Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1902-08-07

Near By stood : rude wooden box.
With his heart Ia bis throat, Rastus
leaped the gate.
Good Gods'' he cried, In terror
"whas has happened, Lisa9''
She looked up from her work.
Her hands were stained with earth
and her eyes were rsd.
Its Watch, she answered
Steve's dog. He died of old age
brought him over here 20 bury
him in Steve's garden.''
Give ms the spade, Iisa-thal
work is too hard for woman.
She repelIod him with . gesture
Noone shall burr Watch but me. !.
she said, and went On throwing M
the fresh dirt, regardless that !
good part OF ID fell upon Rastus.
He soon found the role OF spectator
intolerable, and was glad TO sneak
away, and leave her 70 her melan.
choly task. Af s,
His third interview with the won.
an Of his love occurred q few years
later. Her mother had died, and
she was living alone with her young
daughter. The latter had shot up
into . tall, fair girl, with flaxen
plaits hanging on her slim shoulders
and eyes as brown and soft as a
deer.s. In the village academy she
stood at the head of her class. II
was winter, and snow whitened the
world. Rastus met Lisa telling
through the deep drifts. with arms
full of parcels from the village store.
The Indignation in his heart gave
him sudden courage.
let me carry your burdens for
you, Lisa." ne entreated, and tried
to take the bundles from her.
mo one can do that, = she answer
ed drawing quietly away from him.
He noticed the streaks OF gray in
her abundant hair and the faint hol-
lows in her cheeks.
See here Lisal'' he said, "you We
found life pretty bitter, / take IL,
and so have /. Steve died long ago,
otherwise some body would have
heard OF him before this time. Once
he came between you and me, but
you are free now, and / want TO
help you'll want TO marry YOU"
2haaSAns>pod eho..k ;s- -aha -e>..~..-
Twas about you that Steve and
| quarreled," }" she answered, with
stern judicial air. Your a good
man, Rastus, and worthy some good
wosnan's love. But you must 90
your own way, and leave me GO
mine. After this talk never want
to see your face again" ''Lisal"
hecried angrily, didn't you ever
care for me7vi sfstssa &
mo, never!" she answered, sol
emnly.
Rastus had received his coup de
grace. With something between On
oath and q groan, he turned ON his
heel and dashed away through the
snow. The next day it was noised
about the neighborhood that Rastus
had left his native village and would
never return to it.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. brown years"
continued. On acertain night, Lisa,
seated by the FIRE, said TO her young
daughter:
Tomorrow is your fifteenth
birthday what can do to make
you happy tomorrow dear?"
The girl thoughtful and grave
beyond her years, put down her
lesson over which she was poring,
and slipping out Of her chair, laid
her fair head on her mothers lap.
let us 60 over to fathers house
she coaxed. 81 have never seen
the inside of IL, you know-let us
60. mother, and keep my birthday
where / was born. I would rather
do that than any thing else in the
world"
The elder Lisa stroked the fiaxen
braids.
Very well," she answered, II
this is your wish, dear. ! have no
right TO say nay TO it. Now that
your father il dead, the house be-
longs to you"
DO you really think he is dead,
mosher?" said little Lisa, wistfully.
"Yes, child. He went away to
foreign parts, and died long ago.
I've paid the yearly tax on the prop
erty, and for your sake, kept watch
over il always 1t is yours, and
you shall 60 there tomorrow IL you
like. y
With perfect docility she took the
keys from the nail above her bed
and prepared TO accompany the
child 70 her humble heritage.
The break Of day saw the pair
on their way shrough the or
chard. Patches Of snow still glim-
mered in shady hollows, but
brave robin was singing ON the
top-most bough Of an apple tree.
/ In fha rusty lock the key GRATED