The Red Cloud chief., 1889-02-01

tage stood In Q large garden. well hlled with
fruit trees and shrubs. Niss Martha had
lived in the cottage with old Hannah for
twelve years. For three OF these years she
had been engaged TO DR.. Tom Edgecourt.
whose practice WA yet too small to enable
him TO marry. He was . zeal younger than
Miss Martha, and this fact often stung her
very keenly. She sometimes stood before
her looking glass and sttentively studied her
face, wishing that she was twenty instead
OF thirty. and had the bloom Of ten years
before. Her hair was still glossy and
abundant, her eyes still bright; but the
plumpness and bloom of her early girlhood
had fed forever.
Eva NOrcross found her new home q very
quiet but not an unhappy one. She wa
gentle and timid, and did not care for the
society OF girls OF her own e. She liked
nothing better than to lie in IN easy chair
Ill day with . book or some embroidery In
her white, pretty hands. which Miss Martha
wa not weary OF admiring. The dead
mother had INDUCED her one child. and
never taught her to make herself useful.
There was no need for her to be active In
the cottage. At the outset Miss Martha
had told her hat she would be required to
do nothing but study. Hsnnah being fully
competent to do the entire work Of the small
establishment.
You must educate yourself to teach,"
Mrs. Marsh said one morning a. she entered
the cottage in her abr upt way and found
Eva cmbroidering a cushion. "You can't
live on Miss Martha all your life. Next fall
We will try to get you the district school 1t
Dodd's Corner.
Eva shuddered and grew . little pale,
while the work fell from her hand.
Il have heard that the children at DOdd's
Corner were very rough with the last mas
ter" she said, in her soft, low voice.
"a woman might rave more influence
with ZEN than . man. said Mrs. Marsh.
"Anyhow, il won't hurt you to try il a spell.
Miss Martha" As that lady came in from
the kitchen where she had been making q
''quaKer" for old Mira. Green's cold, you
must get the doctor to give Eva some
strengthening medicine. Yellow dock tea
would put new life into her"
DIR. Edgecourt called that afternoon for .
moment, on his way TO make . professional
visit. and Miss Martha told him what Mrs..
Marsh had said.
Tho young man sat down BY Eva and took
her hand in his. Miss Martha watched him
closely. wondering II he noticed how round
Blu WIKI wan tu0 ItSlO IN NC RTCSOCo
his finger.
.Sh il not sick" he said, all she needs
Ia fresh air and exercise :" and then he pro-
posed that she should wrap up and get into
his sleigh At the door and drive with him to
the house OF his patient two miles away.
Cant you 60, too, Martha" he asked.
We will crowd you in somewhere"
IL do not care to CO." she said. and Tom
Ah~,-ke ~. >neho, DnlA .al ln.o.
sing. He did not urge the matter. for he
was easily wounded. aud never asked her .
second time TO grant him . favor. He was
not . administrative lover, perhaps because
Miss Mortha never encouraged caressex.
She did not think it modest or womanly to
do so, yet she often caught herself wishing
that Tom would be more a~RectiOnate.
Miss Martha watched the couple drive
away. Tom bent to arrange the buffalo robe
more closely about his compassion. and said
something which made them both laugh,
and Miss Martha turned quickly from the
window with q pain at her heart.
''Three years." she murmured. at is q
long engagement: and I have heard il said
that men arcnot patient walters. wonder
il he has ever wished u BE- free again"
The ride proved OF much benefit to Eva,
who was brighter and Gayer for days after.
Seeing this, Tom took her with him fire.
qucntly. never thinking that he was causing
his bctrothcd pain by so doing. He came
of,cner than ever to the cottage. playing
chess and cribbagc with Eva at the center
table in the evening, while Miss Martha sat
by with her sewing and wished she was
Eva's age.
ado you think I will stand any chance Of
getting the school at Dodd's Corner next
fall, DIR. EdgccourtF' asked Eva, one even
ing.
"You surely don't think Of applying for
il ~ cried Tom. "Why, the children are
little heathcns. They throw ink bottles
and spit balls ut the teacher and swear like
troopers. No, no; We must not let you 20
there"
81 must work for myself. the girl said.
81 can not consent to remain dependent on
any one"
''Wait until next fall comes before you
begin to worry" Tom said. ATS only
March now. and something better may turn
up in the next six months"
Eva. as was her custom, left the room rs
soon as the game Of chess was over. Tom
always had q few minutes alone with his
be,rothed before leaving the cottage.
Il am sotired Of boarding. he said. when.
after some unimportant conversation he
rose to 60. Il wish I had = home" aud he
sighed.
Now was Miss Martha's chance to say
something cheerful, but the words refused
to form themselves on her lips. She was
very shy, and lately she aud Tom had
seemed TO he drifting very far apart.
Tom looked 1t her . moment, rs IL cx-
pecting her to speak. but rs she did not do
SO he turned almost angrily from her. q dark
red flush Of wounded pride dyeing his fair.
frank face. He wished he had not uttered
that longing for . home
%. l forgot to tell YOU" he aid. a. he
reached the hall door. 'thxt my brother Ar
mold IL coming to Roscville Tomorrow. He
has some affection OF the head md wants to
put himself under my care for . month or
two. He will leave his law business en-
tireiy In his partners banda. Poor Arnold
He has other than hysics. troubles. There's
an old saying that women are ut the bottom
Of all mischief. and men arc such fools
sometimes. Goodnight, MARTHA and the
door closed loudly.
For some minutes Miss Martha stood where
he had left her. one hand bearing rather
heavily on . ANAL hall table. Could he
only have known what streas she laid upon
his careless wordsi She mechanically re-
pcated over and over the last sentence he
had uttered, and remembered the bitterness
Of his tone. Then she walked slowly into
the ANAL parlor again. and dropping on her
knees by m easy chair. buried her lace in
the soft cushions.
Eva noticed that Miss Martha was very
pale and distract the following DAY. and was
not looking her best when Arnold Edge
court came with Tom to call. She had never
aaan fhis hroiher haHorn hut Ia wns a li,-S