The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1895-04-30

49, paragraph that met and held
her eyes:
"The beauty, the refinement, the truth
and the poetry of life all spring from
one source-simplicity."
At first the passage was meaningless
to her, but books came not often in th>
girls way, so she read it over and over,
until some Of the words began to stand
out with misty meaning. She knew in
an unlearned way what beauty meant;
Of its deeper sense she had no concep-
ton; that a flower or a sunset was
"purty" was enough for her. AS for re.
flnement, poetry, simplicity, their
deeper truths were as dead letters, for
poor Melissa, with her red hands and
faded gown, had only a poor excuse
for what We call education.
wish dad 'ud Gomez she mused.
thoughtfully. Likes not he's found
some I'M to talk 'ithr'
AS she gazed two figures separated
themselves from the wooded field be.
yond and approached the clearing
where the Hadden home stood. Melis.
sa watched them attentively, wonder
ing audibly "who dad had in tow this
time"
/. Even at this distance there came to
her a sudden sense Of the contrast be-
tween old man Hadden, slouching along
with the typical gait Of the backwoods-
man, and the quick, firm tread Of the
stranger.
''Eello, Melissr' hailed Hadden, as
they entered the rude gate. Here's g
nan wants supper an lodgin'.'
Melissa, with little nod, entered the
house, and they saw her no more until
she placed the smoking meal on the ta-
BILE and called them to it. There was
neither napery nor silver there; indeed,
cutlery of any kind was at premium,
but the supper was palatable and very
acceptable to the hungry and tired tray.
eler.
Melissa sat, silent and shy, pouring
out the black coffee, and furtively
watching the stranger while he ate; his
refined manner struck her with peculiar
force. Did he know about beauty, and
refinement and simplicity? She rather
opined that he did; once on looking up,
she found him regarding her with a
steady, curious gaze.
Thorne Holloway arose the next
morning as the first streaks Of dawn
were straining the east 1t gave prom.
ise Of being perfect day, and he con
graduated himself on a long days
sketching.
But if the artist was abroad early
that fateful morning, some one was up
before hi1n-some one in faded print
gown, poring over a battered book.
He fingered at the doorstep a mo-
ment with a word about the day; the
girl attracted him by her innocent al
though uncultivated nature, even while
her rough speech Jared upon him. He
watched her face as he talked, seeing
the CLINT Of the morning upon 1t, its
HS WlS-IlSSA VI SAllASSS LII ACA C4SdI eS Z.
Now, In that interval Of ten little
minutes an odd thing had happened; a
slight thing it was, yet it changed the
whole current of Melissa Hadden's life.
When she dropped her book on the step,
and FASTENED within to prepare the
breakfast, the volume had fallen face
upward ard open to the place where she
had been reading.
Half quizzically Holloway picked 1t
up and glanced at the paragraph
marked, J. must confess, by the con-
slant friction Of Melissa's fingers. He
read it over slowly:
''The beauty, the refinement, the truth
and the poetry Of life all spring from
one source simplicity"
4 slow, curious smile crept around