The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1903-04-03

standing in the door of the barn pom.
dering upon how he should effect his
interview with Miss Densmore, a
young man, trinity clad and neatly
gloved, drove briskly into the yard
in a smart dog-cart. He pulled up i'll
in front of the porch and Miss Dens-
more and Miss Merton came out to
meet him.
"Hullo! There's young Wolfe, a
friend of Sylvia's from Illica," said
Jack Parmelee, who was sitting upon
the barn threshold whiting ener-
getically at a splinter of pine. "Hey,
Dick Whittlesey! Run and take that
horse!"
Il came down from the woods day
before yesterday" the newcomer was
saying to Miss Densmore, land yes
terday 1 met your father, who told me
you were up here, so 1 thought I'd
drive out"
AS Rossiter viewed the greeting be-
tween the two, the lovely girl and
this fine-looking, handsomely dressed
young man, the little fabric of dream
which he had allowed to grow grad
ually since his struggle in the dip
crumbled into dismal ruin. He strobe
away into the orchard cursing him
self for his mad presumption. Yet
hope died hard, and by the time the
sound of the supper bell rang out he
made up his mind that the presence
of this unexpected arrival should not
deter him from pleading his cause.
Curiously, in all his thoughts of Miss
Densmore the probability that her
affections were engaged was not q
thing that had received from him
much consideration. Now he Won
dered why.
The evening meal was earlier than
usual, that those of the pickers who
desired might catch the train at Hin
tonville. After he had eaten Rossiter
again sought the orchard. He had
decided that he would wait and watch
to see when Mr.. Wolfe took his de-
parture, and then perhaps the oppor-
tunity he sought would offer itself.
Eagerly he marked the shadows
gather, and saw the evening star be-
gin to glisten beyond the purple out
line of the distant hills. He was just
upon the point of returning to the
proximity of the house when he
caught the faint murmur of voices.
He had found seat upon a wide rail
in corner of the snake fence where
tall elderberry-bushes formed par
tial screen, and fancying it was some
of the pickers wandering by the path.
half dozen yards away, to the edge
of the orchard, he concluded he would
let them pass before making a move.
He sat there inattentive and passive
until suddenly he was conscious that
one of those speaking was Miss Dens-
more. Without looking he knew who
her companion must be. What should
he do? AS yet he had heard no word
of their conversation, and he had no
desire to play the unwilling caves
droPper. AS noiselessly as possible
he tried to shift his position so that
he might slip into the bushes on the
other side of the fence and thus steal
away unnoticed. He had half accom-
plished his purpose when what Wolfe
was saying became clear to him.
''It isn't a matter of one hour in
the day, Sylvia, but of every hour"
his words ran. Indeed, it seems to
me that you are never absent from
my thoughts. I can't put you away
from me. Why, up there in the woods
! heard your name in the song of
every bird, in every breeze that cried
in the pine-tops, in every brook mur-
muring over the rocks. Your face
was always before me, even when l
woke in the great darkness of the
forest night"
Rossiter could not know that it was
the third time this young man had
declared his love to Miss Densmore;
that he was now breaking his promise
not to speak of it to her again; that
a moment before, when he had ven-
tured on forbidden ground, she had
endeavored to silence him. To the
tortured man it seemed like first
declaration, and to all appearances
the girl was a willing listener. In
his agony of mind his caution was
forgotten, and he allowed one of the
branches which he had bent back to
slip from his hand and strike against
the fence. Miss Densmore glanced
towards him, recognized his disap-
pearing figure, and gave little, sup
pressed cry. He supposed it to be
one of fright, and, hastily parting the
bushes among which he now found
himself, sped, crushed at heart, swift
ly away in the thickening shades.
CHAPTER XIII.
GooD-BY TO THE HOP-FIELDs.
When Miss Densmore stepped upon
the porch of the house she was alone.
Mr.. Wolfe had gone to the barn to
look after the harnessing of his
horse. His interview had had in it an
unmistakable element of finality, and
lessness of further pleadings and pro-
testations. He could not understand
Miss Densmore's strange agitation
and fright at the noise in the bushes,
but why, he questioned, should he
now trouble his head about that ?
. His horse was shortly ready, he
sprang into the cart, gathered up
the reins, and started, in no very
amiable mood, on his 12-mile drive
to Illica.
AS Miss Densmore entered a mar
row side hallway she encountered
Jack Parmelee.
"Your pole-puller left his good
~ L.. u =