Waterbury evening Democrat., 1890-08-27

dozen or so that you think she-or Miss
 Alling-would enjoy, I will take them
 over tomorrow"
 His mothers attitude changed slight
 ly, although her face was unaltered.
 She seemed to hold her breath to listen,
 her whole inner being to quicken into
 intensity of interest. March, stretched
 luxuriously upon the rug, in his usual
 post-prandial attitude, felt her sigh.
 "Do I tire you, mother. dear?" he
 asked.
 'Never, my boyp
 Nor ever would, although, within the
 hour, and with throe that tested her
 reserves of fortitude, she had surren-
 dered the first place in his heart. The
 blow was unexpected. The orchard | paintings and her children's interest in
 them had seemed entirely professional to her. March had sketched dozens oi 1 girls, and fallen in love with none of them. With all his warmth of heart,
 and ready sensibilities, he was not sus. ! ceptible to feminine charms. As boy,
 he became enamored of art too early to have other flames Perhaps, with fatuity common to mothers, she reasoned that,
 with such home as his, he was not likely to be tempted by visions of do- mestic bliss under vine and fg-tree yet
 to be planted. It is grievous problem
 to the maternal intellect why men who
 have the best mothers and sisters living and eager to spoil them with much
 serving, should be the earliest to marry
 out of certainty into hazardous uncer.
 tainty.
 When the judge had gone to a politi-
 cal meeting, and May to entertain wis,
 itors in the drawing-room, Mrs. Gill christ divincd the purport of the inn
 pending communication. Her fair hand grew clammy in toying with the short chestnut curls; in the silence through which she could hear the tinkle of the fountain on the lawn, she wet her dry lips that they might not be unready with loving rejoinder to what her idol was preparing to say. She knew March too well to expect conventional preamble He was always direct and genuine. She did not start when he spoke at length.
 Mamma, darling"
 "Yes, my son."
 "It has como to mo at last, and in | earnest"
 'I surmised as much" It was plain to see where he got his dislike of cir | cuitous methods. "Is it Mrs. Wayts | sister2"
 Tt is Hetty filling She is a true, noble woman. shall try to win her love. Should I succeed. you will love her for my sake, will you not?"
 You know that l will. But this is sudden. You have known her less than a fortnight. And. dear, it is out of the fuliness of my love that I speak-I am afraid that the family is a peculiar one. Be prudent, my son. You are young, and life is long. can not bear that you should make mistake here. Should this young girl be all that you think-even all that hope to find in her-it Is best not to force her decision. Give her time to study you. Take time, and make opportunities to study her. I ask it because you bear the names of two honorable men-your father and mine and because 1t would break your moth- CTS heart to see her only boy unhappy"
 He drew her hand to his lips-the high-bred hand that would always be beautiful-and held it there for mo- ment She had his pledge.
 Hetty had followed Hester into the house. It was half-past five, and there were strawberries to be capped for the half-past six dinner. A parishioner had left generous supply of Southern ber- 'tes at the door while the girls were out, and taken Mrs. Wayt and her little daughters to drive. Aunt and niece sat town at table drawn before the dining 'oom window and fell to work. Hes 'er's high chair brought her tiny, dex- erous fingers to level with Hetty's. The task went forward with silent ra- 'idity, and neither noted the direction .. 'f her companions eyes. Hetty seemed o her dazed self to bear about with her he charmed atmosphere of the nook , lnder the king apple tree. ,, The mingled hum of bees and signing ( wind and bird-note sounded in her ears I ike~the confused song of a sea-shell. f Now and then, a ray from hazel eyes f lashed athwart her sight. Brain and leart were in tumult that terrified . Ter into questioning her identity. The h winged boat" of fancy was a novel ', raft to our woman of affairs. As novel !, 7as the self-absorption that made her nobservant of Hetty's brilliant eyes nd musing smile. As the dainty ngers, just reddened on the tips bv U he fruit, picked of and cast aside the , reen 'caps," Hester's regards were xed upon the Anak of the orchard. nd Helty's strayed continually to the .. anne point. Both looked over and be- L ond figure creeping on all-fours down U he central alley of the broad, shall " 'w garden, occasionally crouching low, z, s if to crop the grass of the borders. Perry, studying his Latin grammar in A Is mothers chamber above, awoke the :, aciturn dreamers by shout: s' Hello, TonyI what are you doing r 1ere?" s He turned his head, not his body, to eply: ., "Now-jes' lookin' fur somethin' ~ ropped." : You'll drop yourself some day if you ont watch out" Testers unmusical o' ackle broke forth. ul "Does he look more like a praying lI lantis-or Nebuchadnezzarq" she said o' her co-worker. "He reminds me of q gl lnny thing I heard man say when I W aS A child of a ricturo fu ror ooAo.l.-- 0i