The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1902-03-04
CHAPTER Xxx.
BESIDE BEAUTIFUL WATERS.

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BESIDE BEAUTIFUL WATERS.
When CASTOR tried to sleep he found it
impossible. His brain was on fire, every
nerve quivering with some new mysteri-
Gus power and his imagination soaring on
~tireless wings. He rolled and tossed an
hour, then got up, and sat by his open
window looking out over the city sleep
ing in the still moonlight. He looked
into the mirror and g%rinned.
What is the matter with me- he eX-
claimed. 81 believe I'm going crazy"
He sat down and tried to work the
thing out by the formulas of cold reason.
Its perfectly absurd to say I'm in love.
Love is too high and holy a mystery to
take possession of a man in a day like
this. Besides I've longed for this great
passion, waited and hoped for and dream
cd of it, until my dreams are too large
for fulflment. I'll have to marry and
settle down some day like an ordinary
law abiding citizen. But my wild ro-
RANGING about a passion that will grasp
all life in its torrent sweep is only a
boys day dream. The world is too prosy
for that now
Yet in spite of this u~nanswerable ar
gument the room seemed as bright as
day, and the moon was only a pale sister
light to the radiance from the face Of the
girl he had seen that day. Her face
seemed to him smiling close into his now.
The light of her eyes was tender and
soothing: like the far away memory of
his mothers voice.
ITS a passing fancy" he said at last
| after he had sat an hour dreaming and
dreaming of scenes he dared not frame
in words even alone. He stood by the
window again.
What a beautiful old world this is af-
ter all!' he thought as he gazed out on
the tops of the oaks whose young leaves
we're softly signing at the touch Of the
hight winds. Turning his eye downward
to the street he saw the men loading the
morning papers into the wagons for the
early mail.
Il wonder what sort of report Of my
speech they put in % he exclaimed. I'm
able to sleep he hastily dressed. went
| down and bought a paper.
On the front page was a f1attering por-
trait, two columns in width, with a report
OF his speech filling the entire page. and
an editorial review of a column and a
half. He was hailed as the coming man
Of the State in this editorial, which con
tanned the most eXtravagant praise. he
sat down and read the speech over line
DN 4Ile. 0OIuSIlOW II ulu uOI seem 50 INC d
thing in print as he felt it in his heart
that day. But it was Enthusiastically good.
He knew it was the best thing he ever
dcre. and he felt for the minute proud
of himself and his achievement. This
contemplation of his own greatness
quoted his nerves and he fell asleep. He
| was awakened by the first rolling Of
carts on the pavements at dawn. He
knew he had not slept more than two
hours but he was as wide awake as
though he had slept all night.
II must be threatened with that spell
Of fever auntie has been worrying about
since l was a boy.' he laughed as he
slowly dressed.
It's now six o'clock, and my train
cont leave till nine" he unused. But
am l going on that train, that's the
Question:'
And a pair Of blue eyes looked at him
through their dark lashes, and a voice
low and gentle, like distant music, said,
Don't go today
The fact was, now he came to think Of
it, there was no need of hurrying home.
, He knew there was no crush of business
around his office door in May. He would
! stay a while and look this mystery in the
face until he was disillusioned. Besides
he wanted to find out what McLeOd's visit
meant. He had a vague feeling of uneasi-
| ness when he recalled the way Mcleod
had assumed about the generals house.
He had told Sallie he must hurry home
| on the mornings train for no earthly
| reason than that he had intended to do
so when he came.
! So after breakfast he wrote her a little
| note.
Dear Miss Worth: My train left
me. Will you have compassion on a
stranger in a,strange city and let me call
to see you again today?
CHARLES GASTON."
He waited impatiently until he heard
/ his train leave, and then told the boy to
make tracks for the generals house.
A peal OF laughter rang through the
| hall when Sallie's dancing eyes read that
note.
OH. the story teller" she cried.
And this was the answer she sent
back:
Certainly. Come at once. I'll take
you buggy driving all by myself over a
lonely road VI the river. | do this in
acknowledgment of the gracious iattery
| you pay me in the story you told about
the train. OF course l know you waited
till the train left before you sent the
note. SALLlE WORTH.
Now, / wonder if that young rascal
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