The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1892-07-06
NO COWARD AFTER ALL,

NO COWARD AFTER ALL.
Nobody had ever regarded jamie as
much Of heroine. Indeed, she had
never even viewed herself in that light.
II Guy had been asked abou, il, he
would have declared without a moments
hesitation that jamie was the most cow
aTdly girl he had ever seen. Tie sight
of a mouse would frighien her almost
into hy sseIies, and when Guy threw q
little caterpillar into her lap one time,
she tainted dead away and came near
being seriously III afterwards. But peO-
PIE that knew this didn't know ali about
jamie yet.
She didn't lock Ikea heroine in the
least. She was thin and awkward-iock-
ing-just after her most awkward age,
said her mother, Who felt sure that JAMIE
would be a handsome and graceful girl
some day. Her hair Was brown and was
always braided down her back, afording
Guy 3 Convenient handle TO pull her
around by, which he did at least I doz-
en- times q day. Her face was freckled,
and Guy Was always reminded Of gain
e. egg when lie saw her, " hich led him
to cry pot-raek pot-rsek ~ in imita-
ton OF that unmusieal barnyard fowl.
In short jamie was not very pretty, but
was very good tempered othewise there
would have been war between her and
Master Guy every day. They were eous-
ins, Of about the same age, and the farm
house at which they lived vas the home
Of Janie's father and mother, Mr.. and
Ms. Gerald
Il vas 3 lovely old place,-that Gerald
farmhouse. The quaint stone house was
very old, and great elm anu walnut trees
stood around it with their long branches
reaching ike protecting arms clear over
the roof All abou. the vide porches
rose and h0neysuckle vines ran not, and
the yard was filed with beds Of old
fashioned pinks and lilac bushes, with
migronetie and sweet alyssum sprinkled
in between them. On every side OF the
farmhouse stretched the vide fields,
most Of them Just shading of from green
into gold, for It was early summer, and
the wheat would soon be ready to haE-
vest.
"Guy, come 20 with ne TO mammals
room. want a book that I LETT there to-
day said JAMIE coaxingly, on one par
lieuiar night, which led Guy to exclaim
with his superior air:
MY, my, jamie wOuldn't be such a
coward as you are! Afraid Of the dark !
And he stalked up stairs as though
nothing N the world could put him 70
flight, and then pretended 20 see some
thing terrible IN the hall and went skur-
rying down stairs with poor jamie cling
Ing to him, and burst out laughing after
wards because he had succeeded in
frightening her. Oh, he was a dreadful
fellow, this Gus.
Il was the very next day that Mr.. Ger
aid came hurrying home from town with
q telegram. Mrs Gerald's sister was
very III, and had sent for her TO come and
see her once more before she passed
away.
What am I to do?" exclaimed Mrs-
Gerald. as they ali stood about her
- Poor Bette know ought to 90, but
I can't go alone, and what's to be done
With the children %
"Tll 20 with, mother said Mr.. Gerald
decisiyely. The children can get along
for day or to, and III be be back by
that time"
But JAMIE IS such a coward" objected
the mother. There 1t was again. Ey-
erybody called her a co"ard.l
Well, Guy can 20 over and get Mrs
Peters 10 come and stay until We come
back. Hurry and get ready. mother. 1t
Is three miles to the station, and We
mnst catch that o'clock train"
50 Mrs Gerald got ready, talking all
the time and telling Guy and jamie how
to manage everything in her absence,
and in eourse Of fifteen OF twenty min
utes jamie and Guy stood in the door and
watched them driving briskly down the
long lane that led to the big gate" and
then 70 the country road beyond. And
then, all at once, the place seemed won
derfully lonely and still. jamie did not
remember ever to have felt 50 lonely in
her life.
"well, II you aren't crying" exclaim-
ed Guy sharply. What a baby you are,
JAMIE. Nobody could hire me to lie
girl. silly things, afraid Of their own
shadows r.
After which he strolled or down TO the
barn, leaving jamie to cry her CRY out
Haven't you started for Mrs Peters
yet - asked jamie, half an hour after
wards, when he came in whistling.
No, ma'am :" be answered in his most
provoking manner. "I'm not going
over there til I get the evening work
done up. Has your lsdyship any furth-
er orders p
aoh, Guy, please go~ begged jamie.
" Il viii be dark pretty soon, and III
have 20 stsy here all alone till you get
back. Please 20 right away, Guy
@Fm rot going til I get ready" said
Master Guy, not Grossly, but just because
he could say it, and ne liked to annoy
JAMIE when he could. II was for this
same reason, perhaps, that he dawdled
about the work, taking twice as long as
usual; and the summer twilight was set
ting in before he finally started OF,
whistIing as he went
jamie stood in the door, straining her
eyes to watch the boyish figure. swing
ing lightly along the path that led BY
a nesr way" through the orchard and
across the woodlot. She realized that it
was growing dark and she was alone in
the great rambling house. The crickets
outside were making the evening musi-