The daily morning Alaskan., 1902-03-23
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 SUTDERORCHNRD
BY IDA EENNISTON.

MNEuAlncs Mu4 hNN HANAeANN VI" make up Of tho May number. He took an art calendar from the wall by his sidc and turned the leaves until he came to the May pagc. Tue picture was an eN rcuent copy of water color painting. It represented an orchard of apple trees covered with their pink and white bloom A young gigl stood under one of the trees; leaning gracefully against the gnaried trunk. her hands clasped loosely oetors hcr. The whole was delicatcly unteo and seemed almost to carry with It a faint fragrance of the blossom laden May.
 His thoughts went back to the village of Raynor. where he had spent Few months years ago. Some college prank had brought him into trouble with the faculty. and be had been suspended for four months. His father had sent him To the little Connecticut village Co spend the time with an old college classmate.
 One of the village girls. shy little Faith ThornS. had from the first held captive his boyish fancy. AS he came Co Slow her better her influence increased. and he said Co himself that be had found the pearl among women. Brought up in a Quaker household. for Faith was an or phan and lived with her grandparents. a certain quaintness. childlike simplicity and directncss. made her seem unlike tho other merry. chattering country lasseS.
 Little by little he and Faith came to oe moro and moro to each other. The wild rose flush in her cheeks dccpencd when he was by: a sweet shyneSs made the bluc eyes droOp before his.
 She would not let him bind himself by any promise: they were both too young' she had said. He must go awuy now, finish hls college course with honor, anu then. when he had taken the place wait Ing for him in bis fathers office. he might come again Co Raynor. and be would ma her waiting for him.
 so. ou this afternoon. with the Febrn. ary storm raging without, Ford Ash croft's thoughts went back and fingered on the spriuctime idyl of those lous ago years. Could it bc l2 years-Faith would be 20 now. but somehow be could not think of her as looking much older than the youus girl be had left in the orchard. Surely she had not lost that pure. chldlike fQcC-a little older per haps. a littlc ,adder. but still with those innocent. wistful eyes. And howell he was Si. be had lived in the midst Of the rush and whirl of city lie.
 "I: would make a good story be hnal ly remarked. and turned Co his desS' took up his pen ard began Co write. slowly at 6rst. then. as the past seemed Co come nearer. bis pen moved more rapidly over the page lie told Of the college youth In thc little village. of the shy maiden who won his b1yish heart; he described ihc old orchurj. with its glory ot apple blooms: be seemed almost Co iuhale their delicate fragrance as he wrote. Tho while pretty idyl was told In simple words. but with such exquisite crt that one WL, read might almost see tho prr,tv picture of Che cir'ish Faith. with her pure. trustrul eyes. and the boyish lover who bent Co kiss her check beneath the orchard boughs Then Che story of the young lover who went away, who grew older and stcvucr. who struggled and wcn-aul forsot.
 ,Aftcc awhile hc took Che pen and wrote again.
 A month later Che editor was startled 60 6ad among lis personal mau at tho office an envelope bearing the postmark of Gayno-;
 Ny p,ar F-fl-t i.,e r,aI the story. "Unief Orci1rl u1u-is." ir nc NoNa.alf. and ihcush vou have cilrsll e.. uluC' o' Che people and oi thc pl1cc. | knew ut once th1t t v1l our story rat ds4-. v1u stru.I not laf. crd.l it rs yoa AA When rrcd Byrl'ls falls i.,ecp in th hile railway rtlt.on. Wh.rr he is waiting tor mi t-a,n. and thc young c.rl cCm17 in with hef trrfuI ot apple b,rr 1us. whose ir1-rlncc. steal. Ing into bis dr4ns makes hlm fancy l.m'. ii enc, more in Che o.t orchard, when De wakes 70 asd it but a drllm and knows at last tac one tAi.. hs lie has l. ktd in Che mlt of its s'cfn- ls- prosn-ritv: uh.n. sci-cl with a suldcn h,lrt tck longing for sight oi the Faith he had ka1au. hs rishcs Co thc tclgt efic. and a.Na ioI a ticket Co Che utt.e v,iase. ah. iari. why li1 you not iet hin cary out tis lnt impllsei N' dld you make him hlitste and turn his back oa he hope h, might tlrl made h.s ovni
 | cannot sly mon, than this t you care 70 come Co Raynor. y.u vil aui mc vaiiin> in th' old otehsri. and you uiu dnd me fHl
 F,un Tnosy..
 Ford Ashcroft crushed the letter in his hand with muttcrcd imprecauon. "Coward" be said Co himself hercely Couldn't I have found enough literary material without dragging poor htue Faith into p-iut? lt was dGs,ordJ thing Co do. but who would have thought she would have seen the thingf And now
 He hastily put the letter in his pocket as thc sound og voices was heard in the hall. The next momcat the door was thrown open and two children rushed ih' .t f f.- .,. nvsfntfsrirr Irpr nlCSsly "paDe. papa. the carriage has come. and mamma Is ready. and you said you'd go n, vilc wiy ms today. cause it's my birthday. and I'm G years oii.'
 Ashcroft picked mp the child and gave hcr half a dozen kisses in homer of the lav. Then he went for a drive with hla wife and little ones. the pathetic letter from Faith Tbo-uc still in bis poeket'- Chicago Herald.
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