The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1894-04-19

IpSt 6OtiJ DtODAO "hiNp c'
there are people who read them"
''She puts me down as sort of
scavenger," thought Mark. with much
mental disafiection.
"Claudia Claudia !" called the aunt,
and, laying aside her work, the girl
excused herself, and left the room.
When an hour had passed and she had
not returned Mark went to bed. He
shuddered to think what Aberenllyn
would he for him IL she were not in it.
The next morning she said to him:
81 have letter from my father this
dsv, and | am to return to him the
day after tomorrow. They miss me
so much Mt home"
"The day after tomorrow ~ echoed
Mark IL was rs if veil had suddenly
been drawn between him and the sun.
light.
"Yess. shall he sorry. and shall
he glad, too. l am happy at home and
am happy here but ! do not sleep
so well at Aberenllyn, though do not
tell auntie.'
Mark put his hand TO the girls
brow, 1t was much too warm. He
fnncied the pretty forehead clung to
his palm, and the fancy made his heart
beat.
you are the goddess of self.sacr-
fee, Claudia, he exclaimed, "and your
aunt is a.
But the girls little white hand was
to his lips in moment. "You must
not say anything against my aunt. |
love her very much. She is lonely
and does not think people tire them
selves"
Mark kissed the fingers that had
thus assumed to bar his speech and
gallantly returned the hand to its
owner.
"You should not have done that,
Mr.. Pnrlington,' she murmured. at
iss not n very clean hand just now. /
am afraid; indeed, it iss not. y
at is good one, and that is enough
for me, said Mark. Her blush after
the kiss had cheered him like an elixir
in his veins
The next day was misty and cold,
NhN lilt NONNhNNHt "iul hIOFt VIC Hih
hard into Aberenllyn's little bay.
"Our last day" said Mark, when
Claudia greeted him with her usual
gladsome good morning." Her eyes
were very dark underneath.
"Yess, and it will be bad one, too,
Mr.. Parlington. / am so sorry for
you. But why will You leave
Aberenllyn as well rs me?"
"Do you think l could tolerate it
without you?' retorted Mark.
Claudia laughed with certain con-
straint
"You would soon forget me-" she
said, 'and will you please to like your
eggs with the bacon or done simply in
the put?"
"Anyhow. Claudia, so yorr pretty
hands bring them to me"
" was really a melancholy Gay out
siu ... 81 course, too. 81
fected 40 lance in the shop
deep voices of mankind nearly always
when Claudia lett him, and her clear
laughter never failed to encourage
them in their OUTLAWS.
Still, there were bonnets enough or.
dered to keep Claudia's lissome fingers
i'll motion whenever she was not re-
quired in the shop; and she did most
of this work in the little room with
the broken floor and the photographs
on the wall Mark sat at one side of
the table watching her. 1t seemed to
him he had been doing this of and on
for years. He knew each Of her
fingers by heart, and where her hair
was thickest over that sensible little
forehead of hers.
care you, Mr.. Darlington, always
so idle? Nc, no, do not mean that,
please forgive me. But when YOU are
not here do you not work like other
people?" asked Claudia at one time.
"Ies, / work, my Claudia, and
pretty hard, too.
But You mean at the writing, do
you not? Is that real work, Mr.. Par
lington?"
"Faith, think SO, child"
The girl dropped her needle and n
haZy expression of far-awayness stole
into her gray eyes. 81 do not know
il ! shall ever be very wise, but do
feel SO curious about London at times.
1t ISIS chiefly when l lie awake in the
night.
"Coughing?"
swell, yess, perhaps am coughing
though you must not think me weak
and good for nothing My Uncle Owen
says have silly little ars, but that l
should be more foolish ii they were
larger"
81 don't quito know, Claudia, what
your Uncle Owen meant by that, but
| think your ears, like every other
part of you, are perfect"
The girls cheeks crimsoned and she
looked up. "Ah," she said, "but
that iss only compliment My sister
Grace-she iss Older than me-hass
had many things like that said to
her"
"Your sister Grace, Claudia, what