Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1892-03-14

Meeks raised the pole for him, her
cold nod at variance with the tone in
which she bantered a dark proved
man hanging over her porch rail.
ssThe evil of the human heart is
past computing declared Brother
Boone. II shouldn't wonder if Jane
Meeks thinks of marrying again. If
she takes up with that Joe Hutton,
she will regret it; trifing scamp"
It CHANGED, on a certain evening in
September, that he met the red hair
ed girl face to face as he took short
cut through corn field west of Shak-
ertown. It was well on for sunset.
A languid yellow melted about the
earth, golden, like ring in which
topaz blazed. Cow bells tinkled faint
and far in the distant roadway. Two
bare legged Shaker boys were walk
ing stone fence hard by, shouting
as they pitched about for balance.
Mrs. Meek's niece looked whittier
than ever, and her threadbare gown
hung loose. Her hair was disorder
|
hind her head.
care you sick?n demanded Brother
Boone, bluntly, stopping the way.
ttNo,'' she said. And then he saw
that she had been crying, that her
eyes were wet even now, as he look
ed into their blue depths.
Brother Boone had never seen any
woman cry, save old Sister Ellen
Graybill upon getting word of her
sons DEATH The old woman had sat
for days with swollen eyelids, refus-
ing comfort, refusing even to listen
when Elder Thomas pointed out to
her the evil of sorrowing when earth
| ly ties waxed slack and broke.
Brother Boone had been futively
aware of pitying Ellen Graybill, but
it had been with no such wild lifting
of the heart as shook him now.
"What is the matter?'' he asked,
with the urgent sharpness of strong
| feeling. s'What is the matter?''
ssDo you carer" She seemed sur
prised. "And yet knew you were
kind hearted for all that way you
| have Brother Hinson. It's only that
I don't know what-I-n She crept
| little nearer, hunted expression in
her eye. ssThere's man named Hut
ton been coming to our house good
deal, and my aunt liked it; and used
to fix her hair every day. And then
yesterday he told her it was me-you
L 10
hasn't spoken to me since, my aunt
hasn't Oh, Brother Hinson!'
Brother Boone made hoarse ex-
clamation.
"You are going to marry him?
Nora he seized her bony little fin
gers, "would you take such step
with these examples of holiness SO
close at hand? Nora, I thought you
were of the base fabric of the world
when saw you first, because reck-
on it is because your face is SO fair,
and your eyes take the heart with a
great warmth; but now you seem to
me better and sweeter than any one
else on earth. I can't let you walk
into this gin that the devil has set to
catch to heel, Nora" He drew her
forward, folding her brow in his hand
as with an instinct of protection.
81 thought Shakers never loved any
one,' said the girl looking up at him.
'sBut you, Brother Hinson you"
ttI?'' said he, starting away from
| her, with a curious pallor about his
lips.
Was this indeed he-this man with
of flood? Was it he, a Shaker, or
merely one who had been a Shaker
till the bubble of his faith burst at the
first pointing of loves finger?
81 never thought of marrying him.
said Nora. 81 don't like him, you
know I couldn't marry any one un-
less II
The blood spoke SO eloquently in
her cheek that Brother Boone's heart
leaped with comprehension of it's
meaning. Nora looked across the
yellow field.
tsHe said he would live in the little
brick house next to the toll gate; the
one the Shakers own; just for a
minute it seemed to me as if it would
be sweet to have home where be-
longed-I can't stay with my aunt
any more; and then all at once it
came over me that I had seen you
cutting grass in the yard of that very
house, and-and-somehow knew
couldn't marry him ever-ever!''
The young Shakers hand trembled
on her hair.