The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-02-07

rubbing the gold knob OF his walking
cane against his nose, and Simpson knew
that the case of the forlorn strangers was
safe enough.
Mother, don't fret. Here comes the
gentleman now" said a clear, soft toned
voice, and Squire Pendexter found HIM
self looking into a pair of wistful, deep
blue orba-orbs that belonged to slight,
beautiful girl dressed in faded fabric and
worn shoes, who was leaning against
the well curb. For while Simpson had
been gone on his errand of inquiry she
had drawn a bucket of clear, cold water
out Of the sparkling depths of the well
and given her mother a drink out of the
silver bound gourd which always hung
there.
"Sir," without a moments hesitation,
Knight I have a job of workin your hop
fields? We have come from the city
mother and there's nothing to be
picked up there, and my mother is all
ing, and we thought the smell of the
hops might do her good. Please, sir,
we'd work cheap, if only we might sleep
in the barn and have a bit of something
to eat between whiles!'
81 don't want you to work cheap"
said the squire, assuming an aspect Of
unwopted gruffness to cover the sympa-
thetic thrill in his voice. ST never
grudged moneys worth for good, honest
work. AS for the barn, my housekeeper
can put you up in n of the vacant back
chambers over the kitchen, and there's
always enough to eat at P~endexterf farm"
"Pendexter farm"
The woman, who had been sitting on
the messy cattle trough, slowly lifted
her head here and pushed back her worn
sunbonnet.
Where are we, Isora? Whittier have
we come? / knew a man named Pendex-
ter once, who'-
eyes" said the squire, who had given
a little start at the first sound of that
low contralto voice. sit was /, Clara
Caprivi! To think that fate should have
brought us together again after all these
years."
The pale woman struggled to her feet
and clutched at her daughters slim,
strong arm.
"Let us go. Isora," said she. eve
we have made a mistake. Give me my
shawl. Quick! Let us gor'
"But, mother, whyF" soothed the girl,
who scarcely as yet comprehended all
this byplay. "Don't you hear what the
gentleman says? We can have work here
and food and shelter. Mother, sit down
againl You are trembling all over!'
81 tell you, child, you don't known
said impatient Clara, possessed with a
sort of wild, un~reasoning terror. eve
we must gog"
"Clara,' said the squire, he himself as
Stunning the direction of affairs, i''the
child is right. Let bygones be bygones.
You don't suppose / would turn you from
my door,"
Clara looked into his face.
"Havey you forgiven me, then?' said she.
Forgiven you? Yes, years and years
ago. Let us be friends again, Clara"
For his heart ached to see how pale
and wan she was-how haggard were
her cheeks, and how like smouldering
fires the light burned in the sunken eyes.
She told him all that afternoon, while
pretty Isora was stripping The clustered
hops from the vines with q dozen girls as
pretty and as blooming rs herself, how
her life had been an aimless wreck; how
Carlo Caprivi had been no count after
all, but a nameless p~retender, with nei-
ther honesty nor money; how he had left
her with the baby Isora OF her hands to
shift as best she might for herself, and
was killed in a gambling brawl; how she
had struggled on for years constantly
feeling herself less able to wage unequal
warfare with the world.
ssClara," said the squire, when she had
finished, "why didn't you come to me?"
Because I had wronged you &C deep
1y,," she faltered.
'fYou might have known I would have
been kind, even to Caprivi's child. Well,
it doesn't matter now. You are here,
and you must stay here. Do you hear
me, Clara? Mustt Bless my heart! You'll
grow strong in these country breezes,
and that pale girl of yours will get color
in her face"
SO they stald at the Pendexter farm,
and beautiful Isora Caprivi grew fairer
to look upon with every passing day.
CLARA said the blunt squire one day,
''that girl of yours is prettier than "
you were"
"I know it, said Nine. Caprivi.
And as she spoke the words a pang of
jealousy struck sharply through her
heart. Yet was it not natural enough
that Squire Pendexter should take note
of Isora's opening loneliness?
And in her that night Clara
wrestled with her W heart and on
quered it.
"He will marry Isora," she told her-
self. sIsora is beautiful, and he is in
the prime of ifc-it is as it should be-
while Fl am only q wreck, waiting on
the shore of time for the usual billow to
como and sweep me away. God bless his
noble heart! God bless my sweet souled
girl! And God grant that they may be
happy together for many, many long and
happy years"
The squire came to Nine. Caprivi the