St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1893-10-07

and dons Of the college days In which
they had been 80 nearly contemporaries.
Then the two young mea concluded
their business while the ladies were
busy about their household duties
But, g Carew had Of course been In
vited to stay all nigh. the whole party
were BY and BY assembled outside the
open door to enjoy the coolness Of the
evening - the dusk dropped softly over
the boundless prairie, and the evening
star cleaned brightly out In crystal
purity IS the sunset light died away
above the unbroken horizon.
They sat long talking, chiefly Of
home" scenes; and even after Mrs.
Fercival had gone in TO rest, accompa-
uied by her son, Carcw still fingered.
10th to terminate his conversation with
Miss Percival, and unable to resist the
spell of this sympathetic female COM
panionship, now % strange in his life.
Under the influence Of it, and in the
friendly obscurity Of the twilight. he
talked Is he would not have believed
possible an hour or two before. His
companion could read between his
words something Of his present self-dis-
gust and self-despair. On the other
hand, the whole tone OF her converse
tion struck = long-silent chord in his
heart, reviving crushed aspirations, and
suggesting IN unseen strength In which
: man may fight . good fight against
fate. even when everything seems
against him.
As he lay awake that night, the best
and holiest influences Of his early life
seemed to have sprung into renewed
life under the impression made By one
woman's face and gentle words, and in
many = lonely hour on the prairie
thereafter he mentally associated
Stella Percival-psrtly from the sng.
gcstion Of her name-with the bright.
pure stars they had watched rs they
talked that evening. and got into way
Of thinking of her Is tho Lone Star Of
the Prairie"
But when he next found . reason for
passing that way, the little ranch was
deserted. and the inmates, he was told,
had sold ont and gone to live in Can
ada. So the lone STAR had set on
the prairie, and he must henceforth
look to that lode-star Of life Of which
Miss Percival had spoken with such
earnest feeling.
Some two or three years later. Csrew
was sitting in the cory library Of m
English vicarage, talking to . fair young
matron. His carefully trimmed hair
md beard and strictly conventional ~
tire somewhat altered his appearance,
but his expression was still more
changed from the dreary despondency
written on the face Of the wanderer Of |
he prairie.
"Yes, it is odd he said, ''that |
Ihould ever have lived to succeed my
,oor Cousin Dick-with all his home !!
For you haven't the faintest |
dca Of the life Of . cowboy on the |
'rairie! was very near going under; !
but had IN experience that pulled !!
ne up short 1t was only IN |
lour's talk with young lady I !,
net accidentally. You know, I never i
hought I could believe In = woman :
gain; but this one made me believe,
lot only in her but in myself too; and !.
hat saved mc!''
'four poor boy" exclaimed his sis !.
er. But we must hurry now, or we
hall be late at Mrs. Beaumont's, and
he won't forgive me. For you are .
ort Of star here, now, you know.
'ome; you needn't look 70 dismal over
|! dare say you may find some nice
'cople there. And she has two ladies
isiting her who have lived in the west,
believe; 50 you may fnd lots to talk
bout"
An afternoon tea" is apt to be .
lme affair to . man fresh from the
rairies, and Carew was looking-and
bored when he sudden
= caught sight Of : figure and face