The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1888-03-02

II don't think she has any idea of
being 4 farmers wife.
-.Sly chance is as. good as any one
elss's.' pleaded po?r Bob. --
Ana lu- mother wisely said no more
upon ths subject.
Alice went strawberrying with Bob;
she learned to ride horseback on old
Dobbin, after the days work was over,
with Bob for teacher.
She gathered ferns in the woods, and
sketched Granton Mountain from
different points OF view, with Bob TO
carry her color-boxcs and set up her um-
brella. in fact, she seemed delighted
with her country ahi.linE-place, and Boz
was in the seventh heaven Of happiness
when, like thuu iarJOit out OF a clear
sky, Mr.. Alan!rel Harper made his ap-
pearance on the scene.
"Did you know nc was coming ?"
sharply questioned -2AudIila, commonly
known rs Oily the grim, eldest
daughter of the 10 .kihghams.
NO" Alice carelcssly answered.
She was accustomed to the homage Of
prise her that Mr.. Harper should have
followed her from the city. And 1t was
her innocent en- oy lcnt or Mr.. Harper's
society that drew from billy the sharp
comment Of Il hate a coIuettc.' ~
There was no hotel at Milton, SO Mr..
they occasionally let rooms IN the shoot
ing and fishing seasons.
Alice went riding with him, took him
TO all the delicious leafy glens which
Robert Rock ngham had shown her IN
troduced him TO the best pools OF the
trout strelw, ant, a. billy declared,
'.ilirted' openly with him.
Il don't know what you mean,' said
Alice, with provoking eIuanimity. 10
treat gentleman civlly-is that what
you call flirting, Hiliy?'
ANYBODY would think there was no
body in the world but him, when you
are talking with him under the pear
trees" said billy.
"One must be polite observed Alice,
capturing one Of the speckled turkey
pullets and hol ling its downy little body
against her peach-sOit Lace.
Il don't care ior him. said Dilly,
fairly driven to bay, nor for myself.
-ll l say is, that you've nc business to
break Bob's heart.'
But" cried Alice, with limpid, hazel
eyes wide open, "what is it to Bob?"
Miss billy fiounced away to bring in
kitchen towels, which were bleaching on
the grass down by the brook.
'.'ve no patience with the girl" said
she.
Bob, however. took things more
let her alone" said he; "wc have
no right to dictate 20 her"
but billy knew him too well to be de-
ceivcd. She knew that the cnvenomed
arrow was ranking in his heart.
On that Thurs lay evening, however,
when Manfred Harper had come home
from fern-hunting with Alice, and had
stayed to tea and spent the evening, it
came on TO rain, with 4 roll OF thunder
and occ casional flashes OF lightning.
Robert went out into the kitchen,
where billy was busy at WORK.
Il suppose We might ask him to stay
all night ?" said he.
"IIumph" said Dilly. "And whcro
would be sleep >"
lie cOu Il have my room; l could lie
down oI the kitchen scttcc, with .
blanket and 4 pillow" said Robert.
Indeed. you'll do no such thing"
declared the elder sister. with a sort of
! loving despotism. "All to oblige this
! city iop. vino loses no opportunity Of
sneering at us country folks"
But it's thrce miles to the Wild
Fsrmhouse-ani Just listen how the
rain patters on the roof"
a little wettIng Will do him good ~
| said the iron-hearted Rhodilla.
] "Nonsenser' said her brother-"we
are not barbarians. I'll tell him he'd
! bctt-r stay"
lie went back to the parlor; but there
was no on" there except Alice, who was
snu ing the candle AMI yawing
| Where IS he ," said Robert
90 YOU mean Mr.. HarPer?'
"Ies."
"He has gone
! In al this rain ~
"Why. certainly" said Indifferent
Alice. Hes neither sugar nor salt.
| Why shouldn't he -
"Alice, haze You no pity for the man ~
"Ch, plenty o. it, But OF course he
couldn't stay al night. And it's past
teu. with another ydwn as she glanced
up ut the clocE all embOweTe | in mist
oi rcdberried asparagus he told
nae he knew OF short cut across the
fells-that gloomy road, you know,
un Ter the elms.'
Hes not going home that way,
Ali-e2'
"Of course he isr' she replied. at
viii shorten the walk hall 4 mile at least
he says"
"But that road is not used now"
''fie IS going TO use it. at all events, to-
night"
Bob caught up his hat.
How long has he been gone ?" he
! asked breathlessly.
"AboHt fifteen minutes" said Alice.
@Why =
Bob paused to make no answer. but
rushed out of the door, neglecting, in his
haste, to close 1t behind him, so that a
/ gust OF rain AMI wind blew in, fiuttering
Dily's newly laundried curtains and
touching Al.ce's forehead like a chill
hand.
She ran ont into the kitchen.
"Billy," she cried, "has all the world
gone crazy Why did Bob run out into
the rain without ever stopping to answer
my questions ?'
Dilly dropped her half-fnished work
with vague idea that some remark o.
Alces had driven her brother to the last
extremity OF desperation.
Alice cried she, what did you say
10 him ?"
Nothing. I just told him that Mr.
Harper was going to take the short Gu
home across the fields"
There is no short cut" declared
Oily.
"Yes. there is-that dark road unde
the elms, you know, Just beyond the ole
dead tree, where the lightning strucl
last autumn"
He has gone that way ?'' cried Dilly
turning deadly pale. Didn't YOU tel
him? Don't he know ?''
Alice's lovely, liquid eyes opened t.
their full extent.
II "Ialways thought that place looked q
ii 1t were haunted," said She But
Haunted F.? Nonsense =" sharply in
terrupted Dilly. "But it's a shaking DO
"a regular mOrass. No one passes owe
it now, no one has used it since the night
five years ago, when a wagon and tw
horses were ingulfed in it. Don't yo
understand? It's a sort OF a uuicksan
the swamp-and Bob-dear, generou
Bob!-has gone to try and save tina
mans HE II he can. Gracious me
What's the matter with the girl? | d
believe she has tainted Well, If sh
thinks as much OF that city fellow .
| that