The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1907-03-29

After the lamp had been lighted in
the cosy little sitting-reem of the old
| farmhouse, Farmer Shelton leaned
back in his arm chair and buried him
self behind the pages Of his newspaper.
Usually, at this time, the worthy man
might as we'll have been in some dis
tant land, so deep he went into the
latest items of interest, but, tonight,
his eyes ran aimlessly down the COL
umns and wandered inevitably to the
closed parlor door. Several times he
looked across the table at his wife, but
she was so intent upon her knitting
that she did not notice his questioning
glances. Once he ceughed to attract
Mrs. Shelton's atteL tion, and the clat.
ter made by the hired girl, who was
washing dishes in an adjoining room
entirely smothered the sound of his
voice. Finally he folded the paper
and tucked it carefully away in his
pocket; then he leaned forward and
touched his wife gently on the arm.
"Amy,' he whispered, nodding to-
wards the parlor, "they're mighty
quiet in there. 1t must be awful hard
for girl to entertain a fellow like
him"
Mrs. Shelton looked up, smiling,
from her needles.
"Margaret cares for him, Jim,' she
answered; "and that makes a lot of
difference"
"Well, he'll have hard time get
ting her, as shy as he is," Shelton
grunted. "Or rather,' he corrected,
''she'll have a hard time getting
h;-a. !"
His wife laid her knitting in her
lap and began stroking gently the
hand he had laid on the arm of her
chair. Her own hand was soft and
smooth and, with her bright, unwrink
led face, bore eloquent testim ony to
the loving care of her husband.
81 believe you're afraid of losing
Marguerite" she smiled.
"Well, not exactly" Shelton said,
hesitatingly, looking earnestly at the
Pickering flames in the open fireplace;
"But the fact is he is so eternally
bashful. Why, imagine him sitting
in there holding hands, like we are
now"
"That comes easy after living to.
gether twenty-five years." Mrs. Shell
ton laughed back. "And I remember
that you were little backward when
you first knew me. When you called
at the house you always asked for one
of my brothers"
"Yes, but that galoot doesn't ask
for anybody" Shelton defended him.
self. "When l opened the door for
him tonight, he just stood there and
fingered his hat, and grinned. And
when l showed him into the parlor he
put his new derby in a chair, folded
his gloves carefully beside it, and then
sat down on top of it all. l could
hardly keep from laughing at the way
his face turned red when he founc
what he had done"
"Mrs. Shelton leaned lack N bel
r chair and laughed until the tears
came; then she rubbed her eyes on cn'
corner of her white apron and proceed
ed with her knitting.
: "But, after all, Jim, it doesn't mak'
much difference how he acts, just 81
he's bonest and true. It's the sam'
old story. Those two are dreaming
now. the same dream we dreamed
years ago. Margaret knows he love
her truly, in spite of the fact that b.
SAYS but little. And"-she Leaned
closer and dropped her voice to
Whisper" did you know he was go
ing away tomorrow
Shelton sat up in his chair with al
exclamation of surprise. "No?" b
cried.
I".; he leaves tomorrow; he tell
MAJ saret last night. His father CAV