The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1905-02-17
The Comedy of a Haystack.
BY ADAM LILBURN.

gerry retreated to her bedroom, where
she pretended to busy herself sweep
ing singing merrily the while, in a
loud voice in order to show her indif-
ference.
Alice listened to the cheerful ditty
while engaged in scalding her milk
vessels and setting them in place, and
the sound increased her bitterness.
IF don't get out of this for a
while it'll drive me mad" she NUT
tered at length; ''the heartless crea-
ture! I'd like well to choke her, sing
in like that when my hearts
about breaking" (This with a sudden
sob.) 81 used to think she was fond
of me. Never mind She's shown
herself in her true colors. It's not
fair, after me saving up and buying
her that nice lace collar. Those were
sweet words Dan said to me last night
as | came from the well. My word,
wouldn't she be in tantrum If she
knew"
But even the remembrance of past
delights could not extract the sting
from present sorrow; and Margery's
song, sounding from the stairs with a
note of defiance in 1t, drove the love-
lorn damsel out of the house, hands to
ears. She fairly ran until she reached
the stackyard, where she paused,
breathless.
The place was deserted, for the men
were all off at the village, as is GUS
tomary on Saturday nights. Lookinog
around for secure hiding place, she
presently espied a haystack from
which huge piece had been taken
away at the top. Whoever it was that
had been last engaged there had left
standing the ladder by which he had
mounted; and this served Alice's pur-
pose, for she assembled, to find herself
the sole inhabitant of snug and lofty
little world. With sigh of relief, she
crept into the heart of the stack, and
lay there warmly sheltered and COM
Portable. At first the tears, held back
hitherto by pride, rained down her
cheeks, but presently, worn out by
emotion, she fell asleep, and remained
blissfuily unconscious until aroused by
the sound of voices Immediately be-
meath the haystack,
Meanwhile Margery returned to the
kitchen, and the song died on her lips.
The girl was warm-hearted and gener-
Gus, and soon became a prey to re-
morse. No doubt Alice had been exas-
perating, but still there was much
blame due to herself
ut was not kind of Alice to take
things that way" she said, as she got
doyn the milk pals preparatory to 60
ing milking; ''she knows | mean no
harm, if l have a sharp tongue. Silly
girl! But I'm terribly sorry, all the
same. She's not as strong as |, and
like enough she'll cry herself into a
fever tonight Oh, I wonder if Dams
worth all this bother?"
She wondered still more when old
Dolly Wardle told her how he'd said
he could have either Of the girls at
the farm for just holding up his little
finger, and was having a fine game,
playing one off against the other This
was the common talk of the village,
for Dan boosted when in liquor; and
Dolly, an old servant at the farm,
thought it was high time some one
opened their eyes.
AS Dolly trudged off with her even
ing's supply of milk, Margery looked
thoughtfully after her. The milking
was over. and the wide pans in the
dairy stood trimming with rich, fra
grant milk, yet Alice, who was rarely
neglectful Of her duties, returned not,
while Margery wandered round dis
consulate, eventually reaching the
Just then figure leaped over the
gate and fastened to her side. The
very man she had been mentally
weighing and finding wanting; for
Margery was high-spirited damsel,
and could not brock the idea of her
name and that of her cousin being
banded at the village inn. She turned
to say something sharp to him when
oAC buuuOAlJ uCOCllCu d SlcdIu VI Wull6
on the ladder below the haystack, and
recognized it at once for Alice's apron,
which had caught on a nail and chung
there, unheeded by the maid in her
upward flight.
Aha! SO this was where the truant
had hidden herself. Margery jerked
it free in moment and tied it around
her waist Her quick brain had In
stantly evolved scheme by which to
test the reality of her--or rather their
lovers protestations. If he were
really what he had been depicted
false, liar and boaster-why, the
sooner they both recognized this the
better for their happiness.
why, Margery, this is luck" cried
the young farmer, eagerly, yet not for