The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1908-01-09

weighted with significance. Her dDSoID-
ing and passionate interest in every
thing about hinl-hiS voice. his accent
$50 strange to her earSl, the movements
of his white hands (never had she seen
such hands,. the way he sat or walked
or stood or looked-all that he did or
uttered was fascinating, intoxicating
And today her feelings had suddenly
reached climax of intensity which
had amazed herself. 1t had come upon
her when she had seen him return
from his afternoon outing in company
with the two young ladies-yOung la
dies of his kind of people. Of education,
beauty, worldly knowledge. money,
freedom from drudgery. everything
which made a woman appear attrac-
tive, everything which she lacked.
Apparently he had been spending the
afternoon with them. Theirs was the
privilege of looking upon him for hours
together, of hearing the sound of his
voice, of drinking in his thoughts about
things chow hungry her own mind was
to read all his thoughts and feelings,
and-oh, bitterness!-they had all three
come upon her when, weary and soiled
and overladen, she was aWkwardly
Juggling her heavy buckets across the
garden. She had fancied his snowy
hands had shrunk from touching her
soiled ones as he took the buckets from
her. The overwhelming sense OF her
own inferiority in the face Of the con
trast between herself ana TIE board
ers had been followed by Il passion o.
inward rebellion that had left ~
physically exhausted. 1t had not yer
spent itself as just now she linGcrc.
in the dusk by the spring house fence.
Her heart burned within her with 4
feeling that she did not understand,
for the passion of jealousy was to her
as unknown as the passion Of love.
Her own binding, consuming emotions
were appalling to herself in their utter
strangeneSS and newneSS.
He had said that he wished to as
sumo a farmhand's disguise because
he didn't want to associate with the
new guests. /. Why, then, was he spend
ing whole afternoons with them? Was
he repenting him Of his whim? And
they, even though they thought him
mere farmland, could not fail to
find happiness in being with him, for,
farmland or gentleman, he was him.
self.
The young ladies appeared to hci
very stupid not to recognize that he
was not farmland To be sure they
probably did not know many farm
hands and so did not see how inpos
sible it was, but they had only to com
pare him with Abe and his father to
see the absurdity of It,
This evening, for the first time since
he had come to the farm, she fell to
wondering in vague, indefinite way
what was his mental image of herself,
whom he saw only at her drudgery,
treated slightingly by every one, al
ways looking hideous in her working
clothes, shy before him even to COW
ardice. That day he had found her
with the newspaper he had evidently
supposed that her starting and turn
ing white had been caused by her fear
of being caught in the act of disObey-
ing her foster father. She had read
his look of half contemptuous pity
clearly enough, and it had served to
increase her agony of embarrassment
before him. Then his poorly con-
cealed mockery at her not knowing
about that great man, Andrew Car
negie-how that had mortified her!
And now to heighten the effect of her
own uncomeliness here were these
well dressed, well looking, we'll edu-
Gated and worldly wise young ladies
daily before his eyes. Oh, If only she
could creep into a corner and remain
unseen while still not losing the bliss
Of seeing him! But, then, there was
the ecstasy of having him occasionally
speak to her. The few dozen words
he had spoken to her in the time he
had been with them were craven deep
In her heart. Why should he seek to
talk to her now and then if he utterly
nespised her-he who at first had
meant to avoid even those two girls
from the town by assuming a farm
hands garb? He never talked to Ollie.
Why did he speak to her? True, their
few encounters had been quite acct
dental. He had not sought her out.
Perhaps he took the trouble to speak
kindly to her because he was sorry
for one whom every one else half
deSpised.
Her thoughts were interrupted by
the sound of approaching footsteps
and voices. The two young ladies
were coming toward her across the
grass plot.
"Eunice"' cried Daisy when still Il
few yards distant DO you know
where Pete is? | want to hire him to
take us for drive
Eunice's heart beat thick in her
breast To see these pretty girls, their
fair bodies daintily clad, their white
hands bearing no ugly marks of rough
work, their care free spirits bright
with happiness-to look on and see
them drive off into the summer twi-
light with him-she could not bear
that this evening!
where is he?" repeated Daisy. I'm
going to find him if 1 have to search
all over the farm It's such dandy
evening for driver
did you look up in the north corn
feldF" Eunice asked, not glancing up.
WAY up in that north cornield?''
cried Daisy in CONSERVATION.
"You are sure he Is there, Eunice?''
asked GeOrgiana.