The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1893-09-16

yourself a chance and not be so oui,,t
ana settled and act so like an old
man-oldcr than Daddy Perkins,
NOW, don't say Manda Jane would
be my choice for you exactly. hut 7
suppose you want somebody steady.
ana she's steady enough; and if she
amt very pretty or very young, and
amt got good temper. she's a
splendid housekeeper. They do say
her preserves are better than ice
cream. and then, you know. Josh.
she Just dying to have you, and al
her folks,too, they're thinkin' all the
time how nice it would be If YOU
We're married man and Manda Jane
your wife,"
And with another ringing laugh,
Lyme pirouetted again and flashed
out OF the room, leaving Josh word
less and motionless, standing in the
center OF the ingram carpet.
1t was full harvest moon that
illumined the fields and the rough
white line OF the road with light
more golden than silvery. The blank
plainness OF Joshs farm house was
TRANSPORTED into the mellow sem
blance of Ionic marble Even the
barn assumed beauty of mystic
whiteness, half hidden behind the
branching arches of the dark elms.
There were mysterious voices abroad
in the night. low murmurings on the
soft wind. something in all nature
that thrilled Josh Conway's heart
with mingling of half-trembling
rapture and OF unbearable pain.
These were new sensations to Josh:
so new that he wandered about rest
lessly from the barn to the front
piazza and wondered once or twice
whether he were getting the autumn
ague. He had escaped it every sea-
son for fifteen years, but perhaps
this was the way a man felt when the
chills OF that locality were coming
on.
In his aimlcss pacings Josh arrived
too close a vicinity to that farther
end OF the piazza where a white
simmer in hammock indicated the
presence of Car'lyne. She was not
alone One of the young men who so
continually had come to the farm of
late was with her. 1t was one of
Lyne's ..beaux"-one of those she
said that she would choose from. AS
she had also said she would be Is
next month. Yes. it was right that
she should marry.
Eighteen? Could 1T be? Little
Lyre eighteen.
The child he had cared for so ten
DERBY a grown woman, with woman's
heart? Yes. OF course she would go
and he would be left to the lone ly
days OF his old hachelorhood He
could see her in her new home fit
ting about with an important mein
Of good housewifery and with a new
look in her laughing eyes.
Again he was near the piazza.
But this time Lyme was not swinging
in the hammock She stood revealed
in a patch of moonlight. The young
man was bidding her farewell. He
was a callow youth in store clothes.
He leaned over eagerly and seemed
to beg for something: whercupon,
with little coquettish laugh. utter
ly new in the varied gamut of Lyne's
usual laughter, she took a flower
from her belt and gave it to him.
Josh chose TO see no more. He
moved away.
A few minutes later, the callow
youth having departed, Lyme stepped
quickly to the end OF the piazza and
called: Josh" There was no re-
ply, and she waited little before
calling again. AS silence once more
answered she went slowly up to her
own little attic room, where vine
nodded in at the window, white with
moonlight IN
.It's quccr.' she said, 81 certainly
saw you standing near the end of the
piazza when was sayin' good bye to
do Finney." She undressed with
long, Illuminating pauses between.
At breakfast next morning. when
Lyme wore pink cotton frock and
wide white collar turned away from
her round young throat, Josh had
already disappeared, seeming to be
very busy about the barn.
Az uOOh 10y ""S pooy'
standing amid her shining cans in
the milk pantry. her sleeves turned
up over her smooth white arms when
through the open door she saw the
hired man ascending into the hall
with small horsehair trunk, the
classic and battered piece of travel
ing gear with which Josh took his
rare iaunts abroad. At the same
moment Josh himself entered the
milk pantry in his Sunday clothes.
Lyno turned to him, suddenly becom-
ing very white.
.Carlyne, I'm going. got to go.
II can come back the day you're
married, I'll try to- But don't
know. didn't know anything about
this. didn't know how felt about
you till I saw you give the flower to
that there young man aud knew 1t
was him you was thinkin' of-and-
and"
He broke down and pulled his hat