The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1886-02-04

II
| 49, there ruddy "windfall,' y
| eM7a half hidden in the long grass
and at the foot OF the most richly
laden trees, young girl, ,half-asleep,
with an ill-used book flung care
lessly down and indolent white
arms thrown above her pretty dark
head.
"Jessier'
She made a sleepy little move
ment, indicative of annoyance at
being interrupted in the middle OF
her siesta.
"Jessie, sayr'
Miss Jessie rose slowly and pick
ed up her book. She was tall,
straight- girl Of about eighteen
years of age, with rather pale face
and gray eyes fringed with long,
black Iashes. These eyes were her
greatest charm. A little white gate
divided the orchard from the gar
den, and Jessie passed through it
with exasperating slowness.
"Was there ever such a girl!'
thought her sister, her elder by
twenty years, at least-the daugh-
ter of her fathers first wife.
Caroline had loved her young
step mother, and when she died had
tried to take a mothers place to
the tiny, dark eyed baby she had
left behind; but Jessie had proved
very troublesome charge.
"Well," said Jessie, interroga-
lively, looking at Caroline standing
in the doorway, with her sleeves
tucked up, and her stout arms cCy-
cred with -four. "What is it, Car
oline?"
"Come and move your rubbish
out of the front ROOM"
"What for2' asked Jessie, in un-
disguised astonishment.
because fathers going to let it
to a young fellow from London"
Jessie looked indignant. Her
parlor with the piano in it to be let
to some hoIrid man, and all her
pretty belongings to be banished to
her little bedroom. Oh, it was
too bad!
Carrie" she said, show could
you advise father to do such a
thing? / never thought we'd have
to take in dodgers; I'd rather run
away"
"Where to?'' asked the rather
matter of-fact Caroline.
Jessie bit her lips and went in
doors to remove her books and nee
dlework from the little parlor that
had been regarded as her especial
sanctum ever since she had entered
her teens. 1t never occurred to
Miss Jessie that money was rather
scarce with her father just now, and
that the lodger would bring grist to
the mill. She regarded the whole
thing as a conspiracy to make her
feel uncomfortable.
They might have consulted her,
she thought, forgetting that she
never troubled herself in any way
with the affairs of the household.
How she wished she could have her
piano carried up stairs; but that
was impossible. 1t was the chief
ornament of the room, and her fa-
ther, she knew, would not allow her
to take it away.
81 shall hate him, 1 know 1
SHALL" she told herself, thinking of
the lodger.
For the first two or three days
she kept carefully ont of his way,
and Mr.. Leith remained unconsci-
Gus of the fact that he was under
| - - irl
But he made the discovery one af-
ternoon. When wandering through
the orchard, with his hands behind
his back, he came suddenly upon q
slight, girlish figure, in brown hol-
land, a wide hat shading her eyes
from the sun. Wonderful eyes they
were-so large and dark, and utter
ly bewitching. She was gone like a
flash, but her image fingered in Mr..
Leith's memory.
He was not a very talkative man,
but he began to cultivate Caroline
Maybrick's acquaintance and soon
found that the girl in the brown
holland dress was her sister. He
grew so friendly that Caroline ven
tured to ask him to take tea with
them in the kitchen one afternoon.
The farmer was quite willing, but
Jessie objected most strongly and
threatened not to come in to tea at
all.
Besides" she said, "what does a
gentleman want in a farmhouse
kitchenr
However, Mr.. Leith seemed very
much at home there, and delighted
Caroline and her father by his
bright flashes of wit. He did his
best to please that afternoon, but
was it only for the benefit of the
farmer and his elder daughter, or
did his eyes wander in the direc-
tion of Jessie's slim figure. He
could not understand why it was
that the girl always avoided him.
1t she had wished to arouse his in
terest she could not have devised a
better way. Her reserve piqued
) his curiosity and he found her pref
ty face coming between him and the
rusty pages of his books.
Once he went for long walk
and returning home in the twilight
he heard her at the piano and paus
ed to listen; but she caught sight o
: his figure outside the window anC
the music ceased in an instant
When he entered the room he founC
it empty, but little bow of ribbon
lay on the carpet. Mr.. Leiti
: whistled. walked to the door. CLOSED
it carefully and then picked up tn
: ribbon bow with a shame-facet
>. look and actually kissed it. Then
: with fingers that trembled in mos
unaccountable way, he placed it il
his pocket book.
"Your sister is shy" he observes
v to Caroline later on.
Y 1T isn't that" with q laugh
J. shut she hasn't gotten over bein
: turned out of her room. 1t was her:
o you know before you came, and sh
le hated the idea of father taking