Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1894-12-01
CAVANAGlIS' ORCHARD.

IL IS genCIe May Ouy, anu INC
apple blossoms are breaking whitley
over the trees In the Cavanaghs' or.
chard. khOde Island Is never lux.
urlant, and IN May Is often grudgiug
Of her favOrs, but this spring she
seems to have been seized by a kindly
caprice, and adorns herself for the
benefit of her children. One does
not have to he Of the soil, however,
to be grateful for her loneliness, and
Miss Hum phrcys. though an alien, Is
aware Of her privileges. She Is sit.
ting on fat stone, resting, and
talking over past times with her
companion, a man whom one would
describe as long rather than tall, and
who Is occupied 10 making excava.
tiOns on u small scale among the
roots Of the tiee under which he Is
sitting.
'Ipever could understand why tho
OcnnisOns asked me to their party
at ALL" Miss Humphreys Is saying.
~ was on excessively bad terms with
Charles Dennison ut the time"--her
companion looked up significantly
'and Carrie and 1 qGarrelled every
day, and several times an evening.
went because was utterly bored
with life just then, and intended to
be amused ut any cost and ! was
She mot the young mans eyes for
q morncnt and then turned away aud
went on
do you remember our impromptu
bail? You played fiddler
"And you danced with Charley"
finished the other, with whom you
were on such excessively bad terms. I"
Dolly laughed.
"les. with all his faults he danced
like a"
"Dream." cut In the young man,
sarcasticallv ';That IL the correct
expression"
II never knew you to have such an
eEviOus and bitter turn Of mind.
thought you were above IT,"
II lind In the course Of thirty odd
years that l am above nothing hut
cheating ut cards aud telling tales"
was the answer.
'.Dcar me! What a gloomy out.
look TOR Miss I,Olmer said Dolly:
but the cOnstraint Ia her manner
took tie lightness from her speech,
and Aikens was Us serious as he IN.
swered:
'"Ycs but Miss Dolmer does not
expect much"
Dorothy flushed.
'The fool" she said In her soil;
outwardly she was silent.
II remember" began the young
man, slowly, trying To paint In words
the picture that rose before his eyes.
"tnat night In the by west room rs
though 1t was yesterday; the roaring
fire swapping aud blazing On the wide
hearth, the Christmas holly, green
and dark everywhere its glistening
floor, and the old square piano pushed
up In the corner. behind which 1t was
my hard necessity to sit and play
while you dan cd. Dollv."
His dark eyes, In which the pupils
seemed points Of light, dashed into
hers
"Whose fault was that9" she re-.
turned, repr0achfully.
"Y0urs," came the answer, bitter.
'yOurs-yOura 1t was all In
your hands. and you chose TO throw
me away like"
"Hush." she interrupted. the beau.
tiful color mounting TO her cheek.
THAT IL not true, and you must not
cay It."
Ho was calm again. and went back
to his "reminiscences. =
1T was wet and cOld, and buster.
Ing outside, and spent ten pleasant
minutes standing In the rain to cool
OIL some OF my superHuOus spirit "
And he smiled sadly. lie was what
most people did rot care to look al
without being ugly. No one could
be ugly with that straight fne-cut
pose. aud the elOquence and fire OF
Ills eyes, hut the long, rather hag
gard face was thought sinste or, aud
the thin lips cold and hard. .'Did
you enjoy those dan ca, Dolly"
lie leaned forward aud looked into
her eyes.
EYES," she answered, blushing. 81
loved the movement, and I knew al
the time"
THAT was eating my heart out. y
no interrupted, scornfuliy, "and You
liked that almost as well as making a
fool OF poor Charley ennison."
"DOn't," said bolly;"you hurt me,
and you have no rIuht"
"NO, have no right to upbraid
you, poor girl. YOuhad too many Low
ers and too light heart not to make
some OF them unhappy. Only wish
hadn't been one Of the sufferers, that
isall. Oh LOlly, ! think ! could have
withst0od you, if II hadn't been fol
that day on the yer In the autumn,
when you tried your hest TO vile the
heart out OF Inc, and"
"Failed" said Miss Humphreys,
steadily. ~ have never had your
heart Mr.. Aiken; it has been in your
own undisturbed possession ever since
have known you. II YOU had cared
you would never have gone away
from the Dennisons' without word. :
His eyes blaled, but he said moth
Ang.
This Is all very unproa tsble," she
vent on, leaning back against Q tree
s'let us change the subject"
Atken's eyes wandered sWsy
through the orchard. by oil means,