Iron County register., 1888-11-22

broken gate, hanging by one rusty
hinge. and raped softly at the front
door. almost hidden myself in the high
weeds. After moments delay and
fthe rusty creaking of lock, it was
flung open, and Barbara stood before
me. Then, for the first time. as she
stood there framed against the shad-
ows behind her, it flashed upon me
that this girl was really handsome,
with her dark eyes and flushed cheeks.
But she gave me no chance for words.
my uncle is not at home" she
said, curtly.
Il am glad of it." was my quick
reply; II do not wish your uncle.
called to see YOU"
ITO see me?" doubtfully.
"Yes, to see you, and you only.
Now. may come in?" and / could not
wholly repress a smile at her evident
wonder.
Mechanically, as if scarcely know
ing what to do, the girl stepped little
to one side, and taking advantage of
the movement, l entered the miserably-
furnished room. She followed after
me, and closing the door. stood there
as if expecting me to administer a
rebuke. None coming, Barbara
glanced up from her old. faded dress
into my troubled face.
eff you want to scold me, you had
better begin," she said. half angrily.
Perhaps her hasty words, 80 full of
bitterness as they were, gave me cour-
age-they certainly reached my heart,
for took q step forward, and l know
my eyes were filled with tenderness
my girl, have you never had kind
words?" asked.
At the sound of my voice she started
in surprise.
Eyes. once; but it was so long ago
that I have almost forgotten them.
Now, what do you want of me?"
"Icame here tonight, said, quick
ly and earnestly, ''to ask your forgive
ness"
There was no answer. The girl was
looking down at the floor now, her
cheeks afame.
81 was very hasty this afternoon. I
was wrong in threatening to punish
you as / did, before them all, and it
has troubled me ever since. / wish
you to come back to the school to-
morrow"
The dark eyes flashed up into my
face for an instant, as if to read my
very thoughts.
''Come back-do you truly mean
that for me?" she questioned, breath
lessly.
'.Yes, for you. Miss Barbara-is it so
wonderful a thing to asl?'
She made no sign, and went on,
with little feeling of nervousness.
II want you back among the others,
and l want you to look upon me. not
as the master, but as friend, anxious
to help you-will you promise to
Gomez"
would have given much just then
to know if there were tears in her
beautiful eyes; butt it was fast growing
dark, and her voice certainly sounded
clear and firm.
II hardly know, sir, whether you
are laughing at mesor not, she said,
standing erect before me in the gloom;
''but will trust, you and come"
On the weed-overgrown doorstep, in
the silence of a moment later, 1 held
out my hand with last kind word. 1
felt both of her own close upon it.
81 was not made to be good" she
said, simply, ''but do truly want to
learn something;;" and the door closed
between us, and bowling before the
rain, made my way out into the road.
Down the long, bleak hill. ankle
deep in mud and water. 1 trudged to
my scarce1y less bleak clearinghouse,
little minding the elements, my
thoughts busy with brown eyes and
good resolutions.
Poor gir1, I remember muttering,
as I flung aside my wet garments, ''she
indeed has but few kind words spoken
to her; and yet how very pretty she
isl wonder how it will all turn out?"
Perhaps should have doubted less
could have seen her then-as l know
about it now-lying in her miserable
room, alone IN the darkness, and SOB
bing as If her heart would break.
her accustomed seat, her hair smo othed
down and little strip of ribbon tied
about her white throat-more silent
and studious than ever before. /
watched her closely, but she gave no
sign of what was in her mind, except
as she worked the harder.
And so the days passed away, and
the term of school was drawing to its
close, while Barbara's bright, beau
tiful face continued to haunt me more
and more. Whether it was right or
not, / will not pretend to say, but l can
confess now that l gave much of my
time to her, and it was not few nights
only that we walked up the long hill
together. We grew to lingering at the
broken gate, but she never asked me
to come in, though 1 had long ago
learned that old John Wolf was seldom
about the house during the day. 1t
was a pleasure to me to watch her
mind develop under my care, to note its
firm grasp of new thoughts and aspira-
tions, and it's inclination towards high
er and purer literature. / loaned her
books, and we discussed them together,
and thus her dreary girlhood most rap
idly developed into noble womanhood
under a little sympathy and care. We
talked of the great world together, and
sometimes of her own sad home-of
L.. r