Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1888-10-05


and he left his regards for her. When Mr..
Elder rendered them she merely said:
''Thank you"
Two days later he came again. When
he went away the colt went with him.
For a moment before his departure he
stood alone on the porch, while MIR.
Elder and PEN caressed the colt. Marcia
swept up to him with anger in her eyes
and said in low, fierce tone.
"My instincts were right when they
arraigned you as a horse thief that morn
ing in the paddock. / wish had Missed
the dogs on you then"
"Why do you judge me so harshly"
he inquired.
"Your money has robbed me of my
pet. Your gold bribed my father to sell
that horse"
81 act for my employer solely" he re-
piled, on the defensive. This position
surprised him, for he was usually the
aggressor.
''Oh, you are slavew
With this contemptuous remark she
turned her back upon him. Her tones
rung in his ears, they reverberated In
his heart. Such contempt had never
been bestowed upon him. a breeze
blew softly and tossed his hair.
''This is delicious" he murmured.
He may have meant the wind, sweet and
fresh from the clover fields; he may have
referred to Marcia's indignation. When
he rode away Marcia gazed after him.
Mr. Elder and Penn looked at the colt
ungratefully leaving the only home it
had known to become the resident of
strange stable. They were half regretful
that they had made the trade. AS for
Marcia, she was angry. Her heart
swelied with rage. She cordially hated
the man who had had the impudence to
address her as the pretty maid without
knowing who she was, and never after
apoligizing for it.
Two weeks later Penn was talking to
some one in the yard at the rear of the
house, while Maecia, swinging in the
hammock, just out of view around the
corner, was interested in a book. Sud
denly she shut it with bang as merry
laugh tioated to her. The discomfort
that had weighed her down for days
flew away like a scared bird when that
laugh reached her, and she forgot how
angry she had been at Austin when she
last saw him.
Promptly on recognizing her change
of feeling toward him she attempted to
school herself, but she was rebellious and
would perversely enjoy the knowledge
that he had returned. The gentlemen
approached her, and, fearing that she
would betray herself by a spontaneous
greeting to Austin, she tumbled out of
the hammock and ran into the house. He
caught glimpse of her as she shut the
door
His visit was rather an aimless one. He
advanced no other reason for it than a
desire to report that the colt was doing
well. Penn, who had formed a cordial
friendship for him, pressed him to stay
all night, and he gladly accepted the In
vitation.
Presently PEN was called away on
some business, and Austin strolled into
the paddock. He was stroking the
tilly's nose, when Marcia came up beside
him.
'Mr Gaudaur, I am glad to see you,"
she said frankly. "You have won the
affection Of the filly."
He barred his lead, but something in
her eyes pre- vented him from uttering the
commonplace galiantry that was on his
lips. Instead he said:
81 am fond of horses and kind to
them"
Then you are good to the colt?' she
observed interrogatively, with something
of her former mschievousness.
He did not seem hurt by her intima-
ton that he was hostler or jockey,
but simply said:
81 should not treat the colt badly"
His eyes wandered over the fields to
the far away mountains, while she
looked upon the ground as if she sought
for four-leaved clovers. They were en-
barassed. She made an endeavor to over
come the trying situation by offering an
apology for her rudeness on his former
visits. He gravely admitted that she
had wounded him, whereupon she flushed,
and with bow left him. His eyes
fastened on the mountains again, while
the tilly, tired of him, followed Marcia.
That was oppressive, he observed,
as he leaped the fence near him and went
to the barn.
The evening was rainy, and perforce
host and guest at the Elder farm re-
manned under cover. For while they
sat on the piazza and Marcia, reclining
on sofa just inside the open window Of
the parlor, heard the tales recounted by
the visitor. 1t was very entertaining and
his witty sayings were rewarded with
many hearty laughs by his listeners. He
d d not ask for her, and her father and
Penn seemed to forget that she existed
Her mother was quiet woman, accus-
toned to spend most of her evenings
alone.
Finally Marcia went to the piano and
HOGAN r. NAV q sonata Her finoers