Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1900-05-24
all up with your heart broken brother.

all up with your heart broken brother.
C. y. r.
Gregory having finished his letter
read it over with much approval put
it in an envelope, addressed 1t and sat
contemplating the ink pot somewhat
relieved in mind.
The evening turned out chilly ana
very windy after the days heat. From
afar off, as Gregory neared the home
stead on the brown pony, he could
distinguish n little figure in little red
cloak ut the door of the COW kraaL
EN- leaned over the poles that barred
the gate and watched the frothing
milk run through the black fingers of
the herdsman, while the unwilling
COWS stood with tethered heads by the
milking poles. She had thrown the
red cloak over her own head and held
it under her chin with a little hand to
keep from her ears the wind that play
fully shook it and tossed the little
fringe of yellow hair into her eyes.
rs it not too cold for you to be
standing hereT' said Gregory. coming
softly close to her.
"Oh. no; it is so nice. l always come
to watch the milking. That red COW
with the short horns is bringing up
the calf of the white COW that died.
She loves it so, just as if it were her
own. 1t is so nice to see her lick its
little ears. Just look"
"The clouds are black. | think it is
going to rain tonight" said Gregory.
yes" answered EN-, looking up as
well as she could for the little yellow
fringe.
But I'm sure you must be cold" said
Gregory, and he put his hand under
the cloak and found there a small fist
doubled up soft and very warm. He
held it fast in his hand.
"Oh, En-. | love you better than all
the world besides! Tell me, do you
love me littlep
Eyes. do" said EN-, hesitating
and trying softly to free her hand.
Better than everything; better than
all the world, darling?" he asked, bend
ing down so low that the yellow hair
was blown into his eyes.
"I don't know" said En- gravely. Il
do love you very much, but l love my
cousin who is at school and Waldo
very much. You see, l have known
them SO long"
"On, En-, do Dot talk to me so cold
lyr' Gregory cried, Selling the little
arm that rested on the gate and press
ing it till she was half afraid. The
herdsman had moved away to the 9th
er end of the "kraaF' now, and the
cows, busy with their calves, took no
notice of the little human farce. EN-,
If you talk so to me | will go mad. You
must love me-love me better than all.
You must give yourself to me. | have
loved you since that first moment
when l saw you walking by the stone
wall with the jug in your hands. You
were made for me, created for me.
| will love you till l die. oh, EN-, do
not be so cold, so cruel, to me"
He held her arm so tightly that her
fingers relaxed their hold, and the
cloak huttered down on to the ground,
and the wind played more roughly
than ever with the little yellow head.
Il do love you very much" she said,
but do not know if l want to marry
you. | love you better than Waldo,
but can't tell If love you better than
Lyndall. If you would let me wait
for a week, think perhaps l could tell
you"
Gregory picked up the cloak and
wrapped it round her.
"If you could but love me as 1 love
your he said. But no woman can
love as a man can. 1 will wait till next
Saturday. 1 will not once come near
you till then. Goodby. Oh, En-" he
said, turning again and twining his
arms about her and kissing her sur
prised little mouth, "if you are not my
wife 1 cannot live! l have never loved
| another woman, and l never shall
| never, never"
"You make me afraid" said En-.
"Come, let us go, and l will fill your
pail"
IL want no milk. Goodby. You will
| not see me again till Saturday"
Late that night, when every one else
| had gone to bed, the yellow haired lit
| tie woman stood alone in the kitchen.
| She had come to fill the kettle for the
| next mornings coffee and now stood
| before the fire. The warm reflection
| lighted the grave old womanish little
| face that was so unusually thoughtful
| this evening.
Better than all the world; better
| than everything! He loves me better
| than everythingr She said the words
! aloud, as If they were more easy to
believe If she spoke them so. She had
/ civ lnxya In liftln
life and had got none of it back with
| interest. Now one said, 81 love you
better than all the world" One loved
| her better than she loved him. How
| suddenly rich she was! She kept clasp
ing and unclasping her hands. So a
| beggar feels who falls asleep on the
| pavement wet and hungry and who
| wakes in n palace hall with servants
| and lights and n feast before him. OF
| course the beggar's is only a dream,
and he wakes from 1t, and this was
| real.
| Gregory had said to her, IL will love
| you as long as | live" She said the
| words over and over to herself like Il
| song.
| 81 will send for him tomorrow, and
l will tell him how l love him back" 4"
she said.
But En- needed not to send for him.
| Gregory discovered on reaching home
that Jemima's letter was still in his
| pocket, and therefore, much as he
| disliked the appearance of vacillation
| and weakness, he was obliged to be at
the farmhouse before sunrise to post it.
IF l see her" Gregory said, 81 shall
only bow TO her. She shall see that L
am n man, one who keeps his word"
| AS TO Jemima's letter, he had turned
down one corner of the page and then
turned It back, leaving n deep crease.
| That would show that he was neither
accepted nor rejected, but that matters
were In an intermediate condition. 1t
was n more poetical way than putting
1t in plain words.
| Gregory was barely in time with his
letter, for Waldo was starting when
! he reached the homestead, and En-
was on the doorstep to see him of.
When he had given the letter and Wal
do had gone, Gregory bowed stiffly and
! prepared to remount his own pony. but
| somewhat slowly. 1t was still early
! None of the servants was about. En-
came up close to him and put her little
hand softly on his arm as he stood by