The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1899-03-04

enough to let him go; so then Bob gave
in and said: All right, III go into
business, for l don't want to stay a.
farming So his uncle took him into
the mantles, where he might be doing
we'll; but l wish he'd never gone to
school, l do, then he'd abeen content
to stay and help his father about the
old place that's belonged to the Frys
no one knows how long. You can see
their names in the churchyard."
1t was in the churchyard, amid the
moss-grown headstones, that Miss
Roscommon not only saw the names of
many dead and gone Frys, but made
the acquaintance of the newcomer. He
came to her across the field that lay be-
tween the house and the church, and
she could see his fair hair shining in the
sun. He was tall and handsome, she
thought
"My mother sent me to tell you that
tea is ready. It's half an hour earlier
than usual. Yes, I've just come down.
1t all seems very beautiful, after Lon
don. doesn't it?"
Its so beautiful" said Mabel, "that
I am beginning to wonder how shall
ever be able to leave it."
He walked beside her for awhile in
silence, then he said:
"You were at Girton. my mother tells
me. Don't you find this sort of thing
strange after the stirring intellectual
life there?"
She laughed little.
81 don't think we were very intel
lectual-" she began.
~ feel SO much all have missed" he
said. "If only my father had not sown
wheat that year."
YES" she said, 81 know; it was very
hard
She was interested in the boy for,
though he was of her own age, he
seemed to her infinitely young. His
naive, laundering anxiety to let her see
that he, too, knew all about the intel
lectual life" his respect for her as a
Girton girl, and, above all, certain
wistful sadness about his blue eyes,
stirred her half-amused sympathy. His
presence seemed to promise new in
terest to life at the farm.
The promise was fulfilled. He at
tached himself frankly to Miss Ros-
commons apron strings-walked with
her, drove her in the market cart, sal
with her under the gray apple boughs
| md fol cd IL
well-read, was acquainted with modern
as well as classic literature-he quoted
almost necessarily. When he was not
quoting he talked of authors, of edi
tons, of style and of form. How should
she know that he had his own dreams
which he managed to disguise under
these quotations from the dreams Of
others? Miss Roscommon was the first
educated woman he had ever met, and
he seemed angonizedly anxious to lose
no chance of showing her that he, too
had been educated, that he was not
merely the foolish boy she might have
expected to find in the ''son of tn.
house" at farm. At first this sensitive
insistsnt egotism amused Miss Roscom
mon, then it irritated her, and at tbs
end of three days she was as near hat
ing Robert Fry as she had ever beef
to hating anyone-even the leastlovet
professor at Cambridge. Yet, after all
it was not possible to Mabel quite tc
hate anyone, nor was it possible thai
Robert Fry should ever be by anyone
quite hated. She had q very manly weir
of tolerance-and he timid, appealing
manner, which, if not feminine, was a
least childlike. But his quotations GO
on her nerves, and the quiet charm OF
!. her holiday was shattered. 1t was OF
the fourth evening that she spoke. HI
had been standing beside her, looking
at the sea, and suddenly broke the calm
OF the great silence to quote Mathew
Arnold's lnes:j
The sea of faith
Was thus once at the full, and round earth
shore
| Lay like the folds of bright girdls furled
But now
| 81 wish you wouldn't" she interrupt
ed, almost peevishly.
His blue eyes turned on her with the
| appealing look of child's wear wheI
one whom it trusts speaks with sudde1
: harshness.
| Don't look at me like that" sht
| said, her patience and her pretty man
ners giving way together under thu
| strain of that absurd appeal. "It's only
, that / came into the country to rest
and"
IA II see, you don't like me to talk tt
you. ! am very sorry 1 never mean
! to bore you. It's very good of you t.
!, tell me straight out" He raised his cal
: and turned to leave her.
: "Oh, don't!" she said again. 81 an
so sorry! Idon't mean to be rude-but
n don't you feel it, toe? One wants t,
: rest from literature and all that sor
of thing. / am sure you feel it, too
t only you think person from Girtol
4 wants this sort of entertaining. Sh
- doesn't, | assure you; she just wants t.
d look about and see things happen, Sc.
- how the flowers grow, and what thu
: pigs eat, and how the sheep come int
e the fold, and wonder how the chicken
:. know when It's time to be fed"
t He stood looking at her, still wist
: fully.