Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1890-09-19

wait here, as she was very anxious to know
at once--And it was much cooler than in
that other shed2 Certainly he would go
over and bring her bench But here she
begged he wouldn't trouble himself; she
could sit anywhere comfortably
The lower end of the workbench was
covered with clean and odorous shuvings.
She lightly brushed them aside and with
a youthful movement swung herself to a
seat upon It, supporting herself on one
hand as she leaned toward him. She
could thus see that his eyes were of n light
yellowish brown, like clarified honey with
n singular look of clear concentration in
them, which. however, was the same
whether turned upon his work, the sur
rounding grain or upon her. This, and
his sublime unconscousness of the smudge
across his face and his blackened hands,
mado her wonder if the man who could do
everything with wood and iron was above
doing anything with water. She had half
mind to tell him of it, particularly as she
noticed also that his throat below the line
Of sunburn disclosed by his open collar
was quite white and his griuy hands well
made She was wondering whether he
would he alfrOnted if she said in her polit-
est way ~ beg your pardon, but do you
know YOU have quite accidentally got
something on your faces" and offer her
handkerchief which of course he would
decline. when her eye fell on the steam en-.
ginc
"ITow odd, Do you use that on the
/ farn,'
No-hc smiled here. the smudge accent
ing il. and setting of his white teeth in a
Christy minstrel fashion that cxasperated
hcr--no. Although it could be used and
had been. But it was his first effort made
two wears aLo, when he was younger and
more inexperienced. 1t was rather rough
thing. She could see. but lie he'd to make it
/ at odd times with what iron he could pick
MP or pay for, and at different FORCES where
/ he worked.
She begged his pardon-whcrc;- -
Where he worked
All, then he was the machinist or en-.
! gineer here
| No. he worked here Just like the Others.
| only he was allowed to put up forge
| while the grain was green, and have hi.
| bench, in consideration Of the odd jobs he
| could do in the way Of mendng tools, etc
| There was a heap Of mending and Welding
to do-shc had no idea how quickly agr-
| cultural machines got ont of order lie
| had done much of his work on the steam
| engine on moonlit nights. Yes; she had
no idea how perfectly clear and bright il
was here in the valley on such nights.
| although Of course the shadows were very
| dark, and when be dropped screw or a
nut it was difficult to find lie had worked
| there because it saved time and because it
| didn't cost anything and he had nobody
to look on or interfere with him. No; it
was not lonely; the coyotes and wild cats
sometimes came very near, but We're always
more surprised and frightened than ne
was, and once hOrseman who had strayed
of the distant road yondcr mistool him
for an animal and shot at him twice.
lie told all this with such freedom from
embarrassment and with such apparent
Inconsistencies of the blue eyes that were
following him and the light, graceful fig.
urc-which was so near his own that in
some Of his gestures his grimy hands al
most touched its delicate garments-that,
accustomed as she was to a certain mascu.
line alteration in her presence, she was
greatly amused by his naive acceptance of
her d. an equal Suddenly looking frank
~ in her face ne said:
"I'u show you a secret if you care 10
see it,
Nothing would please her more.
lie glanced hurriedly around, took a key
that secured the closet she had noticed
Then reaching within with infinite care
he brought ont small mechanical model
"There's an invention of my own 4
reaper and t'raoher combined. I'm going
to have it patented and have n big one
made from this model. This will work, a.
you SEE
lie then explained to her with great pre-
cisilu how Us il moved over the field til,
double operation was performed by tn.
same motive power That it would be q
saving Of u certain amount Of labor aud
time which She could not remember Sh,
did not understand word OF his explaua
tions; she saw only clean and pretty, but
complicated, toy that, under the manipula
ton of hi, grimy fingers, ratified a number
of frail like slaves and worked a number
of wheels and drums, yet there was no in
dication Of her Ignorance in her s, ark Linz
eyes and smiling, breathless attitude. Per
haps she was interested in lis own absorb
ton; the recitation of his prooccupatioI
with this model strucl; her as II he hal
made her Il conldant of some boyish pas
sion for one of her own sex, and she re
gavded him with the same sympathizinl
slDeriority.