The Arkansaw traveler., 1886-05-01

how l used to plot and contrive for our engine to be put out there at dinner time More than once l made a mis- take on purpose with the wagons, and hindered us from running back just be- fore twelve, and this was because Hes ter Welsh used to come up there to find the flowers she sold about Dorchester streets. Such days as knew or guessed she would be there, would take my tommy in my hand and go wandering about all my dinner hour, in hopes should light upon her among the trees or in the hollows where the yiolets grew thick. l don't suppose l caught sight of her more than twice or thrice out of all the times sought her; but that didn't dishearten me. And so the days Wore on until the beginning of June
 The primroses and datfodils were over. but the woods were full of cowSlips, and, judging from the quantities that Hester and her mother made up into punches
 in the evenings (while stood by the open door trying to win a chance Smile)
 it seemed that eowslips must be very fashionable in Carchester For I've
 heard that fine folk have fashions in flowers just aS they have in hcadgear
 and dinner-time, and such like
 And now to come to my finding out
 how little chance had with Hester
 which seems a hard matter to bring to the telling point and indeed, il is
 though across all the years that have passed, myself of to-day sees another man in the self of those days
 One bright morning when | had
 brought dinner-time and Calder Rough
 together with a very hopeful heart 1 left the engine, taking chunk of cold pie in my hand, just as the clock struck twelve felt certain sure-wheretore
 l cannot >ay-that should meet with
 Hester that day Accordingly | was so light-hearted that sung as l went. and jumped over the fallen trees in my path a> if Id been a young urchin com ing home from school instead of grown man going courting And as l went spied in green hollow that had once been ehalk-pit some very fine cowslipS Let $ have em. l said to myself; Ill he something to give her when come up with her So went down between the overhanging banks, and plucked my hands full. As l gathered l heard the voice was always hearkening for in the distance There was no likeli- hood of my making a mistake about that yoiee could have picked it out of d thousand. wondered whether it was her mother ar .Iackv who was with hrr-most likely Jacky But then. what made her voice sound so soft and serious. if she Was only speaking to that imp of a boy? I'm telling the plain truth about myself without trying to make myself out to be more perfeeter than l really am. and SO III just confess that l made myself small under the bank and waited to hear what would be the sound of the voice that answered her A wild, cruel thought. remcm- branee of many words and hints. that turned me from hot to cold and back again made me strain to catch her words but 1 could not Closer and closer they camc-lleSter and whoever was her companion, and still there had been no sound of that other voice les, there it was-.iust a couple of words; but they came and went 50 quick that my head which was all swimming with q feeling had never felt before. take in anything of it.
 Then they had passed and heard licsterS voice growing fainter and fainter as they walked away And me Il crept from my hiding full of fear. yet scarce knowing why and what l feared sick at heart with the thought of what l felt was going to learn. to where could see down the slope And there saw Hester bidding good-bv to a man who had his arm round her ill a careless sort of way. while her head lav on his breast a> if it was her rightii,l resting place watched them while they stood for a few minutes-he bonding over her and speaking which could not and did not desire to oyer hrar-what l saw told me more than enough Then she lifted her .ace sud denly to hi, anl tiincing both her arms round his neck clung to him as if she could never let him go.
 When it came to that. let myself fall on my knees. and crouchng down covered my eyes, and shut out the sight of her love and his love-making My heart was sick with more than ieal- ou>y-tor the man who walking and talking with her in that sweet, lonely rlacc. and who seemed to know hv in ,tinct was only doing it to pass away an ale hour, was no other than Mr Arthur, the man l had looked up to as ong as had known him