The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1893-09-18

But neither course seemed quite feas-
ible l picked up my whip furiously
ana looked around for something to lay
~ on to. AS | could see nothing avail
able for that purpose but my patient,
| good-tempered horse. who never gave
me the slightest excuse for savagery, I
put IL down again with resolution to
make things more even some day.
'h'ush Al never entered my ridiculous
ie'u IN Pfat particular way could ac-
eoiupiish the levelling process. But the
niue Haid got whole apronful Of the
INCEST peaches and nectarines and pome-
granates In the market the next morn
Ing when l stopped to deliver the milk,
30 time went by until the little maid
had grown into slip OF girl, and
would have been pretty one. too II
she had not been so thin and white "a
to the cheeks and staring as to the
eyes. She had beautiful eyes, but they.
In company with her other features.
had grown so starved that 1t made any
body hungry only to look at them.
About the time that l began to notice
these little things about her eyes and
features generally I thought she began
to be little shy. The milk can always
stood In Its place on the stoop, and I
had nothing to do but pour in the milk
| and drive of. which you might say was
much more convenient way. But as
day after day and week after week
passed and l did not see her, 1t did not
seem so very comfortable, after all. I
wondered II she were Ill or had gone
away. l remembered how she used to
look as she stood in the faint light Of
q ha ~ IN, AoS.
arms. l wondered If her eyes were still
80 big and wan and hungry and half
frightened looking. wondered II her
face was so pallid and pinched, and IL
she still shivered so in the morning
wind that came up chill from the sea-
By that time quite large pile Of GOOD
things had gathered in my wagon. for I
| could not bear to throw them away, and
thought every morning that maybe the
little maid would come out I thought
once Of piling them up around the milk
can and leaving them for her to ind,
but was afraid some one else might
come and find them first.
So 1t went on till one morning just a.
had filled the can and was going
down the path the kitchen door was
thrown open with a bang, and the lit
tie maid rushed out, Mrs. Barwell hard
after her with some heavy thing in her
hand. lifted UP high to throw at the
girl. Quick as a flash / caught the
little maid in my arms and put her
into my cart, and jumped in after her,
and drove Off faster than ever drove
before In my life. Mrs. Barwell running
after us down the street. But she soon
gave UP the chase.
Down the lane we dashed, under the
low-hanging branches Of the pepper.
trees. that touched me softly in the face
as we passed. The breeze blew softly
over us. laden, with the fragrance that
drlfted from the rose trees that bloom
perennially in the door yards along the
way.
Presently the little maid looked UP at
me with a face so rosy that should
not have known her had met her
anywhere else There was q look half
frightened, half-eonfiding, in her eyes.
and as 1 met that look I knew all of
a sudden why 1t was that I had missed
her so. and why / had wondered SO
much about her eyes and her face.
bent over her and shouted: "Will
you marry me?" for the horse was gall
Looping. and the wheels were crunching.
and the cans were rafting; and II had
whispered the question. as men in stories
and poetry do, she would never have
heard me. And when she slipped her
hand into mine. and looked at me with
the fear gone out Of her wide eyes, and
only the confidence left, thought 1t just
as well as II had done 1t according to
all the rules of propriety.
There was chum of mine lived along
the way that had just been made jus
tice of the Peace, and I whipped up to
the gate and lifted the little maid out
and almost carried her into the house.
How long will it take you to marry
us, IL you 20 at top speed?' l asked my
astonished friend. He did not answer
me, but went to work In his liveliest
style. and by the time Mrs. BaTMen
ratified up in her old chaise the littlc
maid had passed away from her care
forever.-M Z. Terrence, In Pitts
burg Leader.