The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-06-13
A SIMPLE ANAL.

II was growing dark In the stiillnE lit
tie shop. though dusk had scarcely get
in out OF doors. ana guitcrluG iallow
candle on the counter scarcely revealed
the guarded aud twisted cid face az the
shupman as It bent over the half pound
OF currants which he was packing for
Bella Duke with great, knob Rnucktcd,
broad-thumbcd, trembling hands.
So that. IN n short passage between
the house door and the entrance Into
Jnnnthan's den. just behind the cluster
Of women in the shop and blocking the
shop door. the figure VI a tall and hand
some girl leaning against the wall was
unnoticcd.
AYE. abe be pccTt un, tell 'ec"-lt
was old Bclla'5 shriIl volcr-"an' re med
think hlssGlf lucky, that he med, Why,
to say nowt o the farm and the stock,
they du say she've eight hummer pund In
Granners Bank! / know them parts
wot she comes from, and mind her
Eranfer well. An. close Inst he wort
wuss even nor Jonathan here, which be
sayin' n precious dcal"'
There was a laugh ut the sudden sally,
and some OF the women nudgcd one an
other dellghtedIy; Tor these rapid Hank
movements were characteristic OF Bel
las conversational strategy, As n VIC
tim said Yer don't know when she may
tly at yer. and she a-talkin' a sommat
else"
As for Jonathan. he only wasged his
shaggy old head. He knew the futllity
OF attempting 10 parry the lightning
thrust OF rnpicr with n heavy spade.
Instruments which are fairly emblcmlt-
&c Of the relative talents for debate OF
Bella and himself
BUT Mrs.. Coskln. the laundreSs, a
l.. - "A f1vrh
bonnet. was bursting with curiosity.
She had been tied so the washtUb since
dawn OF Monday by n special demand
for all the Manor House linen. and had
been very short OF gossip. And her
help. Jane Stubb. was slightly deaf, and
poor creature 10 boot, who never knew
what was going ON.
"You's a-talIin' o. L young wilder up
nj Crotrhs farm. But who, for good
ness. dld yer say wnr her young man.
Who echoed Bella Duke. with the
contempt Of fulI-iledged wisdom for cal
low ignorance. why. who but young
Silas Croft? T. old SllIs is got ON IT,.
and. as for the lad. he be nothing 10th,
and why should he?"
The girl in the passage covered as
though she had been struck and were
awaiting n second blow.
II came from old Jonathan. oil unwit-
ting Of the pain he was giving.
Nov yer mention Il, mind cZ how
SIlas Croft tod me but an hour agune
his lad was tickling her IN the new gig
tn see some kin ~ her tothcT side a
Rrlckmlnlster. an he won't be back TIL
tomorrow dennertimc Maybe they'll
choose the ring on the way
Amid the brcAthlcss silence produced
by this bit OF genuine aud significant
news. gentle voice with tears In II tit
was that OF Phoebe Stibbs, the char
tlencc Furnall!"
The words fell upon the car NJ the
owner OF the name. where Re crouchcd
in the dark. rs the deIth-knel OF all her
earthly happiness, and she blindly stag
gers To her feet, and forth into the
night
The cool rush Of the evening breeze
upon her acted as brlclDg tonic to her
bodily faintncss, and she struck across
| the heath with rapid steps, her hands
tightly clasped upon her heart as though
| 10 Stlhe her grief till she was beyond all
| human ken of It. And that dumb III
stinct OF profound palm which yearnS
| for solitude. rather than any set purpose,
led her to the most unfrequented spot in
| the whole OF FOrtOn Heath. II was a
deep depfessIon-prohably dIsused
| chalk hole-a cup lined with velvet
| sWard in the very heart OF the heath.
Only fortnight ago he had whispered
| IN her ear the ''Old, old story which
keeps the earth young.
True. he had told her OF difficulties In
their path.
Silas senior was ns hard and about as
old fashioned as flint AK. and. being q
| wealthy man for his class OF life. would
oppose his son'S union with pennilesS
girl.
| lass" Cthc night wind crooncd the words
gently again into her cars) wei
| win through yc;, you ana me; and
father. being as how he've neither VIII,
nor daughter. will TEX kindly to ZEE yet
my bonnie bird"
And now all was over. This tickle
lover had been caught by the haHdsom,
face Of the siren OF Crotch's farm
And. In the touching words OF Hnly
Writ. what good shall my life do me-
was the cry OF Patience Furn1lrs aOr'
heart
Her moaning had by this time worn It.
self out The soft mantle OF the sum
msr night wrapped her and her sorFe"
In its embrace. Gradually she began I,
listen to the various sounds which hcI
| quick. country-bre1 ear could recognize
even ut a long distance. in the dceI
Stiffness, for the breeze had died away.
The quick alarm sounded by a cool
pheagant to warn his hens NJ tl'
| growing round: She distant bark Of Z
| dog which she knew to be BingO at III
| Crofts' farm Cand she thought with
bitter pang that never more would M
friendly muZZla touch her hand): tn
hum OF n bclated COcltchafcr; the thu'
I tsrtrr .
the tlnklc OF the brook tnow but n thrrnt
| 81 Water( which bounded the heath at
It's southern 3ld--all these We're flmil
lar to her. And presently there bOOmcl
| upon the stnEnant air the striking Of tn
| Brackmlnstcr clock, miles away. Sh
counted the strokes, a. the bill tolict
each with deliberate JUNCTION II Its !rol
tongue. and was aEhngt at reaching II
But she bcthuught that her old incl
was. a. he told her. 'aEoin' to roost err
she started for her groceries. and 81
was settling down in her old nttituh
when n sOund-stranGc ut such an hpu
and amid such surr1undings-cduEh
her attention. II was urmlstnkably III
ragpIng Of NJ on metal, and Il scrmcD
10 come from Among the g6rsc bushes :,
the left, which were grown to SOM
height.
She had nriscn IN her feet. and va
kccnIy listening, whom suddenly the I'll
ing ceased and gruff vnlc" uttered
was II pugsIblc?-thc very name whlcI
had been rldinElikc stormy petrol. 81
the turmoil of her thouGhts-"Slla
| Croft" or was II that her fancy ha'
wrought the uttrranCc into That name
that still loved name--as g chance s0HH'
f. intrlllglbly absorbed Into dream
with vague sense of some lntahElDI
/ ttrl.VHVIur him NInR WA nftV
NH va dear 10 her. she Crcpt uoISclnssl,
tb-nu,,ht the tnrturOug sheep tracks nn'
amid the gOrsc--all NJ which she cOulD
Ln,,o tbrn1drI bIIulrold-till she 80