The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1888-12-15
Uncle Ben doe.n,t think d changing his

> llTY Ut NHLuuEullhA NANAhl
eject" he hesitated again with yer!
un.Rupert.like caution, "ef things sc, a,'
he wants'em." He stopped awkwar,dIyy
and his brown eyes became cIouded
Like ez not, Mr.. Ford. he's only foolin
me-aud-himVlf." Tile boys eyes
sought the masters curiously:.
n don't know about that" returned
Mr.. Ford uneasily, with certain recol'
lection Of Uncle Ben's triumph over bis
own iDcredulity, "be surely hash tshOwn
himself fool OF booster so far. Icon.
slider your prospect a very fair one, and
| wish you Joy oft, my boy" He ran bis
fingers through Rupert's curls in his old
Caressing fashion, the more tenderly per-
haps that he fancied he still saw symp-
toms OF storm and wet weather in the
boys brown eyes. run along home,
both Of you, and don't worry yourselves
about me"
He turned away, but had scarcely pro-
ceeded half dozen yards before he felt
Il tug ut his coat. Looking down he saw
the diminutive Johnny. "They'll be COM
in home thith way" he said, reaching
up in hoarse confidential whisper.
"Wbo"
"Crethy and i'm"
But before the master could make any
response to this presumably gratifying
information, Johnny had rejOined his
brother. The two boys waved their
hands towards him with the same diff.
dent and mysterious sympathy that lett
him hestating between a smile ana Il
frowu. Then he proceeded on his way.
Nevertheless, for no other reason than
that he felt a sudden distaste to meeting
any one, when he reached the point
where the trail descended directly to the
settlement, he turned into longer and
more solitary detour by the woods.
The sun was already so low that It's
long rays pierced the forest from beneath,
and sufTnsed the dim colonnade Of
straight pine shafts with agolden haze,
while it left the dense intercrossed BRAN
ches fifty feet above in deeper shadow.
Walking in this yellow twilight with
his feet noiselessly treading down the
yielding carpet OF pine needles, tseemed
to the master that he was passing through
the woods in u dream. There was no
sound but the dull intermittent double
knock 0fthe wood-pecker, or the drowsy
Croak OF some early roosting bird al
guggestion OF the settlement, with NIL
traces Of human contiguity were lett tar
behind. 1t was therefore with strange
and nervous sense Of being softly hailed
by some woodland spirit that he seemed
to hear his own name family waited up
on the air. He turned quickly; it was
C4cssy. painting behind him Even tlIen,
in her white closely gathered skirts, her
barred head and graceful arching neck
bent forward, her flying braids freed
from the straw hat which she had swung
from her arm SO as not TO impede her
flight, there was so much OF the following
Maenid about her that he was for an I'M
stantstartled.
He stopped: she bounded to him, and
throwing her arms around his neck with
light laugh, let herself hang for mo-
mGnt breathless on his breast. Then re-
covering her speech she said slowly:
II started on an Injin trot after you.
Just as you turned Oft the trail, but you'd
got so far ahead while was shaking my
SELF clear OF Uncle Ben that had to jist
lOpe the whole way through the woods
to catch up" She stopped, aud looking
up into his troubled face caught his
cheeks between her hands, and bringing
his knit brows down to the level OF her
humid blue eyes said, "Yon haven't
kissed me yet. What's the matter"
Doesn't it strike you that might ask
that question, considering that it's three
days since I've seen you, and that you
left me in n awkward position to explain
matters TO your mother?" he said coldly.
He had formulated the sentence in his
mind some moments before, but now
that it was uttered, it appeared singular
ly weak and imp0tent.
THAT'S So" she said with frank
laugh, burying her face in his waistCOat.
''You see, dandy boy"-his pet name
"lreCkoned forthat reason we'd better lie
low for day or two. Vel" she con
tinued. untying his CraVat and relying it
again, show did you crawl out ofit?'
"Do you mean to say that your mother
did not tell your" he asked Indignantly.
"Why should shc?" returned Cressy
lazily. "She never talks to me OF these
things, honey" .,,r
"And you knew nothing about itY'
Greasy shook her head, and then wind
ing one OF her long braids around the
young mans neck, offered the end OF it
to his mouth, aud on his sternly declin-
ing it, took it in her own. :,
Yet even her ignorance OF what had
really happened did not account to the
master for the indifference OF her long
silence, and albeit conscious OF some In
efficiency in his present unheroic atsi-
tude, he continued sarCastiCally,
"Nlay ask tCh0t you imagined would
happen when you left me"
"WelI," said Greasy confidently, II
reconed, chile, you could lie US well as
the next man, and that beinggiited you'd
sling Nav something new and purity.
Why, amt got no fancy, but | fixed up
samething against Paws questioningnlt.
l made that conceited Masters promise to
swear that he was in the barn with me,
Then calculated to tell Paw that you
came meandering along just before Nav
popped in, and that skedaddled to join
Masters. Oicourse," she added quickly,
tightening her hold OF the master as he
made sudden atteupt ut withdrawal
81 didn't let on to Masters Why wanted
him to promise, or that you were there,
"Cressy,'' said Ford, irritated beyond
measure, "are you mad, or do you think
ami"
The girls face changed. She cast
hali-frightened, MISUNDERSTANDING glance
at his eyes and then around the dark
ening aisle. 'lf we're going to quarrel.
Jack, "she said hurriedly, "don'tle do
it before folks"
"ln the name OF Heaven" he said fol-
lowing her eyes Indignantly, what do
you mean? 2"
81 mean" she said, with slight shiver
of resignation and scorn, "if you-oh
dear il IFS all going to be like Mem let's
keep 1t 10 ourselves"
He gazed ut her in hopeless bewilder-
ment. Did she really mean that she was
more irightenedatt 1.-THE possible revelation
of their disagreement than OF their
intimacy?
"Come," she continued tenderly,
still glancing however uneasiIy around
her, "ComeI Well be more comfort.
able in the hollow. It's only step"
Still holding him by her braid she hall
led, half dragged him away. To the
right was one OF those sudden depress'