Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1894-11-07


of again uniti-g himself with the Lords
people, perhaps second time to fall
away, was like the burn Of consuming
fire
But it had never occurred to him that
he might not be wholly isolated in SO
standing apart. A set of people who
never went to church, and yet were not
savages or heathens, was to his mind an
anomaly, and not welcome one. If it
had been the father-well, there might
be another terrible case of backsliding
like his own, but why should the daugh-
ter stay at home?
For he had already learned that Phyl-
lis did as she chose, and tho cynical car
penter was indulgently mild in his own
house. 1t was contrary to all his obser-
vation for the girl not to go to church.
if not religion, there remained all the
mild excitement of new bonnets, village
gossip, the escort of a favored beau,
protracted meetings that differed little
from picnics, all that made up the es-
sence of village intercourse And if he
remembered with pain his uncle's
gloomy enthusiasm he had never
thought of his own father OR of his
young mother except as religious. He
had fancied that if she had lived to sing
hymns to him in the dusk or hear his
prayers, like other mothers, he would
have been very different. That image
of his mother had a sacred light about
it, and he said to himself that he did
not like Phyllis curious Indifference to
religion But his wonder kept the idea
of her continually in his mind, and what
more favorable conditions could be
found for the growth of thought into
something more pungent?
In this speculative mood he walked
often by their house and hung over the
gate and chatted with Mr.. James and
Phyllis on the porch. One evening he
was invited in to tea The father was
a shrewd man, who talked sensibly, and
Thomas liked to watch Phyllis in her
dark blue gown, which fitted close to
her rounded figure, as she moved deftly
from cupboard to table and from table
to stove in her preparations for tea.
Nor was he sorry when, after the meal,
Mr.. James excused himself to do some
odd jobs, and Phyllis was left to enter
tain him.
1t soon became his habit to drop in,
and his visits made no difference in the
household life. He had always been
constrained and awkward on the few oc-
casions when, wretchcd i'll his Sunday
clothes, he had called Gu the young Ia
dies in the village and had been ushered
into chilly parlors with rigidly straight
tables and chairs to sec, after an inter
val of dreary waiting, the young ladies,
also in their Sunday clothes and with
elaborately arranged hair. 1t would
have been enough to blight all social
instincts In even ii bolder man.
But here he was as often in the kitchen
as in the parlor, and Phyllis never stop
ped her work foT him, even if she were
polishing the stove or scrubbing the
floor Thomas was himself under these
circumstances, and all lis latent posi-
bilities Of good company were stirred
into life. Phyllis, i'll a white gown on a
summer afternoon, was nice to look at,
but Phyllis in the Kitchen at work, her
face little husllud, her pretty arms
bare to the elbow, Eer hair tossed into
shining ripples and waves. was charm
ing!
But as yet Phyllis was only Won
derfully nice girl All the vague, airy
fancies that float in the mind Of any
youth around the image of any pleasant
girl remained still fornless and vague
and had not crystallized into any dis
tinct shape of love Yet it needs but a
touch to crystalline them when tho right
time comes.
During one of his visits he noticed
that Phyllis somehow seemed different.
She was absentminded and embarrassed.
The contagion of her mood touched
him, and he had stopped talking, when
she turned from her work with an
abrupt remark:
'Nannie was here today.
Thomas waited.
''She talked good deal about you.
She said you had been flirting with
Sallie Stevens, and she thought it was
shame. You used to be downright
SOOu lIlGuuS, t1liu AON JOu uCfOl WCAU
there -
Phyllis head was turned away, but
the words came as if by desperate re-
solve.
81 never went any oftener than Jim,'
answered Thomas, rather defiant at
Nannie's interference.
He half laughed at the absurdity of
the charge, knowing himself an arrant
coward in the presence of any girl,
Sallie not excepted, yet felt a secret
pride at the masculine power of attrac-
tion which such charge implied. Then
he redeemed with anger at the thought
that perhaps Mamie had only been
making fun of him But Phyllis was
deeply in earnest.
''Then it's true? You did visit her be-
fore you began coming here?'' and
turning upon him face whose brave
honesty hardly kept back the painful
bushes of girlhood. ''You made her
think you wanted her to be your wife?''
Thomas laughed outright at this, re-
mombering distinctly their aimless re-
marks about the weather and dreary
pauses after each effort
Phyllis face relaxed, and the bushes
came in a flood of beautiful color from
brow to throat.
''You didn't, then? And Mamie was
only teasing! I thought she couldn't be
in earnest.
The unconscious relief of her tone told
q great deal Thomas stoutly denied
that he had ever before thought of mar
rying any woman.
If Phyllis had asked if he had ever
thought of "courtin" Sallie he might
perhaps have found it harder to give so
emphatic a denial, somo reckless spirits
among his acquaintances even holding
that 'courtin' was q necessary civillty
Of any call. But the name of "wife"
had certain solemnity about it, like
the minister's adjuration i'll the mar
riage service. No. Certainly he had
never thought Of Sallie as that.
Because, went OH Phyllis courage
ously, if little nervously, Il would
have asked you not to come here if you
had. It's downright mean for one girl
to cut out another in that way, think.
It's as bad as stealing, and don't mean
to do itP
She was too much excited to notice
how much she was admitting i'll regard
to Thomas relation to her, but he,