The evening Republican., 1902-09-23
ELAINE OF
THE ORCHARDS
An Interesting Story by Martha
MCCull0Ch. Williams.

Elaine. Commonly she was pale,
with shadowed eyes and piteousl y
dropping mouth. Today the shad-
ows, the dropping had vanished.
She smiled until dimples played
hide and seek through cheeks faint
ly pink as the sweetbrier in the
hedgerow. She was picking the first
ripe peaches in the young orchard
that was her mothers pride. 1t had
Just come into bearing and was full
three weeks ahead of anything the
neighborhood had ever known.
Elaine and her mother were piously
glad that the ripening fell in with
the date of the big meeting.
The peach basket would go to
church tomorrow along with other
baskets overfowing with good things
There were to be three sermons,
with dinner and supper in between;
much choice gossip also, with, Incl
dentally, lovemaking. Everybody
within 10 miles round would be
there. That meant to Elaine main
ly sight and speech of Allan May.
He would be sure to fetch his moth
er, a lady of gracious speech, but
coldly calculating eyes. Elaine
dreaded the eyes, yet was glad Al
Ian had mother to look out for.
1t saved her the torture of seeing
hlm gallanting other girls ever SO
much prettier than her own pale
self.
Until he came she had never loved
anybody. She was sure that he low
ed her. Had he not kissed her fin
gers and called them "precions' af-
ter she had played for him a whole
evening through? He had said. too;
81 must be free before l marry. My
mother, you know, holds every thing
in trust until am 30.' 1t was easy
for Elaine to persuade herself that
he did not speak out because he was
too honorable to ask any woman to
wait for him i've years.
Gossip had it his mother was bent
on matching him with her niece,
Madge Clayton, wholivcd in the next
county, But the young pair were
close and friendly comrades, seeing
through he scheming of their elders
and findin & In it an excellent joke.
Madge came often to the May
house, but somehow Elaine had not
seen her since the era Of pigtails and
ruttled pinafores. As she nestled
the cream and pink peaches amid
the vine leaves in her basket she
seemed to see in them points of her
rival S fairness. Just as she crowd.
cd in the last shiver ran through
her; then her heart beat like mad.
The orchard ran down to the
road. Two people camo riding
there, and through hoofbeats she
caught Allan's voice.
In minute they would be upon
her. Instinctiyely, ELAINE swung
herself to all ambush of thick green
leaves AS she crouched shaking
all over, the nearing hoofbeats
stopped. Clear across the silence
she heard Allan say: you'll have
to marry me, Madge, unless you
can think Of some other way out"
"Oh, no! l am not committed
except morally. 1t was the music
that laid hold me. Elaine can make
piano keys say the most wonderful
things. l really forgot she was a
woman until-there are things one
cannot put in words.'
"Evidently,' rich voice answer
cd. But since you have spoken so
much you must tell whole truth.
Did you draw hack the very min
ute you found out your mistake? If
you did, you are are Iot wholly des-
picaIle. Otherwise
Elaine, gasping, felt the tentative
pause. A ruffling wind let her see
through the leaves. A little young
goddess, yellowed- haired, with
straight browsand unsmiling mouth
looked full in Allan's face. Her
bride hand lay easily on the reins,
but the other, hanging at her side,
wasso tightly clinched that the whip
within it bent. Love may be blind;
jealously has eyes that see far and
deep. By the tense clutch Elaine
understood Madge loved her cousin
yet had strength to sit in Judgment
of him.
you are silent. That is answer
enough" Madge said after long
minute; then with the least hard
breath: 1.-THE way out Is the right
and true one. You have taught a
woman to love; now teach yourself
to love her as she deserves.
ut is your fault, after ALL Madge,"
Allan said, signing. You ought to
have made me love-oh, l know you
could have done it-but chose instead
to laugh me out of sentiment, be-
cause, fOrsooth, you wanted your
own way. don't love you as
matters stand, but, on my soul,
when look at you do not under
stand how ! ever kept from it."
$50 to Elaine!' Madge command
ed, wheeling her horse.
Allen kept doggedly beside her.
lO-mOlrOW Will De tlme enough"
he said. Poor Elaine! She is
million times too good for me-so
much too good tremble to think of
taking her happiness in my hands"
As they galloped off Elainecrept
from her covert and sank beside her
basket, huddled, moaning heap.
She lay there until sundown, love
fighting hard with woman's pride.
And love won out. That night all
her prayer was, Lord, Lord, let
him love me or else let me die
Allan came 10 her next as she knelt
beside the peach basket, lifting up
pink.aushed beauties from their
nests Of cool green leaves. His whls-
per IN her ear made her cheeks out.
flush the pinkest peach, but ste