Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1890-03-21


were beating rapidly. How would she
receive him? Would she be angry and
refuse 20 COZ
But Sylvia, calmly dressing in her own
| little nest of a room, up under the caves
of the old farm house, had no thought OF
being angry, and no intention of re-
| fusing to go.
Jingle. jangle. jingle!
She was just completing her toilet when
she heard the CHEEKY sound. She stood
on tip-toe and glanced at herself in the
| mirror, a black bound and ancient piece
of furniture, which, truth to tell, gave
| back a rather distorted reflection of the
pretty young face consulting it. But
Sylvia was acquainted with its peculiari-
| ties, and never unreservedly accepted its
verdict. Now she nodded gayly TO the
| wavy countenance confronting her.
"You look very nice, Sylvia" she
said
She was trim and slim, and dark
| haired, with short curls clustering around
the white forehead, and bright, sweet,
| bruno little face. And in her best dress
of crimson cashmere, all trimmed with
picturesque and charming.
"Svlvia!' called her mother
"Coming" she cried.
She pulled on her jacket, tied on
| her white zephyr hood, and catching up
her mittens, ran down the steep stairway
| to the kitchen. Ten minutes later she
was out beside the sleigh, where, in an
agony Of diffidcnce and delight, Reuben
Bassett waited. He sprang out, helped
her in. Then the team trotted briskly
off.
Jingle! jangle. jingle!
There was no other sound for while.
Reuben felt himself relapsing into his
usual nervous silence. He made aheroic
attempt at conversation.
cit is a beautiful night" he said.
His voice sounded husky and strange
to himself This was his first drive, first
real tete-a-tete with the girl he loved.
| ''Is it," she cried, with silvery laugh.
CHOW think it's rather cold and dark2"
This was rather discouraging. What,
Reuben wondered rather dejectedly,
would Bob have said next?
"The-the moon will be up pretty
soon," he murmured.
How horribly fast the horses were
going. He felt tremendously grateful to
Bob for giving him this opportunity. If
he only had enough courage to profit by
it!
"Do you know" he said, 81 was
afraid you'd be offended at my com
ing"
s'Offendedr' she echoed, ''Why I am
glad you thought of bringing me-"
''It's very good of you to say So"
She was a trife puzzled by his en-
| barrassment.
''We are going to have fine night
after ALL" she remarked, ''the stars are
coming out"
The little face in the white hood was
upturned to the kindling sky. And
then, very suddenly, he did an extra
ordinarily strange thing for a bashful
man to do. He never afterward could
comprehend how he had been valorous
enough for such an act. He bent and
kissed the girl beside him.
She drew back trembling..
You have no right to do thatw she
cried.
"Give me the right" he pleaded,
grown bold all at once. "I'm awfully
in love with you, Sylvia. Give me the
right"
~ cannot, she whispered.
"Why not?"
She was silent. Distinctly sounded
the clatter of the horses hoofs on the
hard, white road. Onward the sleigh
sped, by farms and fences and few red
gold window panes.
els there" he asked, "any one else?"
She hesitated.
Eyes"
His heart sank like lead. There was
no hope for him, then. In silence they
drove on. The moon had risen and was
swinging up the sky, a globe of pearl.
Evidently they were late. When they
reached the small wooden school-house
where the reunions were held, they saw
several teams hitched without. From
the windows of the structure the light
streamed. They could catch pleasant
murmur of voices.
Brighter the moonlight had grown.
AS Bassett assisted Sylvia to aight, she
started, cried out.
what is it, he asked.
His face was pale and she fancled
rather stern.
lis it you2" she painted, "Reuben
Bassett."
"Who," he asked, culver in his
grave voice, Ibid you think it was?"
| She had not withdrawn the hand she