Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1897-02-25


the father said, stroking her hair softly.
Rob gave his ear Il dainty tweak and
pushed him back among his pillows.
clio there" she said '"To prove
how wrong you arc l mean to 90 all
over tho place again. Here, Lion!
Guard, boy On your life, take caro- till
come back"
She had got half across tho orchard
when the dogs deep baying recalled
her. She turned and hurried toward tho
house, noting, in spite of her heavy
heart the cool, delicious shadow about
it, the orioles flashing in and out of the
leaves, the sitting sunshine falling in
golden hecks upon the twisted grass
and the untidy stretch of gravel before
the front door.
A ruffling wind blew from the or.
chard full of ripe, fruity scents and the
tang of hedgerow flowers. Rob barred
her brow to it and insensihly let it COM
fort her. AS she looked anxiousiy down
the road she said under her breath: II
wonder what else can be coming. IL it
is any fresh trouble, think l must run
away, or pappy will surely find mo
OUT
1T must be somebody wanting land"
she thought, still pecring anxiously
down the roadway. 1t was the time Of
year when would he tenants pestered
them most, men who wanted to begin
following for next years wheat. She
could not keep them from her father-it
was his province to say them yea or
nay-yet they kept her Oh tenter hooks,
fearing that by some incautious word
they would topple down the beliefs she
took such pains to establish and keep
fast
! lit is odd little daughter, but very
kind people will try to profit by a neigh
boris trouble,' Mr.. MoGregor said Of
ten when he had put their offers aside.
"They say you are too much burdened;
that the place of mistresyes too hard for
you. But depend on it, dear child, such
hardship is education, and so long as
you yourself do not complain l will
have nobody coming between us and
our land. We love it, and it loves us.
Eth, little girl? Besides, with our own
people doing SO well, why should we
changer
So Rob had been nerved to persist in
her brave and loving untruth. To-day
her heart miseave her strongly. Love,
faith, everything, seemed slipping away
from her. Yet she had u wild inclina-
ton to laugh, to shout aloud. And she
did laugh consumedly when, as she
reached the rough stone steps before the
porch, she saw little Peter Smith get
ting down from tall sleek mule. He
was black and impish looking, with
bushy hair wrapped in hundred little
tails that stood ont about his head and
gave his face the look of being framed
in caterpillnrs. His ragged straw hat
made a halo back of the tails, and his
thin black neck was lost in the collar
of man S shirt, very stiff and dazzling
ly white. Trousers that almost matched
the shirt in size were gallowsed quite
under the al1npits and had been patched
to the degree Of high art. I'm spite OF
drawing up there WAS Rig roll of them
above each ankle. The left foot was
bare, ,Aeept for broken spur tied on
with t.,'ine. The right had been thrust
into woman's ragged shoe.
He came toward her as though he
were hundred years old, dropped bis
hat upon the ground, pushed back his
enormous surpr,s Of sleeve and held out
to her Il note IN II cream laid envelope
with red and gold b upon the lap Of
it.
Chow you docs, Miss Rob, an how 5
dc ole mar>tcr?' he asked mourntul!y.
please, marin, tell Mnrso Ben | ain t
forgot ter tx you dat, case he say Of |
does forSit he gwino whup me, an cf |
don't he gwinc gimme CT t,oshin hook. y
iii see to IT you get that fishing
hook, Peter" Rob said, twrling the
missive between thumb and finger. She
had no thought that it related to aught
save the result of the inquiries Mr.. Top
mark had volunteered to make. Far
from taking his visit to herself, she had
set it to conjunction for past neglect
awakened by present sorrow. Now her
mind said: Mr.. Topmark is recover
ing from his grief. l dare say this fine
stationery will very shortly be III use
for other things than friendly business.
So she was tritic startled when littlo
Peter broke in, Miss Rob, please,
marin, write or answer ter dat dar
note, ease he-Marse Bcn-say ef I
don't fetch one back he gwine tan me
erlive."
'Oh, l reckon he was only joking
about that" Rob said, unfolding tho
missive. Next minute her hand fell.
She was laughing aloud III real and un-
controlled mcrrimcnt.
$50 he wants the pleasure CT my COM
pany for the whole big mecting,' she
said wing the sheet with disdainful
amusement, "What "a monopolist he
must think I am! And, oh, what joke
on Mrs. Winfield it is that he has asked
me! | have great mind to 90 with
him, once, just to see how green she
will turn"
a quick thought shot through her and
brought the rcd to her face. Something
whispered that thus she could show
Jack how little she cared for his troach-
cry. IL w DIS tiCtCICIJ VI llIC DItCktSG
sort. Alice Winfield was truthful. She
would never have come to Rob with her
tale had there not been fact behind it.
No doubt Jack had hoped she would
come. Perhaps even now he was But
she would think no worse of him than
she could possibly help. He had been
her friend, perhaps was still her friend.
He was impulsivc. 1t might be his
compassion had carried him too far
Yet she had not willfully appealed to
his sympathies. No., she could not &C
nnit him of 1nliLarotn Fri Hin0