The Portland daily press., 1891-06-05

sing any more, for her throat was get
ting choked up, and with the greatest
sang froid drew the sofa up before the
fire and sat down, leaving James to look
out for himself.
This move put him in a bad fix. Ii he
sat down anywhere in the room but in
one place her back would be toward
him. He hemmed little and wandered
aimlessly about, tried to get interested
in picture of Mrs. Todd's grandmother.
and finally sat down on the organ stool.
Martha Ann paid no attention. She
sat with her face in her hands looking
in the fire, as if oblivious of his pres
ence.
There was a silence of intense and
painful presence in the room. Now and
then spark shotupward from the burn
ing logs or stick fell from the dogs into
a heap of crimson Goals.
James actually suffered. He had no
more idea what to do under the circum-
stances than the traditional child I'M
born. But when the stiffness began to
actually ache, Martha Ann reused up,
and turning to him said: "Why, James,
don't set over there alone. Come and
sit on the sofa here by me and watch the
fickerin. l jes' see the prettiest little
home you ever heard tell of. Come and
I'll tell you"
He blushed crimson at this. Was it
possible? Was this really Martha Ann?
Was he Jim Simpkins? Come and set
down right aside O. her and watch the
fickerin'-well, I'll be etarnallyp was
what instantly passed through his brain.
And she had turned again to the fire.
He coughed little, made as if to get
up, but subsided. He turned all colors.
And there sat Martha Ann looking so
cozy.
A look of heroism came into his eyes.
He arose, pulled down his trousers, and
sat down again, got up once more, and
the first thing he knew he was actually
sitting on the same sofa with her, and
she, never moving from her place near
the middle, continued her weird stare in
to the fire.
"James," she said, 81 never see such
buildin' of palaces and maxim of stories
as there is in the fire there tonight"
"Can't say as / see much, Martha
Ann"
''Look there, right side the dog. Can't
you see the little house there and the
vines a-trailing up over the roof and the
door wide open and the children a-playin'
about, and the old well there-see it,
James, bucket, beam, everything jes' as
natural as life; and what's them bendin'
over the well? They may be lovers,
James, a-bendin' over the water jes' as
we are over the fire."
"You got tarnal good eyes, Martha
Ann, ter see all them things. P'raps
amt no imagination, but I can't see
nothing but some Goals a-breathing
sorter like as if they hated ter give in"
Martha Ann continued her rapt at
tention of the drama in the fire, and
James began to get to home on the sofa.
By and by she lifted her hand and
brushed back her hair, and then let it
descend in careless way till it fell on
that of her companion.
"Whata great, strong hand you have"
she said slowly. s'Dn YOU know tha
marks In the hand? Let me show you.
See this longest one curving around the
thumb. That's for long life. You will
live to be very old. And see this little
one here, next it. That's for riches, and
this one here-wonder what it's for? See
mine, jes' the same mark Obi I know
now; / remember"
"What is it fer?"
"It's fer love-"
The Websterian catalogue was too
limited for the bashful young farmer to
find anything to say to this, and SO they
sat in silence, her hand still resting al
most caressingly on his. Out in the sit
ting room could be heard the measured,
solemn tick-tock of the great oaken
clock, and outside the wind breathing
through the trees added certain weird
ness to the Sabbath repose. Every now
and then the sound of the old dog in the
woodshed turning over restlessly could
be heard, and all the while the mans
heart was demanding that he should ex-
press himself, commission the tongue
refused to obey.
Finally Martha Ann, without raising
her head, said, dreamily:
''Do you know, James, I've often Won
dered why you didn't ever git married.
You see, l have always looked upon my
self as sister to you, wishin' always fer
your welfare and happiness, and / have
asked myself agin and agin, Now why
don't he find some good, true girl and
marry her? You'd make some woman a
good husband, James; Ilnow you would,
you're SO good and stidy and home lovin',
and sech men amt plentiful. 1t amt
fer you to be spending your Sunday
evenings with me, who is only your true
friend, fer you'd ought to be fndin' a
sweetheart an gettin' married and set
tied in life."
tOh, Martha Amir he found courage
to say.
She continued as if not noticing the
interruption.
"a man as has reached your age ought
ter be lookin' round him, and there's
a-plenty of girls would have you, too,
a-plenty of them. Now, there's Mary
Gibson-she's good girl as ever lived,
splendid housekeeper, and religious.
Or Sally Stevens, or Esther Lapum, any
of them would jump at the chance to
become Mrs. Simpkins."
James groaned in spirit. The perspira-
ton trickled down his forehead and set
tied in a drop on the tip of his nose, as
if undecided whether or not it were best
to fall.
"Oh, Martha Ami" he said again
plaintively, show could yer think of sech
a thingY
She removed her hand from his and
turned her face, now flushed warm by
the fire, until her eyes met his and asked,
as if with the greatest wonder:
"Why not?"
"It's you l want, Martha Ann"-his
tongue was getting into line-'it's you as
l have been a-planning this year or more
to ask, but somehow you was alters so
sweet lookin' and so quiet that l some
how couldn't do it." Surely the unruly
vocal powers were getting very obedient.
"Pve loved yer from little girl-Pve
-Tve"-
The machinery stopped suddenly here,
and it was as much as half minute be-
fore he continued.
"You see, don't know how to tell it,
but love you. love you with all my
heart, and alters have, and I've wished
and wished l could tell you, but 1
couldn't, bein' SO stupid; but I've told
you now, and I'm glad, fer L amt no
room in my heart for no one else"
He was quite choked up with emotion
now, yet in his eyes were a new bold
ness, a new inspiration, and he leaned
aourar1v nd foy. 1,a,.