The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1897-04-21

T-allowed-maybe I'd like him 9
little," the girl explained; "an' l wa!
right sure that he'd like mer
"Thai's the mischief of IT," the mar
muttered; 'I'll warrant he'll lik,
your
After hiding her face so long the gir
looked up, and was surprised to SEE
him so troubled. ''You've been right
good to me-" she said gently, "an' ]
don't mind-perhaps / had ought tc
tell you JUS why come. II don'i
want to be mean to Mr.. Collister, an
if you don't think its fair l won't tell
him l can make good bread; only"
she met his eyes appealingly-"if /
don't, don't see what / am goin' to
do.n
whats the matter" he asked.
Don't you have any homer"
She smiled bravely, so that it was
sorrowful to see her face. mot any
more" she said. awe always had a
right good home, bat my paw died
only las week. You an Mr.. Collister
used to know him, an he has often
spoke of both of you. He was Noel
Seymour from up at Castauplay."
"Noel Seymour-dead?'' said the
man. All her light words pleaded
with him for tenderness now that he
knew she had said them with an ach-
ing heart. "But Seymour was ere
OLE" he added, "and you are not"
"My own mother was an American" :"
the girl answered, "an | learned my
talk from her before she died; an then
my stepmother is American, to-" She
stopped just long enough to try to
smile again. ''What do you Think"
she asked. MY stepmother don't like
me. She isn't going to let me stay at
home any more. Could you be so
mean as that?'
He put his hand on her shoulder.
"You poor childr' he said; for gossip
came in sometimes i'm return for al
that radiated from the farm, and he
could recall cruel story he had once
heard OF Noel Seymour's wife. 1t
made him believe all and more than
the girl had told him. .'Poor childri
he said again; ''you haven't told me
yet whats your first name"
'Ginevra," she answered. "My own
mother liked it; my stepmother says
it's the name of fool. She thinks
she's young an han'some; but / allow
she's sending me off because I'm right
smart and the best favored of the two.
She wants to get married again, an
thar amt but one bachelor up our way,
so she's skeered he'd take first pick of
me.n
"My kingdomr said the man who
worked for Collister. ''If there's some
body up your way that you know, and
that likes you, why didn't you go aud
take your chances with him?n
A hot flush rushed over the girls
face. "Does you-all think I'd be talk
in like this to a man knowed?" she
She stared angrily until
her lips began to quiver. "An' be-
sides. I hate himr' she cried. "He's
not fittin' man for such as me-"
''You poor childr' he said again.
She caught the compassion of his
eyes. "What had | ought to have
done?" she asked. "What had any
girl ought to do out hyar in the pineys
if she was lef like me? I've hearn o.
places whar girls could find work, an
my stepmother she allowed | could go
to the oyster-factories in PJtosi; bat
whar would stay? An then | went
to the factories onct with my paw, an
the air round 'em made me sick.
You see, was raised in the pineys, an
they has a different smell.n
lie shook his head, though kindly,
at so slight a reason, and the sharp
pain of his disapproval crossed her
face. "Oh, you don't know anything
about il" she cried desperately; ''thar
amt no man that can tell how it feels
for a girl that's had a father that's made
of her like mine did TO be turned right
out to face townful that she never
saw. Can't you see how, if you was
skered, ii would be heap easier jus
to face one man? An then I'd hearn
no end about Mr.. Collister, an some
of it was funny, an thar want none of
it very bad; so | jus made up my
mind to come around hyar an see for
mys'f what like he was. You see,n
she went on, with lift of the head,
ait was for the money, but it was for
the honorableness, too; an I'd cross
my heart an swear to you on the BIZ
BILE that when / come hyar / hadn't
no thought that anybody could think
it was onder- -reachin' Mr.. Collister.
| thought he be right proud, an before
we got to talking never sensed that il
would be hard thing to name TO him;
but now" her voice trembled and
broke. ''Oh," she cried, II wished I'd
never comew
The man looked away from her.
Don't wish it," he said huskily.
"Collister ought to be proud if he can
have you for his wife; and he would
give you good home and everything
your heart could ask for"
Tears sprang into her eye, and she
dropped her head upon her KNEES To
hide them. "Oh, / know, know"
she sobbed; "but I'd rsih.- marry
you"
so ohr' breathed the man who
worked for Collister; "I'd % much
rather that you did" And with a
laugh of pure delight he caught her up
into his arms.
When they left the store red blaze
of sunset shone between the trunks of
the pine trees. The man fastened the
paddock behind them, and they started
in a lovers silence along the road.
The big farm was as empty and lifeless
as ever, except for the lonesome neigh
ing of horse in the barnyard and for
a straight blue thread of smoke which
rose from one of the little houses. The
girl pointed at ii, and smiled.
.He's having to get his own supper
she said ''but I'll make it
up to him; I'll make his light bread
jus the same"
"Yes," he said, 'you'd better; for,