The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1888-09-15

to study and rest and finish a few orders a
her leisure.
Just at this juncture two figures cor,e
suddenly around the corner of the bo,,so
two burly, unkempt and unshayen vaoa
bonds, smelling of villainous whisky and !,
ragged as scare-crows. They made wh;n
ing request for food and coffee, and yvber
Strangford sternly ordered them to be oona
skunk away, muttering curses and scoyvlino
vindictively.
There was the silence of desertion ahor,
the promises and the empty house. And
Margaret, although outwardly comnosad
was in tremor of fear lest they shonld ,a
turn They went down the road, however
without looking back.
Strangford turned to her and said orovo,y.
''You see how unsafe it is for you TO rar,oin
here alone, and l hope you will not ha "a
rash tyain. l do not know what miobt
have happened if l had not been here
which was the merest accident. You should
remember that the safety and seclusion If
the country are things Of the past; there Is
no place so remote or inaccessible that i l.
not overrun by these goths and vandals-
the refuse Of city workshops and tina over.
flow Of city Sums" He shiverei az he
thought Of the peril she had ESCAPED and
said decidedly that he would remain until
the Aliens returned, and she said with mncb
meelSness that she would be very glad.
II am too disturbed to paint any more this
afternoon" she added, laughing ueryonsly
as she thrust the wet brushes into the cup
! of water where they were usually deposited
| removing the apron which she woreto M
tect her dress. She picked up garisufat
! and said, Come we will &c. and -loaN Ne
| flowers; 1t will be like cbmmunidh wv,
good and friendly spirits after visiati1
of demons"
Mrs. Aliens garden was her pride. There
all sorts of sweet old-fashioned lowers
bloomed together in rich luxuriane; stiff
bachelors buttons, velvety phlox aid YER
benas, mourning bride, love lies becding,
| and white petunias, above which silvery
winged moths lowered in the odoros dusk,
They strolled up and down the broad,
clean walks talking of many thins, with
asmuch ease and interest as if their aquaint-
ance had been matter of many yeas. The
barrier of conventionality so suddely and
and unavOidably swept away, thg were
brought more closely together than they
might nave DGCn dlIGE luOuIlS Ol casual
meeting.
The family returned at shutdown aud they
then went back into the house. Margaret
introduced Strangford to Mrs. Allen, who
remembered that she had known his mother
and insisted that he should remain until
after supper. Margaret shyly seconded the
invitation, and, though, fearing that he
might weary her, Strangford found himself
unable to refuse.
As he rode back to Gradon in the moon
light, he seemed to have lived a lifetime,
and could hardly convince himself that the
whole experience was not dream.
Upon such natures Impressions are made
instantly and indelibly. He required nc
time in which to determine if an acquaint
ance was to be friend or an enemy or re-
main merely an acquaintance. He seemed
to have known Margaret Wyatt, however, in
some previous state of eXistence-ages be
fore. Every word, tone and gesture were
familiar, and in eXacting promise that she
would never again remain at the farmhouse
alone, he felt as if he were re-assuming ole
responsibilities that he had temporarily lait
aside.
1t was a friendship from the beginning
ttIli plOSlCNSCO ldlIulf, bilt TWO DeluS
drawn together by common sympathies OIL
by diverse opinions even still more potent
The Allen farm was not so far from The
Hester's but that he could ride over almos
daily on some pretext; now it was TO bring
her some book which she had eSrs'-S *
desire to read, the Sunday papers or inc
late magazines. Mrs. Allen was absorbed in
household affairs and rarely intruded. The
visits were presently extended into walks,
or he accompanied her upon her sketching
expeditions in the neighborhood, and on
these occasions usually stretched himself on
the grass at her feet and read aloud while
she painted.
That he was deeply infatuated he did not
pretend to deny, although he was in pain
full state of doubt concerning her feeling to-
ward him. Her manner was strange
mixture of reserve, of discouraging ease and
frankness which he had supposed no woman
could assume toward a man whom she
loved. She had shown nothing of that shy
ness and embarrassment which are com.
monty held to be peculiarly feminine symp-
toms of the grand passion.
Still, he cOusOled himself that she was not
a school girl but a woman of mature years,
thoroughly conversant with the customs of
the world. The heart of such woman is
an unfathomable mystery, and the mani
festation of its impulse as varying as the
effects of anesthetics or inSoxicants in diff
ferent Compartments.
After that first brief confidence she never
spoke of herself again. She had made one
request which from any other woman
Strangford would have thought peculiar.
She had asked him to call her Margaret
''My mother was Quakeress," she ex-
planned, land find myself still influenced
by the old forms. And there is another
reason that perhaps | may tell you some
day." She was the last person in the world
to have permitted even hint of fippant
familiarity, and he called her Margaret as
he might have addressed Athine. He trusted
her implicitly; that she was purity itself
that she was all that was sweet and true
and noble he knew as well as if he had
known every circumstance of her history
from childhood. He had been content witt
Just what she vouchsafed that he should
know, and did not seek to precipitate an
explanation-a confession he did not once
think it might be-which, for her own god
and sufficient reasons, she had seen MS
withhold.
In all their talks the subject of marriage
was never touched upon, directly or indi-
rectly. 1t was evidently distasteful or unin-
teresting to her, and if she had any opinions
she kept them to herself.
The days slipped by unconsciously and
September was near at hand. One after
noon they sat together under the shadow OF
pine on a hillside, she painting and he
hn IapiyaI