Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1892-04-01

4 beautiful young woman, with red
gold hair, large light-blue eyes and a
complexion as delicate as a roseleaf,
stood there, wrapped in Il scarlet aud
black plaid shawl.
'Miss Polel'' she said, hesitatingly.
Naomi inclined her head stiffiv.
YES" said she, 'sthat is my name"
81 am Eda Stuart"
Again Naomi bowed fr1gidly.
"And," hesitated the new school
teacher, with a smile that might have
melted the earthen ware Chinaman on
the lid Of granny 5 teapot, but which
produced no sort Of effect on Naomi
Pole, live started out to visit sick
puDil-Louisa Ledyard-and I'm afraid
I've lost my way. | hadn't any idea 1t
would grow dark sc soon, and L must
be back bv seven o'clock, for [ expect
some friends to try new piano that
have had sent me from Boston. Your
brother has half promised to come, Miss
Pole Won't you accompany him."
David isn't at home" said Naomi,
with a sidewise glance at the road down
which her brother had strobe some ago.
land 7 don care nothin' about pianos"
Miss Stuart colored, and shrank back.
She felt as il this hard, handsome bru-
nette had slapped her in the face.
"Pcrhars, then" said she, you can
tell me the nearest way home. It's
| quite dark, you see, and" brushing
some white, needle-like particles out OF
her lace, sits beginning to snow"
! keep right along the path till you
come to the old stone tavern" said
| Naomi, indiferently. Then turn to
the right, and it amt more Il half mile,
! or maybe three-quarters!
| The bright.tressed girl still fingered
| on the doorstep.
II am not very we'll acquainted with
the roads around here" said she. eff
you could send boy to show me?"
eve don't keep no boy" said Naomi.
! "And we've no one to send.
Again Miss Stuart recoiled.
s'Good-evening" she said, gently.
"Good- evening"
And Naomi banged the door shut.
! AS she sat eating her supper and help
ing granny to fresh supplies of home
made bread and butter,a sudden thought
darted into her mind.
In giving Miss Stuart the directions
| for finding her way back to Skene's
Corners, she had forgotten the young
strangers total Ignorance of the neigh
| borhood characteristics.
| It was true that the regular road
branched off to the right of the ruined
| pile which had once been an old stone
tavern; but there were was also q dis
used thoroughfare which led through a
dismal swamp, towerd a long abandoned
stone quarry, across a rotten corduroy
road, which had nearly sunk into one OF
these frightful, quaking bogs which
sometimes appear in dense and swampy
woods.
To one unaccustomed to the local
topography, it might be periIously easy
to stray off into the weed-grown and de-
serted track, especially when everything
was whitened with fast falling snow.
Naomi sprang up and went to the
door. She looked out, with one hand
held above her her eyes.
cam losing my wits?" she thought.
''Of course I cannot see half a dozen
rods down the road; It's dark as pitch,
and showing into the bargain. Let her
90 her own gait! I amt responsible! !"
A sudden light blazed in her eyes, as
if Satan's self had flashed Iurid bomb
shell across hersoul. John Classon, her
own sssteadJ company" had been dazzled
at least so spoke the tongue of popular
rumor-by the glitter of Eda Stuart's
sea-bIue eyes. She, the late belle of
Skene's Corners, was quite out Of fashion
now!
Eda had danced every dance at Squire
Marbury's corn husking, and Naomi had
sat by among the wall flowers, her heart
swelling with secret anger.
Though Naomi hated the beautiful
blonde, she rose up again and reached
down the lantern that David had re-
placed on its hook By the kitchen chin
ney.
"Granny," said she to the doing old
woman, s'Im going out few minutes. ;"
'Eh? What?" shrilly questioned
granny. ''Be you a-goin' to see the new
forte-pianny? B you bewitcned arter
the new scnoolma am, too"
Naomi made no reply. She lighted the
lantern, bundled shawl around her
head, and rushed out into the frozen
darkness.
1t was showing hard now; the wind
rustled the pine trees with mournful
sound, and had nearly blown out the
faint beacon of Naomi's lantern until she
sheltered it with her shawl.
She gained some distance by climbing