El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-09-20

her holding over you the way she
ioes.'
"Oh, Cynthia has so much more
deprecatingly.
Simeon looked at her quizzically. Il
suppose she has told you that so often
that you have got so you believe it.
But 1 don't believe it"
There was an awkward pause.
Keziah looked at the clock and half
longed for, half-dreaded, the arrival OF
the first scholar. Simeon frowned at
the stove, and wished he knew how to
say what he wanted to say. At last
he cleared his throat.
"Keziah, let us have one good, long
talk together. We may never have an
other chance, and there are some
things I'd like to know about. Will
you tell me the real reason why we
didn't get married that time-f1fteen
years ago, wasn't it? Was one reason
Cynthia?"
| She nodded.
"Well, I thought. What were the
others? 1 know you told me at that
time. but somehow they didn't seem
like reasons you would give"
| There weren't any other-besides
| Cynthia"
"She must have told you things
about me. I wonder what they were?"
Keziah turned away her head. ''She
said that you were shiftless,'' she fall
tered, land never would get on in the
world"
He made a wry face. "And I sup
| pose she has kept her eye on me, and
has had the satisfaction of saying, I
told you so,' every little while, and
congratulating you on her good sense
and your escape. Well, 1 guess she's
right. 1 wonder if you cared?"
Yes, I did care" she said, almost
vehemently. 81 wanted you to succeed
and justify my opinion of you and
when you didn't she would exult and
sometimes 1 wanted to go away and
| never come back"
81 wish 1 had Known wish I had
known" was all Simeon said.
She looked at him pityingly, then she
laid her hand timidly on his arm
you know it now" she said, gently.
cit isn't too late
He rose to his feet suddenly. NO.
he said, in a voice that startled her.
cit isn't too late and I'll justify your
opinion of me yet. 1 will go now and
shovel that snow. Good-by. I'm glad
I saw you" He grasped her hand so
hard that she WINGED, then strobe out
Of the room.
She listened to his retreating foot
steps, then turned in her chair SO that
she could lay her arm on its back and
bury her face in the crook of her ell
bow. In a moment she heard some one
coming, and stood up hastily, giving
quick dabs to her eyes with her hand
kerchief.
"That snow will have to wait just
a little longer Something more i'm
portant comes first" said Simeon, COM
into the room. "Why, Keziah! you are
not Why, what is it dear?" for
Keziah was crying softly in his arms.
A little later, when they were more
calm. Simeon said: what I came
back to say was this: 1 am going to
get away from the pernicious influence
Of that lazy, good-for-nothing Sim
Walker, and I thought it would be
grand, good idea if at the same time
you would break away from the per-
nicious influence of Miss Cynthia
Thatcher"
Keziah's eyes sparkled. 81 will do
It," she said, and there was that in
her look which told that she had at
last freed herself from the domination
Of her sister.
There were other things that had to
be said and by that time the fire had
gone out and the room grown cold.
"Why, where are the scholars"
cried Keziah, when she saw that it was
10 o'clock. "They must have stayed
at home on account of the snow"
So they left the schoolhouse to-
gether and Keziah walked slowly
home, dreading her interview with
Cynthia, while Simeon, with his shovel
over his shoulder, went briskly in the
other direction.