The Press., 1891-12-03

careasing and giving him courage. There was no more prancing that day with three legs in the air. The proud, sensi- tive creature had bent his neck to the yoke, and when he trotted obediently into Littlefield the day was still young; only the usarkstnen. the factory people and the maid sasvants were astir.
 She looked up the handsome elm shad- ed street toward Oakwood and caught 9 glimpse of the great iron gates of her former home at the end of the avenue. in the .cool depths of turf and bloom, where the birds were singing. She drove slowly, feeling herself alien to all that old life; but she kept on her way to the market, moro determined than ever to become thoroughly practical woman. The lamentations of her family over the loss of fortune and her own perversity were to Agnes weariness of the flesh and spirit She hugged the sense of free dom she had found at Scrabble Hill, and exulted in 1t with kind of childish glees Her experiment of turning farmer was developing far better than she had expected, aud fn comparison the old life of show and amusement looked poor and himsy
 Mrs Purse was at her door in a morn ing wrapper and crimping pins. ready to patronixe the daughter of the proud but fallen Rsnsoms by taking from her limited daiiy supply of fresh vege- %nh Ry.%,~ S~+o Agnes drive past toward tho market. If the green grocers decline to take her load, of course she will then be forced to peddle her stuff through town, thought Mrs. Purse. and she hoped such might be the case But even to the atrabiious and tart natured Mrs. Purse, somewhat perverted by. secretly rejoicing in, her neighbors misfortune, the bringing down of proud and stiff necked genera tion, Agnes on the seat of the market cart, guiding tho now obedient Selim. was more beautiful than ever before.
 She drove straight to the fruit and vege- table stall of Scales and Markham, where she hoped to dispose of her load. Scales was high colored man, dapper and neat, and rather oyerscented with bergamot and hair oil to suit the taste of his fash ionable lady customers. Now he stepped out in spotless linen apron, long pen cil behind his ear, . rcd carnation in his buttonhoie, smiling at the sight of Agnes Ransom in the market cart. The young man had never before dared to lift his eyes to the face of the millionaire's daughter, but little boldness and fa- miliarity might be pardoned now by a girl in market wagon.
 ''Good morning, Miss Agnes"-he who never before had ventured to breathe the name of Agnes.
 ''Good morning, Mir. Scales, returned the young lady, with naughty deliberar tiop.
 The young man turned vivid brick red up to the roots of his hair, the color of faded grass. #
 "What can do for you, Miss Ran somT he said, suddenly straightening up and assuming his finest clerkly man. nera.
 'sYou ean look at the vegetables in the back of my wagon and see if 1t will suit you to buy them.
 Scales was glad to retreat out of range of the young lady's eye that made him feei unaccountably like whipped cur.
 However, revenge Is sweet, and the astute Mir. Scales was determined to get the better of this proud girl if possi- ble. What could society child, a mere fashionable butterfly, know about , market pricsse
 $u$ys W u036 ho hn around the wagon brushing his hands, of which he took excellent care; "but of course you can't raise first class vegeta- bles on Scrabble Hil-soil too cold and summers tss short I'll give you eleven cents the kRcAsS
 "Ghank eon,s said Agnes icily, as she cramped her wagon with great skill on the turn among the vehicles drawn up in front of the market. "The latest quotation for asparagus of the quality sell is fourteen cents," and Scales, crest fallen, saw her drive over to his rival. Boggs, who bought her whole load and was glad to get it. I'm less than half an hour, after doing little shopping at Dash and Slocum's, the drapery store, Agnes was spinning along the road on the way to Scrabble Hill with pretty sum of money warming her pocket-the first money earned. so dear, SO capti- vating, 30 priceless, beyond any other lucre that ever comes into the keeping of man or woman When Agnes got up on the long, slow ascent among the pines and larches, where the sober blue sky could be seen topping the wooded wall that seemed to bound the world of her past, she took of her hat and began to sing, letting her voice out in a note of young and courageous triumph. for she felt happy alone in the old market cart as she had seldom felt in her fathers fine carriages, The breeze seemed laden with vague, delicious whispers as 1t breathed over the tops of the pines and hermit thrush was pouring out rich stream of melody in the thickest depth of the wood.
 Selim took the long rise sprinkled with 'thank you ma'ams" most gal lantly. and as Agnes gave him his head she wondered if she was always to live on Scrabble Hill. growing more and more practical, moro and more shrewd as to the price of butter. eggs and garden vegetabl learning rustic ways, how to outwit the country folks who tried to overreach her; learning to live without music, 50 essential to her happiness; without love, without art or social at- traction and charm. gradually growing into cid naidenhood among uncongenial people, with whom she had nothing in common. Then her thoughts flew to the old life that now had moved of to an infinite perspective She thought of the grand marriage her ambitious, scheming aunt had planned for her with young Darcy. commonly called Lord" Darcy, because of the intensity of his Anglo manis; young Darcy. of immense. zex- pectations. whose grandmothers, aunts, uncles and cousins were an rich and childless, and were sure to make him their heir If he cultivated their good graceA. The report was that Darcy's maternal wrmudYn 0fhay had roY,orn da5