Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1903-02-28

y
sickness, | was greeted with stare by
the girl who had declared, she would al
ways trust and believe i'm me.
watched the wagon until q bend i'm
the road hid ii from view. and then still
looked toward the spot where il had
disappeared.
a touch on my arm recalled nv
thoughts. and | glanced around into
the solicitous face of my old nurse.
Il guess de young woman is putty"
said Mrs. Snyder. "Ach. and you dink
SO, too. Mr.. Mel"
Eyes, she is beautiful. very beauti-
full" I murmured. more to myself than
for answer to the widows clumsy at
tempt at pleasantly
Sarab's watchful old eyes and the
promptings of her affection for me dis
cerned something more in the fixed
gaze | had sent after the wagon than a
suddenly awakened admiration
What is i'll, Mel? Do you know her ?"
the good soul asked, anxiously.
| I'll tell you some time" answered.
Yes, yes; beautiful indeed was Flor
{ ence, lovelier than ever, and good and
' true-well, 1 did not seem to feel so sure
Of her faith. She had passed me by
without extending a salutation.
could not blame her for not recognizing
me, after the resolve had made, but II
cut me to the heart, nevertheless.
| The remainder of the forenoon was
spent in going through the barns and
over the farm.
small structure, twenty or thirty
feet from the house, had been used to
do the cooking, baking, churning,
washing and ironing in. We could not
gain access to the cooking house, as it
had been called, the door being locked.
! There had been no care taken Of this
place, and could hardly see through the
dust and dirt which obscured the win
ldows, when 1 attempted to look inside.
There is nothing to be seen in there,
anyhow" / seid. But l remembered
the pile of cakes and the loaves of bread
(which had issued from the old Dutch
koven built in one side of the cook
fhouse. How 1 wish for some of the
lgood things nowl
4 After midday dinner, harnessed
the horse in the buggy. According to
lmy instructions, my agent had provided
me with single rig, and now pro-
Y
I then keep on down the road, past Sid
ington Station, across the river to
Twineburgh, in which place Mr.. Sonn-
tag, my lawyer, resided.
L had never seen Mr.. Sonntag. MY
hformer agent had died nearly q year
Sago, and six months after his death
bSonntag had bought the law business
Rfrom the heirs.
7 L had been advised of this fact by a
circular letter from the present incum-
i bent, giving references as to ability,
honesty, etc. Mr.. Sonntag had also re-
quested me to allow him to assume
management of my small estate. AS
Mr.. Perry, the president of the bank,
was down among the names of refer
ence, was most willing to grant Mr..
| Sonntags request. and wrote him to
that effect.
On the way to Sarah's house / I'M
bosomed myself to the good old soul.
l told her of my hopes regarding Flor
ence, and my fears that those hopes
would never be realized.
Zach, yes" answered Sarah, "you will
marry her some day. Just see bow
you've been brought both to de same
n L
| you"
You are more certain than l am of
that" answered, somewhat gloomily.
II have told you everything about my
self, because l have no mother to con-
fde in; and you will no more violate
my confidence than mother would !;
kof that | am certain"
( "Ach, Mel! / got no Ieetle vons of
mine own" she answered, with trem-
bling voice. There were tears in her
eyes, too. when she said: 81 would do as
much for you as mudder; guess
Would, Mel"
1 Her love was grateful to me. or
lphaned as l had been for many years,
Hand for the last year without a friend
to console or advise me.
I bud you vas foolish. Mel, to say you
mot see her undil you flint de robbers"
fSarah went on-"foolish of you, and
hart for her, too. bet you she haf
Plots of heartache."
What else could do. though, in
honor?" l exclaimed.
well, you are innocent, and she lofes
you, and knows, too, dat you didn't
rob de bank. So den it would be no dis
W utT lOLe anu De nappy
in i'd"
Sarah's logic found an echo in my
heart. Perhaps it was unjust to Flor
ence's love not to ask her to share my
burden. I knew, if 1 could share any
sorrow or trouble of hers, how happy
1 would be.
We soon reached Sarah's house, and ]
refined up to allow her TO alight. Then
/ continued on my way.
Twineburgh was about two miles
across the valley beyond Sidington. 1t
was lively little place, of about 1000
Inhabitants. One of the great trunk
lines of railroad ran through the town.
The road to TwineDurgh crossed the
track at Sidington station, near the
tdepot.
D AS / refined up my horse to a walk
Eand glanced up and down the track
before crossing. saw the station agent
standing on the edge of the platform.
/ 1 nodded to the fellow and he an