Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1901-11-08
The Turning Point.
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supper and reading the evening paper.
he went up to his room the face was
there before him, smiling like a pic
| ture from the bare white wall He
had gone up there to make some alter
ations in his dress before going out to
| get rid of the rest of his evening in
| the city streets; but the face detained
him. held him there in the cheerless
fourth-story chamber, even against his
will.
How graceful she was." he
groaned out. What a pretty-what
sweet face she had How blue her
eyes were! How brown her hair was
and how it waved about her head ami
face like a little. soft, dark cloud of
curls, She must have been i'll lately,
or she would not wear her hair like
that; every other girl is piling CHG.
mons up higher than the moon. And
yet she looked the very picture of
health. Her cheeks were as round ami
as rosy as the apples in her fathers
orchard. Perhaps she is too sensible
to wear chignons and false hair Per
haps she don't care so much for dress
as other women do What did she
wear? can't remember. l only know
it was some soft duh-colored material
falling about her in soft folds, with
out rufiiing or paniers of any kind.
And blue ribbon at her throat-blue
as the 'bluets'-blue as her own sweet
eyesi Oh. dear! If | could but meet
a girl like that-a girl with no non
sense about her, as Mr.. Toots would
say, be added with a laugh-"a girl
who would marry poor man because
she loved him. and who would go to
work and help him build up his for
tune and his house together. Why it
would be the making of me-"
He took out his pocketbook and
looked again at the ten-dollar bill.
Shall try it? Jerrold says he be-
gan with no more; and look how well
he has done Let me see. Here is
enough to pay for my supper, lodging
and breakfast. and my ticket back to
the place where l saw her. That will
leave me the roll of currency for small
expenses, and the ten dollars for my
sole capital till l find a place and
work. Her father is farmer. | know.
And that chap in the gray summer
suit hates hard work. l saw it in his
face and walk. I'll do it. He can
but refuse me at the worst, and shall
be able to look at that sweet face
again. I'll 60"
You know he is not very strong. ia
ther, and his hands have grown white
and soft at college, and. as he says. he
IS not fit for the work" she was say
ing when her fathers growis ceased
suddenly; and, looking up. she saw
a tall handsome, Saxon-faced and
bright-eyed young fellow, dressed in
homespun taking off his straw hat to
her and her father in the way that
did not smack of country birth and
training by any means. The light blue
and the dark blue eyes looked straight
into each others depths for one be-
wildering moment. Then the girl
turned away and walked out of the
field, with a sudden, vivid blush stain
ing the whiteness of her throat and
forehead; and the young fellow, gaz-
ing after her involuntarily, began his
story to the amazed farmer and asked
for work.
At 12 O'Clock that day Jane Halliday,
after giving the last touches to the
Widespread dinner-table, took the tin
horn and went out on the side piazza
to call the folks" to their MONDAY
meal. She saw the heads turn. and
the bending forms straighten them
selves as the echoes of the mellow
blast fioated over toward the distant
hills, and lingering yet moment felt
her cheek grow hot again. when she
saw the young man advancing with
her father toward the house.
Here's a new hand, mother" sang
cut the farmer to his buxom wife. as
they entered the kitchen together. He
came along to look for work Just n the
nick of time, after your dandified
nephew cut and run for fear he should
ian his cheeks. You'll make Dicks bed
up for him tonight, Jane. He is worth
his salt, | must oMn. and he shall
stay here as long as he likes. Now.
mother, dinner-hurry, Jenny. hurry"
They sat down to the table. James
chair was directly opposite that which
the new hand occupied, and presently
the farmer called out, wonderingly:
Salt in your coffee, Mr.. Moore,
Well, | do vow That Is a queer taste
of yours, anyhow"
81 drank it so as Child, but think
I'll give it up after today. as am to
do farming work." stammered the
young man. scarcely knowing what
he was saying and unwilling to own
his blunder lest its cause might DOS.
sibly be guessed.
"Gracious! said the farmer.
But the good wife quietly changed
the cup for another properly sugared
and creamed, and the new hand
thanked her by bow that set her
marveling in her turn.
He don't look one bit like farmer.
Jane" she said, watching them back
into the field again after dinner He
is as much of gentleman as your
IOuSiH biCh 10, III Splte Oi MS common
clothes. And yet he must take hold
of the work pretty well or your father
wouldn't be as pleased with him as
he is"
Jane made brief reply and changed
the subject as speedily as possible.
She had seen beneath her long eye
lashes how the strangers eyes were
fixed upon her when that mistake with
the coffee occurred.
What a ridiculous excuse" she
thought, smiling,
And then a sudden recollection
flashed across her mind with stunning
emphasis and meaning. Was it
dream? Or was it real? That rush
ing train--that open window-that
moody look flashing into sudden
brightness as it caught and answered
her own laughing glance while the
cars whirled by. No wonder the face
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