The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1897-09-16

'AhtS hio oiihy NUiH'
"He seems to be an acquaintance of
yours" said Ralph, by way of being
sociable.
"Sh'd think he ought to be" giggled
Grace. shes always saving bones
and things for him."
THAT'S very kind, I'm sure" said
the young fellow, turning toward the
game which Grace was inspecting.
'That blue-jay was an accident-I
didn't mean to shoot him."
"You might give me his wings for
my hat" said Grace, saucily.
"His wings? with pleasure, and,
taking cut his knife, he cut them off.
zone for Grace and one for-'Wea-
ser Tan, he said, giving one to each
and laughing ut the recollection of the
old childish name.
He went whistling out of the CRATE;
and Grace. with each hand grasping
a picket of the rickety fence, watched
him out of hearing. He drew long
breath as she turned away.
Gracious, amt he handsomer' she
said, "and, Wease, you like him awful
good"
For answer Wease splashed her well
with water. Then Grace went crying
into the house, and Wease, in the
covert of the high pump, softly stroked
the jays wing and watched the giver
out of sight. ....
Room in our town for another
physician" wrote distant relatives,
and there Ralph Burrows went fresh
from an extended course of study and
travel abroad. He opened his office in
the heart of the town; his home was
with his relatives on hills that over.
looked it. Business came to him lag
gingly, but love came on smooth, swift
wings.
Marguerite, heir of beauty, wealth
and goodness, sat on the yeranda,
fieldglass in hand A dozen times a
day she focused it upon Ralph's office
in the town below. A few moments
since she saw him lock his door and
set out upon the homeward road. Now
he was hidden from view, but she
knew just what landmark he had
reached (she had timed him 80 often).
To speed the minutes she took up a
magazine and scanned an article that
essayed to settle for all times and for
all people the question: SIS life worth
living?' When he came she met him
at the foot of the terraces, and with
his arm around her he led her back to
the veranda.
"What's in it?" he asked, tossing
the magazine aside to make room for
them both upon the willow settle.
"Oh, Ralph" she cried, archly, sis
life worth living?"
He took her face between his hands
and looked unutterable love into eyes
that paid him back his own.
''Is life worth living? And with
Marguerite? A thousand, thousand
times, sweetheart, and forever and
ever!" He kissed her rapturously.
"For shame" she whispered, look
ing rosily foolish and happy, "there's
Louise; she must have heard and seen
the whole performance And, by the
way, Ralph, when you write your
mother, thank her again for solving
for us the servant problem in so far as
a waitress is concerned. This Louise
Rutan has been with us two months
now, and we find her all we could de-
sire: only with. little deprecative
shrug) her face is so stolidly sorrow
full. I'm so happy myself, Ralph, that
when anyone else is sad l feel n sort
of remorse-almost as if l were re-
sponsible.
"Well, poor GIRL" he said, GIVE
known her ever since she was-three
feet high, 1 suppose, and she's had
pretty hard lines. She'll brighten,
never fear, in the atmosphere of this
home"
Louise" said Marguerite next day.
81 believe I'll let you drive me into
town; you're accustomed to horse,
aren't you?"
''Not very; but I'm not afraid" was
the reply; 50 they went.
Marguerite had made her purchases,
had achieved merry consultation with
Ralph in front of his office, and they
were upon homeward, uphill road
that lay along the bed of a little stream.
The queer, reticent girl by her side
was study for Marguerite. Through
out the drive she had tried to make
her talk; but, baffled, she had by now
lapsed into n silence akin to pique. A
new thought came to her.
Louise" she asked, sis life worth
living?"
"For you it must be, Miss Mar
guerite."
1t was lengthy sentence for the
girl to utter, but her eyes looked
staight ahead and her hands holding
the slack rein lay limp in her lap.
"And why not for you, Louise?"
The girl hesitated, and Marguerite,
always prone to moralizing, improved
the opportunity.