The free press., 1895-03-28


capable of giving" he unused, snap
ping twig with fingers winter than
many girls.
Meanwhile, Cherrie proceeded
home; but she had hardly hung up
her hat in the hall, when Lillian, her
sister, opened the parlor door and
came dancing out in an animated
glow.
ooh, Cherrie! guess who has called
on us this morning! He came over
to see papa, and then he came into the
parlor and talked long time"
''Mr. Bushby?"
''Bahi that old man! No; Mr..
Lyon.
"Mr. Lyon!" Cherrie echoed, stu
pidly, dark-red flush mounting to
her face.
eyes, Mr.. lyon. He came home
yesterday, and he is perfectly charm
ing-tall, and with the loveliest gray
eyes, and"
"Gray eyes!" gasped poor Cherrie,
with dreadful sinking at her heart.
eyes; and the most polished man.
ners. Now, Cherrie, he is coming
again this evening. Pray do not say
anything rude, or make one of your
awful blunders!'
But, with a groan, Cherrie rushed
up stairs. She had already made the
greatest blunder of ALL She tried to
recall what she had said to that gray
eyed stranger down by the wall, but
the more she thought about it the
worse she felt.
"What meddling idiot he must
have thought mel How he must have
laughed!' she thought, hiding her
scarlet face in the pillows of her bed.
81 hope this will cure my needless
tongue!'
1t certainly caused her to behave in
a very subdued manner that evening,
though her cheeks grew crimson when
her father introduced her to Mr..
Lyon, and she met the laughing
glance of the Same handsome, express
sive eyes she had made acquaintance
with that morning.
She and Lillian were very unlike.
Lillian was fair and plump and pretty;
while Cherrie was slender and brown,
and dependent more on expression
than features for her beauty.
There were some people who liked
her face the best, while others ad-
mired Lilian's fair face and pink-and-
white tints.
Lilian's friends were all among the
elite of the village, but all the poor
old people and the children knew
Cherrie, and blessed her as the kind
est, sweetest-tempered girl.
"Cherrie is strange girl and takes
a great many queer fancies in her
head" said Lillian, to Mr.. Lyon, with
an apologetic air. "Her visiting-list
embraces a great variety of people,
and oven includes all the old vagrants
around town."
Cherrie bit her lip, flushed, and
said:
"Select more interesting subject,
Lily, dear. Ny humble affairs cannot
possibly interest Mr.. Lyon"
81 think you might be little kind
er to me-" said Mat.
But she made point of avoiding
him all she could.
He settled down at home, dismissed
the agents, and took charge OF his
property himself. Workmen were
engaged, and the house and grounds
were put in exquisite order.
And one day, two or three months
after his return, he met Cherrie in
the path down by the rock wall again.
She would have hurried by him with
the briefest goodmorning, but he
stopped right before her.
"No, you shall not run away this
time Why do you shuu me so cold
ly and persistently? What have
done to offend you, Cherrie" he
asked.
"Nothing at ALL" she replied,
curtly.
"Then why do you treat me SO
cruelty? 1 would rather be lectured
every day than treated as though
were veritable plague"
Her face famed up.
81 know it is silly weakness, but
I cannot bear to be laughed at, and
fAlK