The National tribune., 1890-11-20

"Let me tech you to see If you are true!
Yes, you feel januwine. Ill tell you what
happened.
He noticed that her dress had been pressed
with irons since yesterday. and she had a
yellow marigold in her hair. Surely she
was fair and tall and at her natural ease!
Archy Beatty has been beat for preacher
by the Dunkers; they said he had too much
conceit, and that he thought he looked like
Jesus Excuse me, but that's what the
bunker Bishop said of him. 1t was settled
yesterday, and Archy come home fierce and
pitched into his father He said the old
mans thieving, providing, gypsy reputation
had been the cause of Archy's unpopular
character. He accused his pa of stealing
wood; being a tricky fellow at the law;
having bad children and of doing worse
things years ago up yer on the ole Sharps-
burg road when he KEEP drovers' tavern"
"sUCH As ROBBING TRAVELLERS, I THINK"
yes; things like that. The old man
! took il all, till Archy said he was a disgrace
to me, and that no honest young man would
| come 10 the house 10 call on me with Brad
dick Beatty's awful reputation. Ole Brad be-
gin to git mad, and told Archy he had been
sparkin' me a long time, and hadn't made
| any lOvefeast it. You know the Dunkers
| has lOvefeasts, and washes one anOther's
feet. Well, Archy, fretted by his defeat to
be preacher, picked up his masOn's ham
mer and rushed at the old man. Braddck
ducked and got the crack on his back, and
butted ATchy down. thought there would
be murder, and turned and throWed dip
! per Of hot water out'n the biler on Brad
dicks bare feet, and he yelled with the pain,
and accused me OF taking ATchy's part. lie
said / should leave the house; Archy said
l shouldn't. At last the old man got to
| crying, and Archy repented and began TO
pray for him. 1t often happens that way"
"How are you, Miss Perry, under any OBJ
! legation to these peOple?"
This way: My great-grandmother Tur-
tie married a widOwer named Beatty for the
second husband; they both had children be
fOre-sOme Turtles and some Beattys. Old
Braddiek Beatty was great-grandmother's
Oldest stepson, but no blood to US. lie got
hold OF everything, and ruled everybody in
both families; all was afraid of him. He
brought me up as the oldest child, and has
always been jealous of me- My sister lives
with my real grandfather -
"The man called Creeper Turtle ~
Just that; and COOrOO is not like me;
she's religious, and she loves Archy, who
won't look at her."
So Archy Beatty, stone-mason and would
be priest, Is the person COOrOO loves! He
loves you, and you love nobody?"
She looked reply, her eyes twinkled and
sought the floor, and beneath her mask of
humor touch of color came to her face that
she could not help.
q never could love Archy, but he is my
friend. He would almost tell lie for me-
and he abhOrs all deceit. That's why, Mr..
O'Connor, Archy is so blunt and unpopular
He thinks sincerity calls on him to say yea,
yea, and nay, nay. He's got ambition, and
there's no society he can raise himself by
but church society. If there was some other
way, Archy could be happier. They set
down on him in his church on account of
his pa and bad kin. o, would like to see
him settled and have his hands full of work,
but If he leaves yer ole Brad will make it
dreadful for mel"
The blood now came darkly TO her face,
like banner of distress, and the long, plain
tive chord he had heard twice before sounded
like finger upon yiOls string.
"Where can go? don't.dare to stay if
Archy leaves yer"
Pity, not presumption nor mere oppor-
tunity, caused the impulsive Irishman to
reach out his hand, and to touch the girl
on the head, as she had sunk upon the
bench; to delay his hand there and see q
tear from beneath her brow fall upon the
Oaken floor.
Then, between the touch and the tear, his
own eyes became dim and cropping and pity
ing, greatly interested, his hand fell to her
shoulders his left hand felt to find her face
and wipe her tears away, and as he touched
her chin she looked up.
II nature ever worked its unassisted wishes
il was now.
With a spirit of brotherhood O'COnnor
kissed the girl and there stopped, both of
them in a transport of diflidence yet relief
For little while they said nothing. The
AK of old Beatty was heard falling upon the
lofty air in hollow sounds, like the alternate
breaths of these children OF nature in the
mody room.
WAS 1T LOvE2
II not, what could il hep
If love, how pure was the feelingl If
only pity, why was the interest so deep, and
why both so silent?
The spat OF birds, sparring in the air with
sounds of rapid sweetness, came also into
the apartment, and through the open win
dow, from the woods, two little cit birds
fought their way, met in airy tournament,
beheld the human couple suddenly and tled
again through the easement
O'COnnor had dipped his head To let them
fly about him, and when they daTted back
into tho woods lac found his voice.
II We had liberty like tho birds, Perry,
we might fly into the woods, too, where they
set us tho example almost miTaculously."
Her face WAS still turned toward him with
! strange, blank look Of peace upon ID, like