The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1903-05-13

glass jug of milk, the old curved
handled knives, the yellow butter In
its glass dish. the uncut loaf, the
honeycomb. The evening sun came
through the unshaded window. and lit
up her pretty cottage room. She rose
and drew the curtain, so that the light
should not dazzle his tire eyes.
All the While he watched her eagerly
and wondering: and she poured out the
tea and waited ON him in her beautiful
unconventionality. "He was stranger.
and she took him in''-that was enough
for her.
MAY I rest here for a while" lie
said. when the shadows heightened
and the little maid came in and set the
room in order,
"Oh, yes" she said unfalteringly
for strange fancy had risen in her
heart and drew her to the stranger.
"Will you go on spinning? 1t is
rest to me to watch you. So few
women spin now
at was my grandmothor's spinning
wheel. She taught me to spin when |
was child. Have you no homer she
asked.
None. am wanderer on the face
of the earth but not like Cain. through
crime. but because early in my life |
lost all hope of q home; the woman |
loved married"
Mrs. Milvain's eyelashes Quivered,
but she did not look up from her
spinning.
Gould you not find another woman
to make home:"
81 am one OF those natures so con.
stituted that they only love once. never
again. and for always"
He spoke very quietly and emphatic.
| ally. Little Margaret. the maid. COM
ing in. Sylvia bade her take her sew
ing to the porch.
Margaret may have wondered at her
mistress choosing to sit alone with 4
wayfaring man: but. as she expressed
it TO her mother afterward, He looked
like one of the gentlefolli dressed up
for a play" BY which she meant some
| tableauX given ut the castle the pre-
vious observation-disclosures in which the
| beautiful and mysterious Mrs. Milvain
had been urged TO take part. The
gelne, meeting after long years the
dying lover of her youth
II am too old and too sad to act in
tableauX," she had said, 'ond perhaps
my womanly vanity resents the part
of Evangelinc in her later days
This she told the wayfarcr.
"Evangeline-ah. that was Long
fellows poem! l remember I admired
It in the past-the long past. l sup
pose we all have our ideals: Evangelinc
was my ideal of the beautiful Puritan
maiden"
a little sketch Of the girls head in
water colors was hanging between the
windows, her loose, ash brown. wavy
hair parted on her forehead under a
Puritan cap, her grave. gracious eyes
looking out with steadfast wstful-
ness under the level brows. In one
corner was written Sylvia" and n
date of thirty years ago
Sylvia saw the wayfarer's eyes
glance from the picture to herself.
II wonder If you would have recog-
nized it." she said, 'if YOU had known
me all those years ago."
You are very little changed" he
said; and then, after a pause, from
that picture
"Thirty years must make some differ
ence," Mrs. Milyain answered but
without coquetry-merely as stating 4
melancholy but inevitable fact.
'Time has its favorites-its spoiled
children" he answered quietly.
And still her delicate fingers held the
spinning thread. and her foot trod
the spinning pedal, and he, lying back
against a cushion, wondered whether
earth would ever again show him
so fair and restful picture.
The daylight faded. and she became
shadowy figure against the window.
The last sunbeam had lit her hair with
good night kiss. Margaret came in
and threw logs on the fire, and still
the wayfarer fingered, and still Sylvia
gave him no hint that She was weary
of him. And great silence fell. Per-
haps she thought he slept.
The clock struck. and still he sat
there. and she span in the twilight.
AT last she rose and came near TO
him.
He was asleep.
She bent over him and scanned his
worn features with sort OF tender
scrutiny, but her expression was en!g-
matical Then she lifted the lock of
, gray hair lying loosely across his fore
head, and saw scar about the size
of her own little finger; then she sighed
and smiled
And presently he woke with start.
II beg your forgiveness" he said,
, courteously "foy having slept in your
: presence"
+ 81 forgive" she answered. "Mean-
9 while, you will stay and have supper
e with me? Rest here"
He was surprised Mt a new friendll
G ness and alacrity in her manner. Hel
almost naughty graclousness had al
t tered during his sleep When she had
left him and bade Margaret prepare tho
Q supper,hls hand stole furtlyely to The
little volume OF Keats in the bookcase
by his chair In tho beginning was
s written, "Sylvla from Stephen ThG
date was thirty years ago. Below 4
was written Sylvia Mllvain.' They
:" spoke very little at supper; each seemed
y to be silently watching the other. AT
c terward, ms she prepared some coffee