The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1893-12-13

htiotll intb DOD dt Iue uOOr Ntlu UuNt
him a chair outside beneath fragrant
honeysuckle. She sat down near him
on the doorstep and leaned her head
against the easement. She looked
very pretty, her black eyes dnrkening
the lids and her face pale in the dusky
twilight, her hair curling in moist
little ends around her small face Bob
looked Mt her, and his heart failed him.
But he remembered certain Thomas
Anderson, who report said had loitered
beneath the honeysuckle for the last
few nights, nnd this brought back his
oozing courage.
"They wuz talking about you last
night down at the pump, he remarked,
with assumed cheerfulncss.
"Tnlkin' about me2" said Minun an
grily. "How dared they?"
ooh, lawsl' gasped Bob TO himself.
'1f she gets mad before begin!"
"They WIZ sayin'-sayin' -
"Well?" sharply, "what wuz they
soyin'2"
''They WIZ sayin' how as you'd never
marry any onc-you wuz that unccr-
tain-like aud highty-likc.
"Who said thnt?" said Mnna, turn
ing wrathful eyes upon him.
81 don't exactly remember, faltered
Bob
"Most likely yourself, disdainfully.
Bob could not truthfully disown the
remark, as he had made it frequently,
in confidence, to his near companions
in the village. SO, after this unex-
pccted home-thrust, he remained un-
comfortably silent.
Minna pursued her advantage.
''Nics doings them, fur II man !"
she went on, contemptuously "Talk-
ing about girls when they can't talk
back for themselvesl !"
If the reported conversation had not
been wholly imaginary, Bob would
have been stricken with rcmorse. As
it was, however, although inwardly
trembling, he saw an opening and
took it.
"But spoke back for you, Minna,
l did"
ooh, you did, did you?" was the
discouraging comment. "Since it
wuz you said the worst, seems to me it
WIZ all you could do"
"Thcy said lot more'n | did"
Bob continued, with fictitious courage,
"They snid as how L needn't be hang
in around here, fur ye'd allus scorn
me till the Judgment and not marry
me at all"
"Therc WIZ some truth in their re-
marks" remarked Minna snubbingly.
"But there's wusser nor that, he
said, with well forced gloominess. 81
said as how l knowed you would marry
me-
"Who made you so wise?" inter-
rupted Minna sarcastically.
San man bet me you wouldn't,
an'-an'-I bet him you would"
"Beasts!" calculated the much in
censed Minna.
"An' I bet fearful lot, Minna.
Gosh I'm scared to think of it. If
L got to give him all that money the
farm ull have to go sure"
Minna looked frightened.
"How much?" she asked family.
"Wonder how much she'll stand?"
Bob asked himself perplexedly. Then
he looked at her tentatively.
"I'm most afeared to tell you. It's
-it's-gosh! Minna-it's 800.
"Oh, my!" calculated Minna "You
never did"
"a hundred dollars!" repeated Bob
chokingly, and overcome by the feel
ings he had aroused he buried his
head in his hands. From this safe re-
treat he continued disjointed remarks
broken by emotion.
"Don't care for myself. Sigh. I
don't want to live anyway, but the
farm ull have to go sure, and poor
mother and father" Sob.
"Oh, no, no." said Minna tearfully.
They're old now to start over agin
IA protracted sigh, but kin work for
em. I'll do it"-and Bob's shoulders
shook with nobly suppressed emotion
cit ull come hard to lose the old
place now-(sob)-after all them
years."
"Oh, don't don't, don't, Bob!