The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-01-16

| and tendin' on mess of 'em; ii don't
! edgicate Il fellcr much. Does it, Art?"
We don't do 1t for play. exactly" he
replied, taking seat on the porch
| steps and smiling up at Edith: II can't
stand cows. ! like horses, though. OF
course, If I We're foreman of the dairy
| that would be another thing.
| The tlower-like girl looked down at
him with strange glance. Something
rose in her heart that sobered her. She
studied the clear brown of his face, and
the white of his forehead, where his
hat shielded it from the sun and the
| wind. The spread of his strong neck
| and the clutch of his brown hands at
| tracted her.
How strong you look" she said, mus
| ingly
He laughed up at her in frank pleas
ure. We'll. I'm not out here for my
health exactly, although when I came
here | was pretty tender. l was just
out of college, in fact" he said glad of
the chance to let her know that he was
not an ignorant worl<ingman.
She looked up surprised and pleased.
"Oh. you're a college man! have two
! brothers at Yale. One Of them plays
| halfback or shortstop or something.
! OF course you played?"
Baseball? Yes. | was pitcher for
'sS." He heaved a sigh. He could not
think of those blessed days without sor-
| row.
"Oh. didn't mean base ball, 1 mean
| foot BALL
I'VE don't play that much in the west.
We go in more for base ball; more
| science
"Oh. | like foot ball best it's so lively.
] like to see them when they get all
punched w. they look so funny, and
then when some fellow gets the ball
NIL al st.,..
| around with the rest all jumping at
him. oh. oh, it's exciting"
She smiled and her teeth shone from
her scarlet lips with more familiar
expression than he had seen on her face
before. Some wall of reserve had melt
cd away and they chatted on with
growing freedom.
Well Edith are you ready" asked
the major. coming up.
Arthur sprang up as II he suddenly
remembered that he was working
man.
Edith rose also. Eyes, all ready
| uncle
well, We'll be going in a minute
Mr.. Ramsey. do you think that millet
has got water enough?'
For the present, yes. The ground Is
not So dry as II looks"
AS they talked on about the farm
Mrs Richards brought him out glass
Of milk.
Arthur with nice calculation un-
hitched the horse and brought il
around while the major was detained.
May help you in. Miss Newell?"
She gave him her hand with frank
gesture. and the major reached the cart
just as she was taking the lines from
Arthur.
Are you coming?" she gaily cried,
"ii not I'll drive home by myself"
You mean you'd hold the lines"
mo, sir, ! can drive, if j have
chance
That's what the American girl is
saying these days"
We'll I'm going to begin right now
and drive all the way home"
AS they drove off she flashed a roguish
glance back at Arthur. a smile which
shadowed swiftly into look which had
n certain appeal in 1t. He was very
handsome in his working dress
All the rest of the day that look was
with him. He could not understand It,
though her mood while seated upon the
porch was perfectly comprehensive
The following. Sunday morning he
saddled uD one of the horses and went
down to church. He e.reasoned she would
attend the Episcopal service, and he had
the pleasure of seeing her pass up the
aisle most exquisitely dressed.
This feeling of pleasure was turned
to sadness by sober second thought.
Added to. the prostration before his
| ideal. was the feeling that she belonged
to another world-a world of pleasure
and wealth. world without work or
worry. This feeling was strengthened
by the atmosphere of the beautiful lit
tie church. fragrant with flowers deli
cately shadowed. tremulous with
music.
He rode home in deep medita ation-it
was curious how subjective he was be-
coming. She had not seen him there
and his trip lacked SO much of being a
| success. Life seemed hardly worth liv-
ing as he took off his best suit and went
out to feed the horses.
The men soon observed the regularity
of these Sunday excursions and the
word was passed around that Arthur
went down to see his girl. and they set
themselves to find out who 1t was. They
did not suspect that it was the majors
niece.
1t was a keen and savage delight to
see her. even at that distance To get
one look from her or to see her eye
lashes fall over her brown eyes paid
him for all his trouble. and yet 1t left
him hungrier at heart than before.
Sometimes he got seated in such wise
that he could see the fine line Of her
cheek and chin. He noticed also that
her growing co1or--the free life she
lived in the face of the mountain winds
was doing her good.
Sometimes he went at night to the
song service and his rides home alone
on the plain. with the shadowy noun
tains over there massed In the starlit
sky. were most wonderful experiences,
AS he rose and fell on his broncho's