Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1891-09-04
IN THE ORCHARD.
By FRANcfs AsIIEroN.

1t is u gentle May day, and the
apple blossoms are breaking Whitley
over the trees in the Cavanaghs' or.
chard. Rhode Island is never luxur-
liant and in May is often grugging of
her favors, but this spring she seems
TO have been seized by kindly ca
price, and adorns herself for tho
benefit of her children. One does not
lave to be of the soil, however, to be
grateful for her lovelincss, and Miss
Humphreys, though an alien, is aware
of her privileges. She is sitting on a
fiat stone, resting and talking over
past times with her companion, man
whom one would describe as long
rather than tall, aud who is occupied
in making excavations on q small scale
among the roots of the tree under
which lie is sitting
al never could understand why the
DennisOns asked me on their party at
all" Miss Humphreys is saying. al
was on excessively bad terms with
Charles Dcnnison at the time"-her
companion looked up significantly
"and Carrie and | quarrclled every
day and several times an evening. !
went because was utterly bored with
life just then, and intended to be
amused at any cost-and was" She
met the Young mans eyes for mo-
ment and then turned away and went
on: "Do you remember our im-
promptu ball? You played fiddler
"And you danced with Charley"
finished the other, "with whom you
were on such exccs sivcly bad terms y
Dolly laughed. "Yes, with all his
faults hc danced like a"
"Dream," cut in the yc2pq6TFss
smcastcally. "That is the correct ex-
preston"
81 never knew You to have such an
envious and bitter turn of mind.
thought you were above it"
81 find in the course of thirty odd
years that | am above nothing, but
cheating at cards and telling tales, i"
was the answer"
"Dcar me! What a gloomy out
look for Miss Dolmer" said Dolly;
but the cons,raint of her manner took
the lightncss from her speech, and
Aikens was as serious as he answered,
Eyes, but Miss Dolmer docs not ex-
pect much.
Dorothy flushed. "The fooI?' she
said in her soul; outwardly she was
silent.
81 remember" began the young
man, slowly. trying to paint in words
the picture that rose before his eyes,
"that night in the big west room as
though it was yesterday, the roaring
fire swapping and blazing on the wide
hearth, the Christmas holly green ard
dark everywhere, its glistoning floor
and the old square piano pushed up in
the corner, behind which it was my
hard necessity to sit and play while
you danced, Dolly" His dark eyes,
in which the pupils seemed points of
light, flashed into hers.
"Whose fault was lhat?" she re-
turned reproachfully.
"Yours," came the answer bitterly
-''yours-yours It was all in your
hands, and you chose to throw me
away like a"
''IIushI" she interrupted, the beau
tiful color mounting TO her cheek.
"That is not true, and you must not
say it,"
He was calm again. and went back
TO his "reminiscences.
cit was wet and cold and buster
ing outside, and | spent ten pleasant
minutes standing in the rain to cool
off some of my superfluous spirit"
And he smiled sadly. He was what
most people did not care to look at.
without being ugly. No ono could
be ugly with that straight fine-cut
nose and the eloqveNce and fire of
his eyes; but the long, rather haggard
face was thought sinister, and the thin
1 lips cold and hard. "Did you enjoy
those dances, Dolly?p lie leaned for
ward and looked into her eyes.
''Yes," she answered, blushing. 81
loved the movement, and l knew all
the time"
"That | was eating my heart ont. :"
he interrupted, scornfully; "and you
liked that almost as well as making a
fool of Poor Charley Dennison."
/ "Don't," said Dolly; "you hurt me
and you have no right"
"No, l have no right to upbraid you,
( poor girl! You had too many lovers
and too light heart not TO make some
of them unhappy. Only wish | had
not been one of the sufferers; that is
all. On, Dolly, l think | conld have
withstood you, if it hadn't been for
that day on the river in the autumn,
when you tried your best to vile the
heart ut of me, and"