The Opelousas courier., 1892-02-06

that the princerpal asked her TO go.
She'll make a good one; she'll make a
good anything, Elizy will, if she jest goes
at it."
.sShell be making a good wife for
some of these farming fellows round
here some time, ! suppose, said Tom,
sulkily.
II s'pose so,n Uncle Amos responded,
WITH serenity, while he pude1. "Don
know nothing bout Elizy's intentions,
but guess she could have her pick"
His nephew got up and strolled down
the path. He found the advancing gloom
of the evening congenial to the daIbness
Of his mood.
His mood was desperate.
"I'm in love with herl" he kept in
forming himself.
And, shutting his eyes to a certain
fact, he felt only the tenderest pleasure
in the avowal.
For he knew that not only the girls
beauty of feature had fascinated him,
but the qualities he had read in her face,
it seemed to him, as plainly as though
he had known her always.
She was good and pure; she had
brains and strength Of mind; she was
noble and womanly in the best sense!
He strove to modify the epithets his
warm heart applied to her. bat he failed.
He had seen handsome girls before,
and had passing ~fancies; now he had
seen the girl he wanted to marryl He
stared up at the first pale star and boldly
admitted it.
But would she look at MIN? He had
all the tormentiug a~pprehensions of a
full-hedged lover, and it seemed TO him
he had the gravest cause for them.
He had laughed at her. Because she
had CHANGED to be doing something
slightly gut Of the ordinary, and had
been doing it with zeal, and had snatched
her fathers hat in haste, he had laughed
What had she, a well-educated, calm
minded, se.f-respecting girl, with gentle
breeding in every line of her fair face
what had she thought Of hir13 She had
thought him a rude, conceited, imperti-
nent jackanapesl He knew it.
He was unhappy-wretched, he told
|. himself. He had never expected to fall
in love like that; he had thought he had
understood himself too well. Now it
had come-and under what auspicesa
The most fatally hopelessl
He leaned on the gate-burning his
fingers with his loosely held cigar, and
not noticing it-and looked over toward
the Tillotsons.
The light of the house shone family
| through the trees, and he heard the far
tinkle of a cow-bell.
Surely it wouldn't do any hurt to
stroll over there2 He might see her, or
her shadow on the window, or some
small trace of her.
He turned down the road slowly
there were few sidewalks in Weston
and fealing sentimental and glum, ten
der and miserable. walked toward the
| Tillotsons'-toward Eliza's. He had
never thought it a beautiful name
Eliza. He did now.
| 4 4 7
Eliza was folding the c%totaes, out iu
the grassy plot next to the coward.
They had been bleaching taere for two
DAYS. in the sun and the late light
frosts.
She could feel the frost in the air now,
and she drew long breaths, in enjoy
ment Of ITS fresh purity.
It had given a dash Of bright red to
her c~heeks--to her nose, too, she i'm
agined-and made her brisk fingers
rather stiff. she whipped things to-
gether rapidly, making a soft whistle be-
tween her white teeth.
Her strong, young arms were well
laden when she turned towards the
house.
The little pasture skirted the road,
and there was a clump of fine cherry
trees in an end of it, and a prudential
barbed wire fence bounded it, there
fore.
Eliza would have turned. her back on
the trees and the fence the next moment,
but something looming darby in the
evening dinness stopped her and s~tarsle5
her. It was a man-it certainly was &
man-standing ~motionless, tall, straight
and formidable.
Eliza was no coward.
"What are you doing there2" she de-
manded promptly. "What do you want
Who are you2"
There was a short silence. Eliza stood
her ground, but her heart beat rathel
faster. Was there a weapon OF any kint
within reach2
II am not doing anything in particu
lar, = the man responded at last, mildly,
sand I don't want anything especial.
am Thomas Lawson
Eliza put her hand to her lips to keeI
back q schoolgirl giggle.
aWhat do you meant she murmured
81 mean that I'm deeply attached t
your barhed wire fence here said Tom
He had not put his hat on for his i'm
promptu wandering, so he could not lif
it; but he bowed.
aOh! IL" Elias armful slit
down. ssI'm sorry. II Can I hell
your
But her voice was choked. Sh
stepped forward and bent to the task.
Tom was tugging desperately and com
plicating matters. She gave deliberate
careful pulls, which we're effective.
Her head, Swallowed by no big hat
but bare and blonde and pretty, wa
bowed low, her face hidden; but whei
Tom stood free, she suddenly droppet
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