Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1910-03-14
EA>MODERNs
I JACOB
BY A. ROBT. CROEf


years as hired man for Laban Walker.
Anthony is good worker and has
money in the bank Why does he not
buy farm OF his own" people asked
Anthony knew. why. SO. also, did
pretty Rachel Walker. IL was for her
smiles and presence that Anthony con.
tinued TO toll for Laban Walker.
Rachel knew that Anthony was I'm
love with her month after he came
To work for her father In her heart
she rejoiced in his alteration. But.
like many good women. she was some.
thing or croquettc. and so when. as
they were driving home from church
one day, Anthony asked her TO marry
him. she smiled roguishly and said:
Father wants me to marry La.
fayette Fraser"
Anthony bit his lip and struck the
horse such "a cut with the whip that
the animal jumped forward with q
suddenness that threatened to upset
the buggy.
Fraser was widower, but he
owned more land than any one else
IN the county. Rachel had smiled on
him when he called, especially when
Anthony could see her Fraser had
tried In vain 10 find out whether Walk
er's farm was mortgaged, and had de
cided In the end that Rachel was
good bargain" even without money.
Anthony drove along in silence after
Rachel had given him her answer
Finally. when he could trust his voice.
he said
DO you think you love him
Rachel"
Well. why shouldn't 10" she asked
tossing her pretty head.
Anthony was not skilled ia the ma
neuyers OF such situations, and as he
was not woman he did not get by
intuition the gift of acting well under
such circumstances: So he said no
more. His heart was too full for ut
teranCe
They soon reached home. and he
helped her out OF the buggy. Then
without word he drove to the barn
and put away the horse. lie changed
his clothes mechanically and did the
chores, barely knowing what he was
doing.
That evening. after Rachel had re.
tired and when her father was doing
over the Farm Journal. Anthony ap.
preached him.
my years up next week, and then
l must leave" he said.
"What-whats that?" exclaimed
Walker. Didn't We tell me just last
week that We would stay another
year?"
Yes" admitted Anthony "but cir
cumstances have changed since then"
Nothing Walker could say would
change his purpose. and ne went of
10 bed where he passed sleepless
night What mattered now the money
he had saved during the years OF toll
She, for whom he had worked and
saved and planned great things for
the future was going TO be another's
tie ought never 10 have hoped for her
he told himself lie might have
known ne was fool TO aspire to the
hand Of such a girl.
Rachel had been a little worried
during the night about her treatment
OF Anthony He took me so awfully
seriously" she reflected And then
'hf 'bOh - III TIC lluAN ~ bOi " ~ DON
and looked at IL before she went down
stairs to get breakfast
Her father was there. and he told
her of Anthonys determination She
was frightened She hurried back TO
her room. SO her father would not see
the tears that welled up in her eyes
She had never dreamed that this
could come from her bit of coquet
tishness.
That evening when Anthony came
i'm from doing the chores ne heard his
name called in a low voice u was
Rachel
You-you didn't think meant
what I said about Lafayette Fraser.
did you, Anthony" she said. her voice
trembling
Anthony's heart gave a great leap
OF Joy.
"Oh, Rachel do you-can you mean
you care for me?'
Her eyes were cast down and she
was picking 10 pieces q flower she
looked mp timidly az him. and I'm the
half darkness he saw her slender
form sway The next moment ho held
her tight I'm his arms and her smiling
eyes were upturned happily to his