The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-09-30

Benton and the captain had been
schOolmates and were about the same
age, but he had gone In.) service in
the commissary department the same
year the captain had begun soldering.
SO Jim came back fat and comforta ole
with the rank of colonel and set up
business for himself in the village at
his fathers old stand. lie was 2
shrewder man than mis- father. though.
and the village gOssips sai he would
be a rich man SOM day. Those same
worthless further said that Jim was the
best "catch" in the country and that
Miss Anna would be fool to throw
him over because Of the boy and girl
affair between herself and the captain
What Miss Anna herself felt about
the matter nobody knew. and least
of all Jim himself He asked her one
day, however, and, when he left the
house, the captain, who was sitting on
his own little gallery with his chair
tilted back under his rusty crcaking
lawyers sign, saw Jim jump into his
brand new buggy and drive so furi-
OuSly away that he ran quite over the
only stump left standing in the square
The little wicket gate opened few
moments later and Miss Anna came
through and took a seat on the broad
steps She was flushed and excited.
and was tearing to pieces a sprig Of
lavender which she had plucked in
passing. The captain went down the
steps and sat beside her.
BY and by he reached out and took
the bit of lavender from her nervous
fingers.
What did Jim want?" he asked,
looking down at her.
He said he wanted me to marry
him." Miss Anna answered slowly, and
her eyes fell before the captains gaze.
The captains eyes hardened. Turn
ing them away he looked fiXedly at his
rusty sign for a moment and then said
quite calmly;
Jim is a prosperous fellow. / dare
say he would make you a good hus-
band" Better than can ever hope to
do" he was gong to say, but he set his
teeth hard. and he didn't.
Miss Anna did not answer. and by
! and by she went away with hard,
tired look in her eyes. Women have
grown tired and hard for less cause
than Miss Anna had had
1t was not long after this that che
decided there should be a fence as we'll
as well as a hedge between her lot and
the captains. She was going to culti-
vate more flowers, she said. and the
chickens scratching through the hedge
was a nuisance. The captain helped
the man Miss Anna hired TO put up the
fence, and spent a great deal of time
do,
1t hurt him somehow TO see her tear
ing up the trim beds and the prim
walks and uprooting the old flowers.
and he told her so.
That's all an idea" she said. dig
| ging tiercely. what is the use OF
clinging to old customs when the times
things that look thriving and prosper
ous' There is no use in keeping in the
| same miserable old rut forever"
That was the first time the captain
ever heard the little note of sharpness
in her voice. 1t hurt him, too and he
sighed, and went back to his own gal
| lery.
HAS Anna a Visitor?" asked his
mother, turning her blind eyes toward
him when he went up the steps. II
thought / heard a strange voice in the
| garden"
The unseeing are quick TO detect
| changes
We are getting very close to Miss
| Annals rose vine now, for II was about
| this time that she planted II. She had
seen a climbing Devoniensis at Jim
| Benton's when she went to call on his
bride, and wanted one Just like 1t for
her own porch.
The captain had watched her set 1t
| out. and told her he did not think il
was a vine; the stem was too stiff.