The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1893-02-24

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come over that very night?
However, she said nothing to her
mother of any such expectation.
But as soon as tea was over, with
some strip of fancy work, she drew
her own little rocker before the wood
fire on the sitting room hearth, and
while her swift fingers evolved the
mysteries of satin stitch, point and
wheels, her happy thoughts went
straying over that brief, bright
month when Joe Dalton had spent
his summer vacation in Redleaf, and
every spare moment of it in close
vicinity to the Sunderland farm
house.
Joe. be it known, was the 'squire's
stepson. Only the year before the
| squire had married a dashing,
though elderly widow from the city,
| with two grown-up sons. One of
them Ivy had never seen, hut Joe
had been in the habit of paying fire.
quent flying visits from the city,
where he resided, and, as report said,
was amassing a fortune fairly tabu-
lous Tor SO young a man.
When the summer came, and he
spent a whole month at the squire's,
he had singled out Ivy from the
whole bevy of rustic beauties, and
devoted himself to her with.a per-
sistence that soon set gossip's
tongue in motion.
What delightful month it was!
How they had picnicked and frolick-
ed together through the long sum-
mer days, and strolled through dewy
lanes in the dreamy twilight, and
rowed on moonlit nights, down the
shining river! And then that last
scene of all! Ivy's cheeks glowed at
the remembrance of it.
| She had gone down the garden
path with him to the little gate, and
there, under the shadow of the elms,
and hidden from the house by clump
of syringa bushes, they had some
how found saying goodbye very
lingering transaction indeed. Ivy
remembered how he held her hand in
his tight clasp till all the warm
blood came billowing up over cheek
and brow, and her eyes fell beneath
his ardent gaze. Then, almost be-
fore she knew it, an arm had stolen
around her waist, a pair of warm
lips were pressed closely, lingeringly
on her own.
"Good-bye till Thanksgiving" he
laughed, and was off before she could
chide him.
| He hadn't told her in just SO many
words that he loved her, but how
could she doubt it? Hadn't every
look and act declared it over and
over during that happy vacation
time? And then if he didn't love
her, why that last tender caress
speaking volumes to her answering
heart?
The morning Notwithstanding
morning-with floods of golden sun
light with air SO crisp and bracing
that it made ones blood tingle Just
to breathe it. Ivy made haste to
finish her light morning tasks, and
then daintily arrayed herself for
church. She was to walk 1t was
only mile, and the choir had ar
ranged to come early and practice
their anthem once more before SER
vice began.
With a light step she tripped down
the narrow path. But at the little
gate she stopped suddenly, trying to
check frown; for there, under the
elm, behind the leafess syringa
bushes, stood Alvira Simms, the vii
lage dressmaker, evidently lying in
wait to walk to the church with her,
and Miss Simms was one of 1vy's pet
aversions Many's the time she and
Joe had amused themselves at the
expense OF those cork-screw curls
and affected tones Of vinegar sour
ness.
"Good morning." simpered Miss
Alvira. 81 thought likely you'd be
coming along, so walked slow en-
purpose to see if couldn't have the
pleasure of your company to church.
It's beautiful morning.
Beautiful said Ivy, briefly, and
she looked curiously at Miss Simms,
as if to divine the cause of this sud
den desire for her society, for they
were usually as distant as the poles.
She fancied an unusually malicious
twinkle lurking in the seamstress'
snaky black eyes.
'Isuppose you We heard the news?"
with sharp side glance and an air
of immense Importance.
"News? No, I've heard no news
worth mentioning returned Ivy in
her most Indifferent tones.
well, l don't know as you'll con-
slider this worth mentioning, "retort-
ed Alvira, bridling up. cts about
Mr.. Dalton-Joe Dalton, you know.
But you used to be SO intimate with
him that l thought perhaps it might
interest you to know" She paused
and looked Ivy full in the face.
Hes married!' she said, and there
was hateful cruel light in her mean
face as she watched the effect Of her
words.
| ''Married!'' echoed Ivy, with her
wide, startled eyes. Il don't believe
ity' she added, bluntly, in her bewil-
derment forgetting her politeness.
ooh, very well, shifted Miss Alvlra,
her nose in the air, as she turned to
| go.
| Excuse me- stammered Ivy, put
ting out her hand to detain her.
ell thought you must have been
misinformed. How did you hear?"