Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1888-09-08

come back 10 the house with me y said
she.'v gorouslv, retaining her hold OF
his sleeve. and Uncle Benjamin will
search you
Search me For what7
"As if YOU didn't know" retorted
Ellie, curling her pretty upper lip.
The brown-complexioned stranger
was tall and broad -shouldered. with
thews and sinews like those Of a
gladiator
Miss Tier was something under FIVE
feet in height, and reso.ute turkey
gobbler could have put her to figh. a.
ten seconds warning But. neverthe-
less, he followed her as meekly as if he
! had been feeble prisoner in the grasp
Of giant constable.
~ don't know what it is All about
said he, but if you say 90 with you, go
il 's''
Ellie deigned him no answer Argu-
ment, she felt. could only in jure the
dignity which formed her chief strength
And 50 they pro eeded in silence
across the green pa>ture-lot. and through
the >yl'an woods up to I ncle Ben njamin S
back door
That worthy soul was drawing a
| buck ket of clear. cold water from the we'll
! to nloiSlen his parched throat
His hair wa~ rumpIed grea. beads of
! perspiraton stood on his forehead
! Evidently up to this time his search had
5, been fruitess.
! Ard at The same moment there was s.
rattling of wheels. and Mrs Parsons, Ell
] lies aunt. drove her little red pony
4 around to the rear, and jumped out OF
the low wagon.
/ Mother, bawIe the farmer, who
had not vet caught sight of the i'll
assorted pai1 toiling up the ascent be
! hind the gnarlv apple tree. have you
seen that ten dol ar gold piece that
Ehenezer far,ev paid me yesterday:
left it in the pocket Of my aIapacky coat
when | took it oil and -
"les, | know YOU did = said Mrs
! Parsons, briskv And an awful place
il was to leave it in. | saw it there my
self when brushed tho dust off YOU
alapacky coat, and | took it ont anc
put it in the top. left hand drawer of tn,
pine desk in~lthe spare chamber
meant to have told You of it before
went. but somehow it slipped my mind
''.Ie rusalem,' grnnted Mr. Parsons
81 never was so glad Of anything in al
my life -
Ellie, from behind the orchard wall
had overheard every word of this col
lo4uy. She let go the sleeve of her cap
| tive.
ooh, | am so sorry faltered she
''Please forgive me, II thought t-
"You thought had stolen this miss
ing treasure said her companion, hi
l'ps relaxing into an involuntary smile
"Well, under the circumstances it wa
not such a very unnatural conclusion
Only, young lady let this be a lesson t
yon not to Judge too hastily hereafter.
He bowed, raised his hat from hi
head and vanished under the leafy canop
Of the old apple trees
And the next Tuesday evening, whe
Ellie went to the second of the Cours
of Lyceum lectures in the village wit
her uncle and aunt. she recognized i
the speaker of the evening her anony
nous friend who had appreciated tn
black berry PIE SO thoroughly.
She could feel herself color to the roo,
of her hair as she sat there
q First | took him for a tin peddler,
she said to herself, land then for a THE
What must he think of me?"
But when she was formally introduce
to Edgar Williams at the close of tn
! lecture. and tried to stammer out he
apologies, he only laughed
pray do not vex yours self about it
said he. ''As for me, | have forgotte
, all the dsagreeables Of the dav, and re
member only the deli ious taste Of tha
piece Of blackberry pie that you gay
me, and | have thought~more than ono
since that l should like 10 become bett,
acquainted with the lovely giver"
Ellie blushed prettily. and the a.
quaintance thus oddly begun ended SON
months later in quiet wedding in th
city, in which the little school teache
and the brown faced lecturer took rathe
prominent parts .Soturluy Njqd'