Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1897-01-18

toward where her sister sat quietly
sewing at the other side of the room.
She drew Lefty close to her and laid
her head against the younger girls
arm. 81 want you to kiss me-" she
murmured
Lefty flushed with pleasure, and
taking the beautiful head between her
hands kissed Sibylla's mouth.
81 am not going to marry Julien,
Lefty. I have just broken the en-
| gagement."
Chrissy trotted along the three-mie
| stretch of road between the Ashley
homestead and the town, Sibylla's let
ter tucked in her bosom. Anon she
skipped and laughed at the intoxicat-
ing thought OF the beautiful gray coat
at home. She drew in great breaths
OF the sweet early summer air, and
trumpeted shrilly in imitation OF the
elephant she had seen at the circus.
Her heart was filled with the very Joy
OF living, and she knew nothing of the
heavy tidlDgs she bore in the bosom
of her pink frcck.
She longed TO chase butterflies
through wood, like that lovely little
girl in the story Miss Lefty had read
10 her. She looked to left and right,
but saw no butterflies. a little way
ahead were two COWS grazing by the
roadside. Cows were not butterflies,
but Chrissy must chase something,
and the COWS were at hand.
'Hi, yi!" she cried shrilly, and ran
down the dusty road, and every few
steps leapins high in tho air. "Hoo,
hoo I" she roared, like a lion. 1t was
great fun. The placid animals lum =
hered heavily along before her, but
not fast enough for Chrissy. She had
taken Sibylla's letter from her bosom
for greater security when she began
to run, and now held it in her hand.
"Woo, WOO! it's wild beasts after
you |" she shouted. One big, duu-col-
ored COW rebelled at n further chase,
and turning out tried to climb the
bank by the road. "5hoo!" cried
Chrissy, in hot pursuit, waving her
| hands.
The desperate animal turned and
made. down the bank directly toward
the girl. $50 way. go 'way!" she
hcwled, and Sibylla's letter fell to the
roadside on a choice spot of moisl
earth, just where, second letter,
heavy bovine hoof pressed it into the
mud.
Chrissy instantly forgot her own ter
ror, and the Shrek, ending in a sob of
rage, which she uttered, was more
dreadinspiring than any OF her previ.
ous limitations OF wild animals.
"Oh, you harv'ble beast-yo' great
foot on my beautiful letter! Look at
it, all coved wi nasty mud I can't
neyah, neyah take it like that, an /
was so happy jes' now!" She burst
into a passion of tears. ''What will
dol might jes' rs well run away
from home. L neyah can face Miss
S'bylla."
She trudged slowly homeward, still
sobbing miserablY and taking poor
| consolation in the thought that "p'raps
Miss S'byllad write it over ag'in-
she Writes so quick n so beau'fu
Scmes black clouds were gathering
in the west and there was muttering
OF distant thunder, but Chrissy feared
only Sibylla's frown. Sho heard a
sound of a horses hoofs behind her, AMI
looking around beheld sight v,,'"A
made her heart leap for joy. CAp,mu
Julien Booth was riding slowly up the
road toward the Ashley house.
"Now Miss S'bylla kin tell him he
s.NlE J. L., al,. L
need the lettah. But she'll ak me TO-
it," she thought the next instant. "I'd
better rur home an Tess it all; ] kin
get there befo' Cap'n Booth If 1 run
fas'."
Then the prospect OF Immediately
facing Sibylla with her dread conres-
sion oyerpowered the girl. "'Tain't
no use," she mutlered, as she dropped
back into walk; "I might ies' US well
die"
Captain Julien Booth had risen at
dawn and had spent tao morning rid
ing slowly through country lanes med.
itating on the step he was about to
! take.
"It may be the act of a brave man
or OF coward, he had said to himself
a score Of times that day.
When in the early spring he asked
Sibylla Ashley to marry him he loved
her passionatelY, or thought he did
He loved her so no longer, or believed
he did nos The charm of her wonder
full beauty was as potent ~ ever; but
the imperiousness of her manner, the
directness OF her speech which had so
fascinated him at first, had ended by
| m n1-inrs him, uuaocv Gtbo l,,1 bo,,, -.