, 1891-06-04

one, in her apron.
Whether looking up SO continuously
heightened her coloring or not, James
thought she had never looked so beauti-
full and altogether womanly before, and
he registered an oath in his heart, for he
never swore, that, so help him Uncle
John Rogers, he would ask her the min
ute he got down" He even got quite
brilliant up there on the ladder, and
actually joked, while Martha Ann
beaned one continuous smile.
Finally he gathered all the apples in
his reach, and so had to come down to
get a new position. But with each down
ward step, down went his courage, and
it was only by a superhuman effort that
he managed to say:
You're lookin' purtier'u all git out.
Martha Ann"
Martha Ann blushed crimson at so di-
rect a compliment, for she felt that the
hour had come.
You're always a hatterin n me, James
she said.
Couldn't say too much for-you-
know-you-know- Guess I'd better
move the ladder ter the south side the
tree, wouldn't your
Martha Ann could have cried then and
there. James said no more, and the
apple gathering went on in silence.
But now, at the time l am writing
about, they were actually engaged, and
the reader will probably come to the
conclusion that Martha Ann must have
proposed, just as the worthy gossips Of
the Big Creek section figured. The
facts are as follows:
Martha Ann decided firmly on a eli
max. Either James or she must speak.
If she could induce him to declare his
love, all well and good; if not, she must
draw him out. If he would not draw,
she u tell him the old story herself.
No strategist could have planned a finer
campaign.
1t was the evening of Easter Sunday.
The day had been bright and sunny. The
services at the church had been inspir-
ing, and James had come home with her
for supper.
After a meal which would have
warmed the heart of a cynic, let alone a
healthy farmer like our hero, all the
folks retired to the parlor, where a rosy
fire was glowing in the CRATE, the dry
maple logs burning slowly but deter
minedly, and every coal which dropped
tANAb ~ SSAoA " pAA AAbAAs
The organ was opened, and first the
pieces sung by the choir that day were
played over, as Martha Ann said, ''just
ter hear how they sounded at home"
Father Todd sat neal the hearth, one
knee overlapping the other, his eyes
looking clean up through the ceiling,
past the bedroom on the second floor,
past the stars in the keen spring sky,
Nnagf The I@V.Y1u-sA. 80 1900 s-N- 4l.4
beautiful land of pure delight, where
saints immortal reign" which Martha
Ann vas singing about.
Mother Todd sat in her rocker near
him, her arms folded on her motherly
bosom, her round, fair, good old face
beaming with perfect rest and peace.
James stood by the side of the singer
and Joined in the chorus now and then,
for he had a robust bass voice, which
"might'd amounted ter something"
Martha Ann said, had he only had the
high trainin' of the choir"
And so the early evening passed, and
pretty soon the old people went to sleep
in a ftful way until the worthy sire "al-
lowed it might do fer young folks to set
up, but fer as he was concerned, guess
he'd crawl off ter bed" He was soon
followed by his faithful partner, and the
field was ready for the action to begin.
Martha Ann concluded she would not
sing any more, for her throat was get
ting choked u p 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. If he
sat down anywhere in the room but in
one place her back would be toward
him. He hemmed a little and wandered
aimlessly about, tried to get interested
in a 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 n silence of intense and
painful presence in the room. Now and
then a spark shot upward from the burn
ing logs or a 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
hickerin'. 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 Simpkins2 Come and set
down right aside O. her and watch the
hickerin'-well, I'll be etarnallyIn WAS
what instantly passed through his brain.
And she had turned again to the fire.
He coughed a little, made as if to get
up, but subsidized. He turned all colors.
And there sat Martha Ann looking SO
coy.
Alook 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 starei n
to the fire.
James," she said, 81 never see such n
buildin' of palaces and a maxim of stories
as there is in the fire there tonight"
Cant say as l 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