News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1897-09-15

low.
The white steam from the stillhouse
whirled upward into invisiGility against
the green background of spruce and fir
| clinging 10 the cliffs. The tinkle of a
! cowbell fioated down from Unseen
heights above; a large hawk hung lazi
| ly in midair over the widest crags.
Surely beneath. the wind and the rivers
roar there was Lethean glamour in the
air, harmonizing the savagery of nature
with the peaceful influences of the
hour.
Was its charm working upon her
mind as she leaned upon the fence,
oblivious of her task, or had she really
given heed to Jim's admonition "to be
keerful" and rest? The sprightly deci-
sion of her face had given way to an ex-
preston of gentle and regretfuI sadness.
Once or twice she sighed; then her
thoughts seemed to find a disconnected
utteranCe.
$50 good, so true, so watchful of my
comfort. Why cannot 1 love him as he
does me?"
The mountain dialect had disappear
ed from her lips. Its absence seemed to
render her conscious of the incongruity,
for in her next murmur it was resumed.
"He's just as honest and as open as
daylight, while II have erbleeged ter
be jest the other way" Then, as her
feelings again grew more intense, she
once more became natural. "God knows
I don't want to be false, yet what will
not poor woman do for home and
shelter-and love? He has given me all
these, but-what have I given him in
return?''
There was a soft crushing of gravel
behind her. She turned suddenly. A
medium sized, slender young man, hav-
ing crisp, brown hair, tawny mus
tache and keen gray eyes, stood before
her. AS they saw each other his careless
glare of surprise and an after smile of
exultant pleasure. With quick excla-
nation she covered her face with one
hand and eY,rnded tho other as though
to ward off ais approach.
'WeH, Meg" he said in low, cal
culative tone, you're about the last
person l expected to meet here"
AS he eyed her the relentless COM
posure Of his smile seemed cruel in ats
contrast to the agitation she exhibited
as she finally gasped:
"You-you here?"
"Well, yes, I'm here, and devilish
surprised to run up with you, Meg. But
what's your game now? Trying the vir-
tuous dodge, eh? Making this suscepti-
BILE elephant Of blacksmith your vic
tim, l suppose. F"
She raised her face and confronted
him with blazing eyes at this innuendo.
'No thanks to you, Dick Bufford.
Think how you have served meme
| Think what | have endured because
was once weak enough to trust you'll"
AS this confession slipped from her
lips they trembled under its influence,
despite the revulsive anger with which
his presence inspired her. His eye never
left her face, as, playing with his watch
chain, he replied:
How many had shared your love be-
fore came along? There, there. Don't
get excited. You couldn't help getting
jealous, and when [ left you in Atlanta
l never thought we'd turn up together
again on this footstool. You wouldn't
let rue so much as wink without quar-
rel, and l finally soured on it"
"Why are you here?"
She demanded this in quick, per-
emptory Tone flashing glance toward
the smithy, then fixing her eyes on his
handsome, imperturbable face
''I'm gauging for the government.
Am to be here for week. May stay
longer, now I've seen you. Blame me,
Meg, but mountain life agrees with
you. You're prettier than ever"
In an easy yet imperative way, which
she seemed powerless to oppose, he took
her dimpled chin between thumb and
finger and looked at her with kin
ding light in his eyes, then released
her, saying:
81 was a fool to run away from you,
Meg, my girl. I'll have better sense
this time. "
The cry Of an infant came to their
ears from the holly bush by the spring.
The wretched mother, reused from the
spell which his manner and words had
thrown over her, in spite of the re-