Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1900-05-17
NEW SERIES-VOL. XIX. No. .1s.


am disposed TO NOPE. ! have sent
Silas down to bring my woodman
friend 10 see If he cannot cheer ne
mp. Are yoa i'll, Miss Ferguson? /
imagine that you used TO look
stronger"
81 am we'll now," she answered. Il
have changed since you saw me last
II believe You are more beautiful"
he declared.
Don't flat,er me. she protested.
II. fia,ter," he exclaimed. When
will YOU learn, Miss Ferguson, that ]
am incapable of the ar,9 You have
not changed - much, then, after oil.
''lou are cruel il you eontradic.
me-" she replied.
And were you never. eruels" he
asked
Perhaps. she answered. 'Bu.
repented.
Repentance means sorrow" he
said. will you he sorry for me now:
have the blueS.'
At this moment Silas Beck came III.
i followed by the woodman. and when
Mr.. Scruggs turned TO Introduce hi>
friend TO Miss Ferguson she was gone.
On the following dav Mr.. Scrugcs
put Oh his overcoat and left tile house
as soon as breakfast was over. What
shls meant to Miss Ferguson she
F.. would not acknowledge even 10 her
self. 1t was lonely day the lonelscsi
! that she ever passed. Mrs. Beck, I"
be sure, never ceased to chatter, but
what woman talk can ill the empti
ness of woman's lonely heart
" hen Miss Ferguson put on her arc
ties 10 walk down to the village post
office Mrs. Eeck spoke OF Robei'
Scruggs, aud she sat down to listen
Directly Mrs. Beck's gossip diverted
itself 10 n neighbor who claimed I"
have cousin who married Il niece OF
General Grant, and Miss Ferguson
rose to go.
''There goes Robert now, cried
Mrs Beck, with Ida Gates. If that
girl don I talk him TO death i, won't
be her fault. She's tnr bic gab.
Miss Ferguson looked out. The
road ran near the house. and she ga"
that Mr.. Scruggs looked perfectly
happy. He was leaning back IN the
sleigh, and Miss Gates WAS driving.
chewing gum and talking all AT once
Miss Ferguson did not speak. She
went to the tire, removed her arctics.
selected Look from the table aud
read. She read determindelv. She
told herself that she was going to
read, and what Miss Ferguson willed
to do she usually did.
When she had been reading about
half an hour Mr.. Scruggs came
hurriedly iii.
Il am sorry" he said TO Mrs. Beck,
''but l have to return TO the city. |
have just now received dispatch.
Good by. Mrs. Beck and Miss Fer
gus II, | don't know when l shall see
see you again. Good by.
'Good-bv, Mr.. Scroggs. she sa,d
naturally, extending her hand.
He took il, p:esse 1t mechanically.
, and IN another moment he was gone
Miss Ferguson sat down bv the fire.
She admitted t. herself that she was
disappointed NJ Scruggs no longer
cared for her. He was happy with
Miss Gates, who chewed gum. But
then why should she care? She was
uttcf liliicu uOt ~ tS't- ono dtC ~
practice to take things philosophic-
, ally, aud there was little that ever dis
, turbed her. She liked Nj. Scru9cs.
: but he was nothing 10 her. She had
been foolish stupld and she would
try TO forget it, Picking up her book
she resumed reading where she had
: left off and spent the rest Of the day
: with the novel.
. Notwithstanding, that night her
pillow was wet with teas. They wee
foolish, she said, Int they would not
5 last. anI she could pnt II from heI
easier after a little feminine cry. Afte,
that she was determined 10 have no
I regret, and what Miss Ferguson
willed to do she nearly always did.
!. The next day she seemed as fresh a@
h she had been for a year.
n Two days later she re .eived a letter
s from the postofiice. II read
j .'Deal Miss Fer2nson:-I once
asked you 70 marry me. What said
then | now repeat with twofold yehe
II mence. Does the change IN Won ez
I tend TO vour heart Or il your answel
the same
''KoBEgT > RuoGs
The answer she wrote real simply
q, Dear Robert:-I have changed
The answer IS yes.