The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-06-21

day After the rains Oh lnst week tno io'r
weather was douhly welcome, ana one
forgaye it for being so cold. And cold IL
was There was q chill In the air that
seemed every now and then 10 catch at
ones marrow and jeopardi2e ones Iie
During the polo match that AFTERNOON
many OF the old settlers had looked anA,
iously at the fair-soeming heavens anu
wondered what this should niean' Any
sign would te welcome, anything wouiu
pe better than this mockingly beautiiui
sky that hid behind its bright face posi-
bilities of endless ruin.
The match bad been between team
made up of settlers who had come from
some two or three pubic schools In the
old country and the rest who were Jumped
together as "Etceteras. Jack drenham
had csptained the former and Tom Ihorp
the latter so it was not unnatural lef-
hans that Jack should find a good deal 10
talk about with May Thorp when II was
over. He told his man 10 tako charge OF
his pony as he would walk home, ana
May. finding 10 chilly, determined TO ac-
cept Jacks offer to escort her nome; her
brother promising ID follow shortly.
How beautifully you ride, Jack ~ said
Nav enthusiastically. "Your pony seems
60 know exactly where to go without any
effort on your part. l do so envy you
81 don't know why. returned lack.
II never saw any woman sit her horse as
a
your men mad been as good as he we
shouldn't have been in IL. He was the
pest man In the field.
How full we are of compliments ~
laughed Nav. "And how splendid II is
TO he out after all these rains Tom did
nothing but stamp round the house,
swear at the men and smoke iii no was
blue in the face. He was always so
pleased when you came in.
"And was nobody else pleased as wellf"
'Of course / was too.
"Such n relief To see any one when you
have been penned up for two or three
days?" queried Jack tentatively,
That's not what i mean, returned
MAY. "You know i am always glad TO
see YOU -
lyon don't think you'll get tired Of
me refore the happy event we are meditat-
ing comes OFF,"
"Oh. Jack. II you only knew how l
miss you when you are away. and long
for your return J"
.,Do YOU know, May said Jack. sud
denly changing the subject, 90 think we
are going 90 have the test season we have
over bad The trees are bearing wonder
fully and look magnifcently healthy. The
reward of our years OF toll is coming at
last. We just managed last year to pay
our way. and this time think we shall
manage to clear pound tree Fancy
being absolutely independents or home,
NAV! For the first time in my life,
almost. feel as Ii were really man and
not an overgrown boy. After wasting
those years in England and being such a
drain on my poor old father. you have no
idea how splendid it is TO feel absolutely
free. We must arrange date early next
year. May. Does that suit your
"Oh, Jack !"
"You see, I'm quite wealthy man.
I refused an offer Of two hundred pounds
an acre last week. Think of that 20
Just at that moment Tom Thorp over.
took them.
"I'll see May home now, Jack" said
he. YOU'RE going very much out Of your
way-unless you'll come in and have
some supper with us. We should both be
delighted. NoY Well, good night, then.
See you some time tomorrow ~
Alas, for all human plans That NIGHT
the s'Freeze'' came. The worst fears of
the ola settlers were more than realized.
They had never known freeze like this
before: In fact, there had not been such u
one Tor sixty years. When they woke in
the morning with anxiously beating
hearts IL was To see the beautiful trees
over which they had spent years of labor,
in which were wrapped up all their for
tune and their future, absolutely frlzcn
down TO earth. Not one tree had escared. .
The -year-olds clothed with golden
fruit aud the young trees full Of golden
proiuise. all were ruined. Ii was no par.
tial destruction. The whole tree was
killed down to the ground. The roots
were still alive and In three or four years
might begin with their new shoots To
bear again, but that was all. Instead Of
being worth two hundred pounds or more
an acre the land was worth almost moth.
ing The worst Of Ii was that there was
nothing to be done. Nature I'm one night
swept away the fruit of years of industry
and red uced every settler from compare
tive wealth TO poverty. All they could do
was TO wait till nature in its slow relent-
ing chose to build up the trees again.
They mostly decided to go home some
of them with no intention Of coming
back They would go into business do
ANYTHING rather than struggle through
moro years of poverty only TO count dis
aster again. Tom Thorp and his sister
and Jack Grenbam were going homo with
the rest They left some men in charge. i'm
tending after long holiday TO 90 back
and begin over again. To say that they
were crushed in spirit is but dimly to
hint at their sense of utter gloom and
despair.
Fortune and prospects gone no wonder
the two lovers looked with terrible fore
boding TO the future. The marriage
which yesterday was SO near was today
thrust fnr forward behind barrier of
dark years. One cannot live on nothing
even In Florida. In the marsh lands Won
might catch or shoot every necessary of
life save Hour aud water: tho flour YOU
would have 10 buy and the water 10 boil.
But life there was full Of dangers. and
neither MAY nor Jack dreamed of il for q
moment Home and hope were thoir only
remedies
The three went up 10 New York and
thence across To Liverpool together. Dur
ing these days Nav and Jack fell more in
love with each other and moro desperately
hopeless than ever. Jack, Us che younger
son Of not over wealthy baronet had
run through good deal of money beforo
he settled in Florida and met May. His
father was a stern man, and Jack expected
froIn him at his death nothing more than
q very trifiing recognition Of his cxist-
ence. That he would be welcome Mt home
he knew but money, the ono thing he
peeded, the only thing he needed now he
had won May. was just tho thing he
could not get.
May and Toms father was rather
poor. hard d-worke1 vicar in Northern
city. lie had spent more money thar ne
could afford on them already, and this
new misfortune crushed him most as
much rs 10 did his children. To start
. them over again would mean serious and