News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1896-07-23

that cheer than the love of memo
ry. They are loyal"
Miss Moore said that she must go
back to town.
CAS- it is late, l shall have to leave
my horse with you, Captain. | shall
send for him tomorrow. | reckon
can walk to the train in this rig"
She looked down somewhat doubt
fully at her ridingskirt. Pearce said
he would be glad to go with her, and
though it was not apparent in just
what way he could overcome the dis
advantage of the long dress, she
seemed to be grateful for his escort.
Well, that was the beginning of it,
and the end is not yet. An incident
that occurred under large tree in
the old Confederate fort on the noun
tain may give hint of the trend of
events.
Pearce and Miss Moore were under
the tree because it was the shelter
nearest when rain suddenly began to
fall; and it rained, probably, because
a number of young folks of the city
had come up on the mountain to
spend a September day that prom
ised, in the morning, to be pleasant.
Mr.. Pearce was not in good humor.
He and Miss Moore had separated
themselves from the others. One
topic of conversation had led to an
other, which, in this instance, was a
declaration by Mr.. Pearce that he
was irretrievably in love with Miss
Moore, and that if she refused to
make him happy he should be for
ever miserable. At a critical stage
of this declaration, a raindrop kissed
the girls cheek.
ooh, it's going to rain!' she cried.
The next instant the dOwnpour be-
gan, and both rushed through a
breach in the earthen wall of the fort
to the tree, whose branches, to which
the leaves yet clung, offered protec-
ton. There they stood in silence for
several minutes, she busily brushing
raindrops from her hat, which she
had taken off, and he watching her,
moodily.
The silence became oppressive, and
she glanced at him, curiously and
apprehensively, from under her
lashes. He caught the glance, and,
moving toward her, said
"Well?"
sob, DON'T" she exclaimed, start
ing away, her eyes still fixed upon a
ribbon with which she was working.
"Why, Observation-Disclosures Moore
-
ooh, you mustn't.
He walked to the edge Of the circle
protected by the leaves and looked
out over the clay wall of the fort,
down which tiny rivers ran. She,
having dried her hat, placed it again
on her head and began brushing her
skirt where, here and there, rain had
spotted it. She glanced several times
at his back. stubbornly turned
toward her. He evinced no intention
of moving, nor of speaking again,
and she became nervous. The stu
alton was unbearable, and she ex-
claimed =
owe must get back to the Others 7"
eve can't very well go through this
rain," he said, without turning
round
Another prolonged silence, broken
only by the monotonOus fall of the
rain. Finally, when she had almost
made up her mind to gather up her
skirts and run to the hotel, a quarter
of mile away, he turned and came
quickly toward her.
He put out his hand as though to
take hers, but she quickly put her
hands behind her and stepped back.
He folded his arms and stood before
her, looking earnestly into her eyes
that she raised to his, almost appeal
ingly.
"Katherine," he said, 81 love you.
Will you be my wife,"
A beautiful color stole slowly from
the ribbon at her throat, up, up until
it tinted the edges of her small, per-
tectly formed ears. His gaze held
hers for q moment; then her eyelds
fell and their long lashes swept her
cheeks.
"Mr. Pearce," she said, slowly and
hesitatingIy,-'I am so sorry, but II
can't"
Because you do not love me?"
She looked up quickly into his face;
then down again; but she did not re-
ply.
katherine, tell me-" he said,
"Why is it that you cannot marry
me?"
Because" she was very busy dis
lodging half buried stone with the
toe of her shoe-"because-you are a
Yankeep'
Another swift glance met his steady
look. Then she moved little further
away and stood half turned from
him. His first impulse was to laugh.
But that passed almost as it came.
The gray, brass buttoned riding
habit, the flushed cheeks and bright
eyes with which she had listened to
Dixie" flashed across his mental
vision. The yankee" might be an
obstacle not to be laughed away.
"But | am not a Yankee" he said,
with emphasis. 81 am from Illinois, y
1t seemed long time to both that
they stood in silence. Again she was
the first to speak.
"This is an awful rain" she re-