Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-05-12
CHAPTER XI.
THE DIP IN THE BLUE CREEK
 ROAD.

ROAD.
 Hop-picking at the Merton farm was drawing to close. It was We'd nesday afternoon, and by mid-after- noon of the day following Jack Par melee calculated that the last pole would be stripped.
 During these final days of the har- vest Miss Densmore had contrived to learn much of the story of Rossiter's life, not directly, but by inference, and by patching together such facts in regard to him as he had let fall Intentionally or by accident. She managed to break in upon his re- serve, and had often been upon the point of asking him certain questions regarding himself, yet had never done so. Of Rossiter's admiration for her she was aware, perhaps in meas nre by intuition, for he had scrup- [ ulously endeavored not to let his feel < ings be manifest, and she doubted if even her cousin had observed any thing in his demeanor to indicate that he had preference between them. \ Her state of mind towards him she I had not seriously tried to anslyze. 4 Of a lively interest in him she was conscious, ,Abut had any one suggested g that she cherished deeper or a warmer feeling she would have re- pelled the idea vehemently. The dis covery of weaknesses in his character i had not lowered him in her estima- S tion. Indeed, her sympathies, for that very reason, went out towards him more strongly. She fancied she discerned the battle he was fighting with himself, and longed somehow, if he would but let her, to give him encouragement and help.
 On Wednesday morning the girls had been at their box as usual, but they did not come into the yard to $ pick in the afternoon About three o'clock, as Rossiter was stripping a pole in that portion of the field near est the house, he caught sight of Miss Merton hasteaing towards him.
 { tsWhere is Jack-Mr. Parmelee? ?'' she called, much. perturbed, as soon as she came within speaking dis tance. VI Rossiter looked about but could see nothing of the farm manager. Fi- nalIy, however, he deserted him en- gagged in emptying a box of hops in < a remote part of the field.
 "There he is," he said, "way out vonder.''
 "Oh, won't you go and fetch him X I'm all out of breath. And hurry, do for what I have to tell him may be livery important"
 Rossiter set out at sharp run, and presently he and Parmelee came back together. The pole-puller was about
 retire when Miss Merton stopped
 in
 "Won't you listen, too, MT. Rossi ter" she said, flor if there's any trouble perhaps you can help us." Il He acquiesced, and the two mer stood regarding the girl in expecta $ion and wonder.
 "First tell me-" she said, addressing parmelee, "if Simpson is in the yard
 or if he is, perhaps I've had m. Fright for nothing"
 ssimpsoni" exclaimed ParmeIee ssno. he's not. I've been Iookin' fo! him this long time. I sent him ove1 to the kiln on an errand more thai \ half an hour ago." .
 saThen I'm afraid there's something A wrong said Miss Merton, growing more agitated, 'And, oh, I wish r. I come sooner! I happened to go ou \ on the porch a while ago." she wen on, speaking rapidly, ''and saw rnal \ running far down in the lower or chard. He stopped under tree, ant then I noticed there were two othe men there. I thought they wer \ some of the pickers after apples-yo1 know they're in the habit of getting them-and didn't pay much more at tention, but when I got back in tn house it came to me that the frs man seemed like Simpson, and tha he of the others, though, of course
 couldn't really see much at that dis
 ,nce. had face like that creatur
 ho frightened us at the hop-dance
 went out to look again and the
 are gone, so came to the conclu
 on that they must have leaped tn
 nee and taken short cut back t
 s yard. but when got to thinkin