The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1903-02-08
Err RONANCEA LOVE STORYOF THE BERKSHIRE HILLS Cd

vain. and so that morning he denied bis
aunt her accustomed drive. and started
on the familiar road to the Shaker com
munity How well he knew it. There
was scarcely a foot of it which was rot
familiar to him. and ever since he had
written his letter, he had amused him
self. going and coming. by thinking Of
the drive he hoped TO take over those
hills some night. X he were pursued.
here he must hold up his horses lest
they fall; that sudden pitch might throw
any horse in the dark How he could
drive on that level stretch The whole
distance was a mental race to him.
This morning when Fortune had
started him out so early he drove down
| thrbugi! the village as usual He went
past the store. and stopped 10 water his
horses at the tub just beyond. He looked
searchingly up al the windows as he
stood by his horses heads while they
drank No. Sister Alice was not in
sight Well. he would try the store a
usual
He entered the hall slowly gazing in
vain up the stairway by which he had
once seen her vanish. There were some
people in the store He went in with
the same feeling Of disappointment he
had felt 50. often before when coming
under the evil eye OF Sister Deborah.
But no, Il was not she who met his
gaze this time. There before him, tell
ing the price Of Shaker baskets. stood
Sister Alice
A first he was almost dizzy. and then
he became perfectly cool, This was his
opportunity He dared not wait an in
slant Some one might come in. and he
must take his chances with these peo-
pie. Sister Alice had seen him as he
drove by. and was prepared. Drawing
his letter from his pocket he walked W
to her and handed il over the counter
These are the samples for 4 cloak
you gave my aunt" he said. They
don't suit her" and he turned and left
the room He had seen her hand treu-
bic as she took the letter. That meant
something. He sprang into his buggy
and drove away at reckless pace. His
heart was exultant
Sister Alice thrust his letter into her
bosom and tried TO 90 on selling Shaker
bonnets and pincUshions. and maple
sugar, Just a. II nothing had happened,
but she made sorry work OF il. Then
! before the first tiresOme party had fin
/ ished some more people appeared and
/ Sister Martha had TO come IN TO help.
and when The purchasers had ali finally
gone. Sister Alice was told that she
need not stay in The store any longer,
/
( anything for Sister Deborah
As she appeared before the guardian
OF her actions there was an excitement
in her heart which she could hardly help
! showing in her face. She wanted 10 be
alone. Oh, how she wanted to be alone
But she was told TO read to Sister De
borah. She wanted to read, but not hat
prOsy stuff She could scarcely bring
herself 10 open the book, and yet there
/ she was kept ell the long morning, IN
der that sharp, hard eye. Sister Deborah
knew not why but size felt that some
thing had gone wrong; that Sister Alice
had been in mischief. The face OF the
girl aroused her suspicious. How strange
it is that those who profess to have 10
beams in their own eyes are always
hunting for notes in the eyes of others.
On and on Sister Alice read mechani-
cally. while her thoughts were miles
away with the rapidly moving buggy, or
guessing a he contents Of that letter
lying near her heart. Out unopened. 1t
seemed to her almost d living thing
~ y -; had he said? What did she want
him TO say2
At last she was released. Swiftly she
went 20 her room. and closing the door
softly. she read and re-read the letter
her first love letter. The words of af-
lection sounded to her like the glorious
chime OF bells They were the first that
she had ever heard and she had thought
never to hear them Her whole heart
seemed to burst forth in one song tTium-
plant, and to break away at q single
bound from the teaching OF years.
Brothers and sisters No They were
meant to be lovers. The religion OF he
place was all wrong It was a belief Of
old men and disappointed women. Why
had she been given such capacity for
loving and such q desire 10 be loved II
II all were wrong Il was not wrong
she knew that il was not. She would
defy these hard old teachings and fly to
that greater and nobler life which was
promised her. and to her handsome
lover Yes; she loved him.
That night she retired TO her room by
u.s. Before every sister would be
in bed Sister Jane slept IN the room
with her. but she was old and deaf and
would be snoring contentedIy before 10
O'Clock. She seemed to dtsrbbe as usual
but in reality slipped into bed half clad.
and. as soon as the lamp was put out,
began TO dress in bed. BY 9 o'clock all
was perfect silence Then the clock
struck To- and then the single stroke told
the half hour
She would wait no longer She slipped
out Of bed and started for The stairs.
With bated breath she tiptoed aioES the
dark passage but in spite of all she
could do the boards would squeak under
her feet, aud the stairs, when she reach
ed them. creaked as if determined to tell
OF her flight. II seemed TO her as II he
very beating Of her heart alone would
, arouse fhe whole house When she