Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1895-01-25

the sunshine He gave 1t back to her
and shifted the arm above him as he
answered:
"That is exactly what 1 am, mater
At this minute feel that if a captain s
commission was on the other side of
the lawn l would not stir to go after
it."
"You outp' Colonel Cross said, pre-
tending to frown. 81 am utterly ashamed
of you! But listen. You must get up.
Some one is COMMISSIONING in hurry!
l wonder who. Why, upon my life, if
it is not John Antony Morris grill"
Instantly the three pairs of eyes focused
themselves upon Tony. They saw a slim,
pretty girl in clean pink calico frock,
mounted bareback upon saucy dun col
ored mule. At the sight the young fell
low started upright. He made to go for
ward, but was checked by his fathers
glance as he himself went down the pi-
azza step.
"Howdy do, Miss Morris? Let me
help you," he said, holding out both
hands as though to lift her to earth.
NO." Tony painted; Il have not
time Nanny is waiting We are going
to mill and have a sick mule. II
thought--maybe, please, will you let me
have one in its placer"
She felt herself blushing furiously.
Indeed betwixt embarrassment and
modification she was almost beside her
Ielf. She had fancied all the way in that
it would be the easiest thing in the
world to speak formally and in business
fashion to this hereditary enemy, prof
fering pay III good set terms for that
which she wished to gain. Nov the
fneness of her own breeding made that
out of the question. Before a word had
been spoken she had recognized how ut
terly impossible it was thus to affront
one bred to full understanding of the
regions law Of good neighborhood.
The shadow of smile melted Colonel
Cross rather hard mouth. His alert in
telligence had caught the struggle, the
humiliation, in the girls face Perhaps,
too, he had sympathetic comprehension
of the gallantry that forced her thus to
forbear dealing fine prick to his conse-
quence "She's all her father daugh-
ter" he said to his memory. Aloud he
spoke over his shoulder to his son.
Take my horse there, Curtis, and
gallop to the field. Tell two of the plow-
men to bring in Miss Morris wagon.
Re quick, or the rain will catch you.
1t " i'll be a storm, think.
AS the young fellow moved away the
elder man again put out his hand. To-
ny overlooked it, but slipped to earth.
Her cheeks were scarlet, her eyes suspi-
ciously dewy, yet she lifted them brave
ly and held her head high as she step.
ped within the piazza shade.
Nance, poor creature, was the unlike
lest possible instrument of fate, yet
such in the end she turned out to be.
Barely two months after she tainted by
the wayside Colonel Gross, coming home
from town, met his son riding through
early moonshine at a mighty reckless
pace. The encounter was just beyond
the outer gate. As they came to it Cur
tbs held it open for his father, yet kept
his face studiously averted. Side by
side the two rode ON to the stable yard,
peaking no word. A waiting groom
took their horses. Then as by one i'm
pulse they faced about and looked hard
at each other. Still no word passed.
They went on to little clear space of
lawn, where the waxing moonbeams
shone clear enough to show all things
plain as day.
After long, long look Colonel Cross
said, curious under vibration in his
voice:
Your leave is up next week."
eyes, sir, the young man answered,
folding his arms, the line Of his mouth
hardening until it was a copy of the
fathers.
You have spent full third of it
dangling after Tony Morris" the old
man went on.
II am glad to say you are right, sir, ="
the son returned.
'No doubt you think yourself in love
with her?'
81 know it," Curtis said.
Him! Do you not know also that her
father
Eyes. know everything, the whole
miserable storyp the son burst out, his
hands clinching savagely. 81 dare say
you'll disinherit me for saying it,, he
went on. perhaps l deserve it anyway
for loving that mans daughter, but l
cannot think it was right for you,
knowing all that had come and gone,
to live here among these people, where
all that old coil might come back upon
an innocent headP'
"Why, what's up? Has the girl re-
fused you?" Colonel Cross asked, and
the moon rays showed him smiling.
Eyes. She has refused me-refused
me in such fashion that cannot misun-
derstand it for pretty maiden ruse.
begged for the tiniest hope would
wait, do, endure anything. Then she
told me, as delicately as it might be
told, of all that lay between us, of how
impossible it was that you and my moth
er should not hate her, and how more
than impossible it was that she should
be willing to SOW division between them
and their only child"
Conscientious, | must sayl We ought