the heads Of two
thirds Of the honest young farmers in DER
county.
Eha bad been speaking to her mother, and
speaking to her over her graceful shoulder,
a. Arx Leo hustled about busy with some
preparations, whils Matte stood ct the win
dow. As her mother finished speaking
what ws have recorded, o shutting figure
slowly crossed the open space without, 60
ing toward the stable 1t was not pre-
Possessing figure, and the face above it was
simply repuldve Perhaps it's ugliness was
greatly due to q great ivid scar, which
crossed it from temple to chin, going down
the chesk, over the lip, terminating below
the chin It always made Matte shudder
to 80 that horrible scar, and she shivered
now, even though the eyes tina: looked up
and mst hers for . moment, as the new
farm hand passed outside the window,
ware steady eyes, with light in them that
might have glorifed another face and lashes
dropping over them, long and silken as the
lasbes Of . girl; eyes of deep, dark, mys
terious blue, from which that hideous scar
took all beauty, in the eyes of tie girl, who
turned impAtiently to her mother.
you will be back before night, mammar
yes, Matte; you may look for US any
TINA altar sunset"
Give my love TO arntis, and tell her l
viii ride over to spend day with her soon
Are you quite ready, mammal
~Yes, my love, when put on my hat
Jim has gone to get the horse and buggy"
Il saw him 60 Let me tie your bonnet
stringR There, tying them deity, now
am sure hear wheelS i will see you OF.
Don't remain out after dark, dear"
Her mother laughed as they went to-
Rether 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 a light
buggy. Matte kissed her mother, then her
father, and watched them drive Off Some
how she felt strangely lonely and depressed.
She did not notice the farm hand until he
spoke to her.
"You look as if all wasn't right, Miss
Matte Is there anything l can do for you
before l go back to the field,,
She started little, and unconsciously
shrank from him
~No, nothing she answered. Nothing
b wrong, hut 1 am a little lonely"
Then she went in, and the blue, long.
dashed eyes Of the man followed her until
she had disappeared; then lie dropped his
head and went, in his usual shutting way,
on to the field, and Matte saw 10 more OF
hum until he came in at u O'Clock, hurrying
to ESCAPE tho sudden wild storm which had
gathered and burst in an hour Matte
stood at the kitchen window, looking out
at the heavy drops, listening to the sharp
psals Of thunder, frequently shrouded in
the lurid flashes that lighted the daraen-
ing world, briefly and blindingly; b, stolid
"help" was preparing supper, but CHANGING
occasionally toward the window at which
Matte stood
they'll not come home tonight" she
said at length; nobody would let them out
In such a storm as this, Miss Matte
They must have started before it broke"
Matte answered, shrinking vaguely from
the thought Of being alone in that great
house on stormy night, with these tSo:
then a sharp, fierce peal Of thunder crashed
from the sky above, 80 sudden as 70 make
hsr give cry Of startled terror; and as the
lightning followed it, bright, binding, fan
tastical, she found strong hand on her
arm, drawing her back from the window
3You arc in danger there The voice |
was strange to her, rich, clear, command |
ing, and with q ring Of education in it She |
looked up suddenly, and met those blue,
peculiar eyes, her own dilating as she did |
%, for in them she read something-some- |
thing strange, and pitiful, and weird, it |
seemed to her.
A moment later he had turned away, tn, |
figure that had been straight as q sapling |
dropping once more, the hand that had lain |
sternly on her arm now falling list!essly at |
the side Of Jim, tho farm hand; but Mat
ties heart was throbbing wildly, fear
fully, a. might the heart Of a newly Gagged |
linnet
Tho storm continued, fierce as one of |
those that sweep the southern flowers, but |
not so brief, for when Matte vent with
the -holp" to bar the doors and fasten the
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, I'll sit up
with you," the servant said when bed
timc had come, but she said it with q
yawn, and Matte thanked her and de-
clined
Il am not afraid she said; and then
again meeting those strange blue eyes,
which fell as she INST them, a tremor went |
over her. Was it Of fearl
She went to her room and tried to read.
but the thunders, the binding glares of
light, the wild rush of the winds, drew her
thoughts constantly from her book At
last, feeling lonely and depressed, and unac-
alarmed, she left her seat and be-
gan walking up and down the room, sob
bling like the petted child she was 1t was
eleven whom she at length prepared for bed,
extinguished the light. and after q brief
prayer, in which she commended her spirit
and all she loved to Gods care, she lay
down, and while the thunders rumbled of
IN the distance and the winds lost their
fierce, hungry, howl, she went off to sleep
Her dreams were not pleasant and from
one she started up, cold and shivering and
listening for q sound. Was all a dreami
Hark! light football under her window, a
Dtately tread unwilling to be heard All at
once strong and fearless, although growing
vsry pale, she noisslessly lef. her couch and,
going to the window, opened it without
sound The storm had cleared away, the
night was calm and starlit now; faint
wind just stirred the wet leaves of the ma
ple-tres without, and she saw, or fancied
he saw, two stealthy moving figures, trying
70 open the door; a moment and muttered
clasphemy reached her; then she drew IN her
bead, and stood with beating, bounding
heart in her room What would or should
he dol Jim! She fung On loose wrap
psr over her nightdress and fairly flew up
up to the little attic chamber occupied by
he farm hand With trembling fingers she
.appsd on the door. No answer, no sound
rom within
-Jim" she called, softly. No reply. She
apped again. Still silence. Then a sudden
ear snots her. and she turned faist under
{ Was Jim there, or was be b0ow max
Nc II easy for the burglaYs-his friends-to
utsrl On IN impulse she tried the knob
,avin9 found il by cropping It turned
eadily and the door swung open BY the
light which came in at toe little window di
-ectiy over it she saw that the bed was I'M
occupied, and she flew back down the stairs,
INTO her fathers chamber.
Mr. Lee always kept . sum Of money in
he house, and always kept revolver
within his reach, should be be awakened by
burglars at night She knew where, and
he found It speedily. As her fingers ciosei
m il they ceased to sremble: her girlish face
rev set and stern: and she went out once
moro to the hallway, and glidei down the