The Opelousas courier., 1892-07-02

0Ah V q = IN
from the porch. The conspirators looked
up guilty. OF course the girl had known
when Joe's wagon had stopped. OF
course, with her hard won acquaintance
with her mothers tactics, she had come
to see what followed. Il thank ye very
much, MAJ she went on, her blue eyes
blazing with a pride wounded unto
death, ssbut ye neenter interfere in my
affairs any more. An, as fer yer kind
remarks about me, Mr.. Myers" fixing
her ire upon the awe-struck Joseph,
~!ttyous's and yer mothers-it's all one
ye kin make up yer mind, amt sellin'
myself yet, eff my own flesh an blood Is
willin'r'
She was too furious to be even as just
las is possible to a woman. Every one
knew that Mrs. Farman cared far more
for her daughters happiness than for the
mortgage.
"An' here" the wild creature con-
tinued, pulling a pink envelope from her
calico pocket was agoin' t. send ye
word, this very day, that I was ashamed
and sorry on account o. that Thursday
night. But / amt ashamed or sorry
now I'm glad of it,"
The propitiatory words few away, as
she spoke, like countless rose-petals, un-
der her impatient fingers.
Joe was as red and excited by this
time as Rachel herself.
81 wish We q Hstter temper, Miss Far
man, he said in cutting scorn, "An'
good mornin' t ye, ladies'" With which
he stifny raised his battered straw hat
and drove away.
Mrs. FarInan ran past the younger wo-
man with much the Dir of achild expect
ing reproofs She hurried through the
house to her bedroom, where she shut
and locked the door. Lying on the
white pillows, between fear and disap-
pointment she sobbed herself into that
woful state of headache which was sure,
in the end, to call forth abundant flial
repentance and awkward ten derness.
ANY one who knew Mrs. Farman's soft
persistence as did her family could not
have been surprised at the devices which
she ~uadauntedly employed in the time to
come. August passed away, and Sep
TENDER frosts began to fall. Ben Martin
came to call at ssahe little farmhouse Sun
day nights. Joe Myers gave up singing
in the choir, and stalked in aud out of
church unconscious of the vacant chair
where he had been wont to sit and look
over the same hymnbook-O blissful
periodl-with the sweet soprano. Aud
Rachel's heartsick dignity was quick to
see through such shallow as
business notes about the ssinterest, y an
errand to Myers's nextdoor neighbors, or
stopping at the post-office when her
quondam adinirer was to be seen within.
As she rssolutely turned her back upon
these opportunities, her mother was fain
to employ a subtler a%rtiice.
In the first place. the minister's wife
fell i'll.
This gave the scheming woman her
chance. She managed that Mrs. Myers
and herself should divide one day and
night between them as tswatchers.n
She knew Joe would bring his mother
over at dusk to begin her period OF
nursing. Then when he came Mrs.
Farman, ready to leave, had an errand
prepared for him which entailed q long
walk to the farther end of the struggling
village, after which he must return to
the parsonage.
In the meantime, breathless, trembling
and glowing, Rachel's mother hurried or
her homeward way and hustled into the
quiet kitchen where her dau yhter sac
brooding over Tia fire il the dreaEy
autumn twilight.
aSakes alivel'' she cried al once. II
forgot n left my gold-rimmed specs t
tn minister's. Like ez not Mis- Myers II
wear EN- home fer hers. Wotever shall
l do2,
aOh, I'll go after 'em," Rachel re.
piled indifferently, catching up q blanket
shawl. aDye remember where ye laid
'em down, maa'
ssMis Myers II hunt 'em up fer ye,n
was the impatient rejoinder. .sef ye amt
afraid e start out now; its -gittin' so
dark. She knows right were ! was
settin' when she come in. I shouldn't
wonder eff they're on th' cubbard there BY
the medicine. Anyway, don't come back
back without EN- child / amt any
thing / set more store by'n wot / do
them specs. They were th' las thing
yer pa give me before be died, ! guess. z
Rac1el vaguely wondered that her
mother should seem so futtered and In
coherent. Yet her mind was too fulls
occupied to dwell deeply upon this IN
important fact. She listened In q dreamy
Iistlessness and ii i few moments was
ont upon the lonely road.
Joe had told Mrs. Myers of the scene
at the Farrnan gate. II gave her a much
more ienient judgment of his lady-loye.
a. osether, and after the d OF
mothers, seeing day By dag q misery be.
tond her help, she began to think she
wossld not be s,rry To bring the two to,
gether. 81
tits q turrible dark night, amt itan
she remarked good-naturedly, as, after q
little search for the missing spectacles,
she followed Rachel to the parson's
door. my son Il be here dfrecIy. Ef
ye mind t wait he'll be pleased t see ye
home, I'm sure
The wretched girl turned to stare Id
the kindly face above her. Perhaps, in
that moment, the tiercely erected barrier
might have come tunbling down but for
the words that folloNeds
xsYoar ma sent i'm over ID Salisburps
y see bout Mis- Taylors ~reclinin, chair.
I'm expeetin' him back evsrq minute
Racnel had ssseen aboDk'i that ranlin-