The Press., 1891-11-26


 T can't be out in the lot and in the stable and in the sparrowgrass patch, and milkin and chorin all in the same breath. grumbled Burns. Let her manage the fool things for herself, and I'll bet my hat them aigs will all be addled in less than no time"
 Meantime, Agnes was taking in great breaths of inspiration and freedom as she bounded away on Seliin's back and noted the tender young green of the fields, or followed water course, bor- dered by the blossomed white thorn into the deep woods She felt she had never seen the spring as she saw 1t that day threading narrow path near the crawling brook, where the light glim- mered on smooth beds of white rock and spotted the trunks of trees as they leaned above the pools. sliding in green and gold sheets over a pebbly bottom, and the dogwood swayed softly in the south wind, and the air was flied with calls of wild birds and the chirp of the callow young in airy nests. Odors of sassafras, and black birch and pepper root came to her with delicious pungency. and new moss shone on the rocks, and the fern beds were uncurling their fronds. and millions of young leaves fiuttered over head like animated butterflies. and the young maple leaves glimmered pink and yellow down the vistas of the wood.
 Then she came out on lonely hills, where billowy curves and breasts of forest land sloped to little clearing by woodman's hovel. with brood of wild eyed children about the door and the black evergreen growth was capriciously streaked with the young green The blood of the new year leaped in the woody veins and tingled in the tender shoots, where the sky shone so still and far over an illimitable distance, and the faint cawing of crow was heard way up in the clouds. Agnes paced home under broken sky by a rough road used by the loggers, and through gaps in the trees saw the valley and Scrabble Hill shining down beneath her in shifting patches of light where 8 curtain of clouds released it's rays to splinter on rocks and young copses and sown fields. She ex- ulted in the sweet solitude and the sense of freedom. For the first time in her life the spring greeted her like a sister of her own age, who could comprehend all her emotions. After exercising Selim in jumping ditches and fences until she was tired, she rode home in light drizzling rain and gave orders to Burns to harness him to the market cart tho next morning at six, as she intended to drive into Littlefeld with load of as paragus and lettuce.
 Burns took off his hat and scratched his head as if to help the idea in pene- trating his skull '.He ain't broke to harness, miss.
 Never was in a harness in his life, answered Agnes carelessly, 'sbut it's time he learned how to pull"
 'And you mean to drive him the first time tomorrow morningT
 "Of course do," turning her eyes on Burns in way that shut him up and made him creep of to the stable, nut tering to himself. ''Ef she breaks her neck with her durn' recklessness it won't be my fault"
 How the girl managed to COW Burns and make him perfectly submissive to her will the very first day of her arrival at the farm was puzzle even to him. Perhaps it was the look of her clear eye, look of natural command that made him feel small and insignifcant; some such look as he remembered in her father, who had quelled a riot among the strik- CTS on one of his railroads by his per- sonal power and authority. Burns noticed that his wife, who generally car ried the day in their matrimonial differ ences, had grown surprisingly meek as she crept in and out of the keeping room with the tea things where Miss Ransom was kneeling before the fireplace coax ing some sticks of rather wet wood to kin de to blaze. Agnes had rumamged out of the attic pair of brass andirons over which she exulted as real antiques. Mrs. Burns had fully intended to call her by her first name. She had'always spoken of the Ransom girls to her neighbors as if she enjoyed close and familiar inti- macy with the family of her wealthy employer. It was not the custom to and now that Agnes was poor she felt that she had no call to kotow.
 But since the tall girl had taken pos session at the farm, with her hazel eyea speaking authority. the proud. young head set so superbly on her shoulders, the level sweep of her glance as if she owned the world, Mrs Burns had not ventured on '.4gnes," not even in pri- vate with John, but had confined her. self to the personal pronoun she. "She's got 8 temper like steel trap, know she hnn rryof cl cutting the bread for Johns supper
 Il guess she won't bite your head off, returned Burns, with his face buried in the crash roller towel, after having per formed his ablutions at the kitchen sink. We've got to give in to her so far as it's her place to boss, but she mustn't interfere with our part of the house. It won't kill us to begin and call her Miss Ram som right away No familiarity, sez | but square deal, and each one to toe the mark on her own line We'll keep to ourselves and let her keep to herself. No mixin. She's just Nike the old man born aristocrat.
 Agnes had knelt before the fire to toast her bread, and the glow was cast on her cheek and along the rich sheen of her hair and the delicate outline of her pro file. It touched the little round tea table, with it's twisted legs and claw feet, and Mother Rollins squat tea service of quaint china. She drew up an old fash toned cushioned rocking chair and made 8 lovelier picture there in the gloaming. with the rustic furnishings of the little, odd shaped room, than she had ever made in the splendid drawing room at Oakwood. When the simple meal was over Agnes sat on without light as the dusk gathered and deepened. Without moving from the chair she could look far down the valley and see red streak in the clearing sky. and the winding road, and the bridge over the creek. the hills glimmering of into the dark. and . great lonely tree on the opposite rise Of ground outlining itself against the sky. Suddenly Mrs. Burns. who was washing 6iahQa in fhe Eiffshcs, I l,a. b<,<.;., k..s