, 1899-01-12


fingers.
"Then the end of the MONTH" said
Mrs. Stuart, land now you'd better say
good night. The girls a bit overcome
with the heat. Good night, Ben. Come
again tomorrow"
Ben strobe beyond her.
Will you marry me, Bessie?' he
asked sharply. Let's hear you say it."
Mrs. Stuart smiled triumphantly in
the darkness.
Yes" faltered Bessie, with a roam
ing look.
And he snatched her in his arms and
kissed her.
In the morning Ben was at work
among his ~cabbages and peas, and the
remembrance of that kiss was on him
as he worked.
That evening there was a glorious
dusk with a south wind. Ben, saving
wood, paused with the crosscut saw half
through a piece of timber and drew his
horny hand across his forehead.
He was SO far away that he quite
started to hear a light football close be.
side him. He looked around, and there
dawned an astounded expression and
then a rapturous glow Oh his face.
Bessie! ~ he exclaimed. "Bessie!"
He put out his arms. What more per.
fectly natural than that she should clip
into them?
But she only smiled and shook her
head.
give come to have a bit of a talk to
you, Ben," she said, and a new con-
seriousness of her power over this big,
hulking fellow armed her with a
strength which was only born for the
occasion and which would have brought
a smile to her stepmother's face.
II don't quite know how to Begin"
che said, "but-but | don't believe you
care extra much for me yet, do you,
Ben? Not astonishingly muoh?"
Don't l, though! p he burst out.
Look here, Bess, would you believe it,
I've thought of you every moment Of
this blessed day. My world"
She set her mouth. "Then if you
care for me that much l can ask you to
do something for me-"
ANY mortal thing, my girl"
you could give me up, couldn't
ysniS Gsa4aHt yos7N Gopldn,t yop? Oh,
Ben, I'm hat miserable till you give
me up and go and tell my mother that
your don't wan me! But, oh, Ben,
don't let her know l told you! There's
lots of other girls, and you don't want
me, do your Say you don't. Just say,
Il don't want you, Bessie
He said 1t after her mechanically,
watching her hands twitching nervous
ly at his shirt sleeve.
II don't wnnt you, Bessie, he said,
land, by heavens, ! won't have you if
it's agen your will!'
She stopped her head and her warm
lips pressed a grateful kiss on his earth
soiled wrist.
He told her mother about it, his eyes
roaming restlessly about the parlor CT
Bessie's home.
On Sunday Bessie went to church and
wore her big lace hat and sat beside her
mother.
Ben was ON the opposite side Of the
aisle and farther down the church, but
he could have looked at her if he had
wished. He never once turned his head
and Bessie watched him, even at
prayers.
When the service was over, he stood
up, head and shoulders above every one,
and it appeared to Bessie his eyes were
certainly on the door.
He raised his hat and passed on. hold
ing his head high-an unconscious d.
xI1r,n;gt Dropapt1v cha 90 vu him Gtrid.
ing down the road as though it all be-
longed to him as we'll as the home on
its side.
Two months went by. Ben took ur
his measure of days and dealt with
them as we'll as he was able, but the
evenings, when the cabbages and the
peas were carrying on their lives with
out him, wnen his washing up was
done and the wind was stealing in the
darkness around his home, then he
staid to wonder how he was ever going
to take tomorrow into his hands.
He always took it, however. and 1t
was always -oming.
"We'd have had a fire Of an even
ing" he said two months after he had
given her up.
There seemed a tremendous amount
Of irony in cutting firewood, to his sim.
Pile mind.
A light footstep sounded behind him.
He started, and there dawned an as
founded expression, then a rapturous
glow on his face.
"Bessiel" he exclaimed. "Bessie!'
She tried to smile, but her face was
white and afraid, and her lips quivered.
give cor. e-I've come to see you.
| Ben" she said and was so unconscious
Of her power over him that she trem-
bled.
81 supposed suppose that you don't
care about me yet, Ben. Do you? Yoo
don't care q bit, do you, Benz"
"What do You want plagui ig me
for?" he burst out. Cant you let me
aloneG Are you wanting me to lie over
again?"
81 want the truth, Ben" she whis-
pered. London Telegraph.