The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1892-10-19
HESTER'S ROMANCE.

Tho spring was very sweet that
year; tho orchard blossoms were
heavy aud rich on the fresh, warm
air, and the Bnrnnrds' brown farm
house with its mossy roof, fitted per-
fectly into the landscape of the
gently undulating prairie land, but
Joshua Barnard never noticed 1t;
thirty years pnnlonslIip with his
wife, jane, had thoroughly cradcntcd
the aesthetic part of his nature. She
was n woman whose face gave one the
impression that 1t had been rudcly
carved out with sharp knife and
not polished down; sho acccntuntcd
this by dragging her hnir back into
tight knot ut the wrong angle of her
head. Mrs. Dnrnnr, was noted In the
country round about for her sharp
voice, good butter aud obstinacy.
How she was ever induced by her
enduring husband TO let him send their
only daughter, Hester, away to school
had been the marvel Of the gossips for
months. Whatever topic was intro
duccd IL ALWAYS branchcd of on to the
Barnnrds. Pity for the head of the
family, backbiting for the wife, and
covert, envious remarks FOR Hester
were alluring snorcs of wickcdncss
that could not be resisted. Hester Ind
come back that spring for good; her
college days were finished and she was
trying TO settle down again in the old
life that seemed dream.
Four years of city life, with tho re-
filming influences she had met, had
worked marvellous change in the
brown-cycd, quiet girl. She thought
at first her mother and father had
changed, and was puzzled, but when
the real ruth broke upon her, she felt
suddenly alienatcd, as though she were
a stranger. They were where she had
left them, while she had moved notch
higher; it made her moro tcndcrly
kind towards her father, whom she
loved; more charitable towards her
mother, who was at once proud of her
and dissatisfied, and on account of this
sometimes trying. 1t hurt Hester to
hear her mothers boast to n ncighbor
of her daughters accomplishments; it
filled her with ohagrin TO be pushed
forward at the little gatherings, whose
atmosphere had become tlistastcful,
aud to see the cnvlous sncors on the
faces of her former friends.
At first when she came back she had
tried to meet them Oh the old footing,
but she could not become interested IN
their gossip and bcaux and they could
not comprehend her. So little by
little she fell back upon herself for
companionship, much to the anger of
Mrs. Barnard. who was ambitious for
Hester to shine in the country side (;
hcr ambition went no higher.
"You are ungratcful, Hester!" she
said sharply one evening,as she cleared
the supper table. "Look at the money
spent on your schooling, and now
you won't go anywhere but stick at
l.o..o lilo N unhnIx ~
Hester did not reply-she had
learned better-and stood looking out
of the window in hopeless sort of a
way. She had earnestly tried 10 dc
her duty, but life seemed very hard
of late, cut offfrom congenial pursuits
and friends. Yes, it was the friends
she thought, with lush..
"And then refusing to 60 to the so
ciable tomorrow night with Nat Par
kins," her mother went OH in hcl
rasping voice, "when everyone will
be there, and he Is the richest farmer
in this region, and all the glrls woult
give their eycs"-
"Mothcrp' Hester broke In dcsper
ately at last, 81 do all In my powe
to please you. but will not 60 will
Mr.. Parkins--I detcst him." and sh
fied to her room, where she threv
herself sobbing upon her littlo whit
bed. She fs.t 80 hopsless, 90 home
click for-welI. for whaip Aud In he