Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1886-12-11


s1twas no regular engagement
a|'after;;" he thought. "[should have
considered it binding, hntit seems
sEtIlat she did not; and she couldn't
{be expected to wait halfa Lifetime
#Epoor girl"
Butin spite Of this logic. wher
sEinany years had passed and lle.hat'
l.atSlast. most unexpectedly to him
:selC,realizrd considerable fortune;
se|.it. seemed like a special interpretis
9|:tion of fate when he CHANGED to see,
stinstIie same old North Conway Pa
q per, the death of Eldnn Smith.
Manfred remembered him very
sEwell. TIe had been the village
1 selloolmaster-a long, lank man,
ewith ewes as lnstreless az If they
!Efad been boiled, and shutting
way oimnving his limbs; as if they
|swerc1hnngs on wires.
ses,sa:EXactIy like the pictures OF
.lIrhabod Orane,n he said TO himself,
iEWithza smile.
3 So Eldon Smith was dead. Prpt
Ity Lucy was free once more. Hair
Hand packed mp his few belongings
and came East, to pick up the
dropped stitches of his old love sto-
Try and begin life over again.
At the end of this long prospect
live of love and hope stood-a fat,
round. shoultlered woman. in iron,
gray hair and spectacles, who
smellcd of burned doushnnts and
talked through her nose.
A as. the ironv of fate.
In his absorption, he had come to
the foot ola steep hill where the
ynnng people were merrly sliding
Idown, with shouts of mirth and
laughter.
"Oh, Lncy-I.ncy Smitllw called
ont Il sllrill treble voice. Take care
your sled is running directly into
that stranger mani"
There WAS sparkling cloud Of
frozen snow flung into the air, the
sound of flying runners, II little
shrek ofdismay, and Mr.. Harland
found himself upset by the Impetus
of a solid wooden sled which had
descended on him from the hill.
He WAS lying OH his back, star
ing mp at the rose colnred crest OF
beautiful Mount Adams and the
Handicapped heights of old Father
Washington. with Sharp pain in
his lett ankle, and a beautiful face
bending over him, so close that the
loosed golden braisls touched his
cheeks.
"Lucy-is it yon, Lucy7" he said,
hall consciously.
"Oh, dear, he's delirIouSw muir.
Injured !. soft, lute,sweet voice.
Ii@But how did he know what my
name was7 Please, sir" in the
softest and most coaxing accents,
''are you much hurtf Oh, am so
sorrya did my best to steer the
sled away from you but the rutlder
wouldn't work. And | never, new
er will go sled riding again! Not
az long as ] ive!"
Was it a dream? or did warm,
wet tear pIasll down Oh his fore
head at that inStant2
"No, am not much hurt" he
said, courageouSly. III think can
walk home, Tiff yol will allow me
to lean on your shoulder"
"No!" said the Young beauty,
with resolute earncstneSs. "YOu
shall sit down on the sled, and l'll
draw you. Where is the pla,e,
please7'
And so Mansfred Harland was
transported by the beautiful dangh-
ter of his old sweetheart to the vii
lage hotel.
1t was 10 joke, this adventure OF
his. a broken ankle and weeks Of
WEAKNESS and pain followed upon
that day. But he did not, perhaps,
feel it as he would have done if
Lucy Smith had not come daily to
read to him.
sit WAS all my fanlt,' said shc,
"and owe you ever so much cofli-
pensation. And l never will 60
sled riding again! But why didn't
YOU get out OF the way, Mr.. Har-
land; when you heard us all calling
clear the trackT
MIR. Harland smiled.
II SUPPOSE" said he, "because l
was in a brown study
Mrs. Eldon Smith herself came,
putting and painting; to minister to
her old lovers necessities.
ITO think 1 shouldn't have
knowed you'll" SAID she.
Aud Harland wincetl little
Surely, in the old days, Lucy Feth-
erstone had not talked such afro.
clously bad grammar!
But after that the Widow Smith
bought herself a new "front" OF
chestnut hair, wore cleaner collars,
and even put cologne Oh her peck.
ct handkerchiefs.
Was it Tie old flame shooting mp
once more i'll her forty year old
hearth
And all of sudden it occurred to
her that her daughter Lucy was a
deal too pretty to be- a constant foil
to her own faded charms.
"Lucy," said she one day, Hill
house Deestrick School needs a
a teacher. ! don't see why you
shouldn't be earnin' little money
for yourself as we'll as livin' OH me
am dom notlin'."
I,n,. o,.,,- ~ Iitt1a male