The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1911-05-25

.4S ON ner gloves and preparing ~
join the demure stream OF church
goers that flowed past.
Where is Annie?" he asked, toss.
ing his soft hat to the porch floor
and shaking his heavy dark hair in
the sun. rs she going to church,"
The old lady stared at him wist.
fully, wondering at his new look of
youth, thinking OF her daughters
happiness.
Annie? Going to church," she
said, but not meaning half she said.
Young folks must worship trees
nowadays, | believe. They seem to
think God is only outdoors-if they
think OF religion at all! What do
you want with Annie?'
He laughed, but an impulse of fool
ishness came over him, a memory OF
the time when his father died and
he, a rough-haired little boy, had
played with the golden.haired girl
child named Annie
Il came over to play with Annie"
he said, with p serious face Cant
she come out? Won't you let herr
The mother caught his mood.
You'll have to find her. John She
ran away. | saw her go up the hill
and into the woods a while back.
She S."
But he was gone, bareheaded,
swinging over the grass toward the
hill.
Then he came to where she stood,
leaning against a tree, her heavy fair
hair bright against the trunk her
blue dress falling away from her
white arms and neck. As he came
closer still silently over the grass,
he saw that her deep eyes were very
serious-too serious for a pretty wom-
ans eyes on Sunday IN May. Sud.
denly he was afraid. What II she
would not listen to him? What If,
after all, she did not care as he did?
His whole look was a plea, a cry Tor
her tenderness.
She heard him and turned and met
that look, giving a startled. almost
pitiful little cry. He had intended
to speak Of something else first, but
now It seemed to him that even an
instant was longer than he could wait
to know his fate with this dear won.
an. who had so long been near him
and still so far from him He came
to stand beside her.
Annie" he said, haltingly, 81 have
come to say that I-love you have
always loved you, but didn't know It
consciously till last night. You
know have always been a little stu.
pid and slow. and was bending
under my family burden, and had nc
life Of my own that could have
asked you to share, even had !
thought of it. But have always
loved you-how could help it?"
Still she looked straight at him.
her eyes very sweet and her cheeks
pale. He went on:
Annie, you don't know how want
you-need you! II you could marry
me-"
Something unreslsting in her atti.
tude made him take both her hands.
draw her to him, hold her closer and
yet closer. viii you, Annle?"
She took a quick, deep breath and
nodded her head against his shoul
der, and he stopped and kissed her
soft cheek
Then, with a quick gesture, she
broke away from him and searched
his face-the good, kind face, with
its few weary lines, and its dark
eyes full of hope and love. Her own
eyes filled with tears.
What is it?" he asked, quickly, I
coming to put his arm around her.
You stupid, blind. slow darlingl"
she murmured. Cant you see that
though | love you now that you are
free and happy, that It almost killed
me 10 have you bearing that burden
alone so long? Didn't you see that
have wanted all the time to help
you? But I'll forgive you now that
you have at last asked mel"