The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1912-10-18
BY CIariSSa Mackie
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

softly. Eve Farwell looked up into the
maze of branches where the green
nuts hung thickly.
In a trice she had swung herself to
a lower branch and with boyish agility
reached the trunk of the largest tree
and climbed into the shelter of its
thick greenery. Hore two large branch
es rubbed together and formed a capt.
tai seat If one loved the whispering
solitude of the treetops.
Eve settled herself for a long after
noon Of enjoyment. Her book lay un-
opened on her knees as she gsyed at n
! picture Of which she never tired.
| All at once there came a shrill whis-
tie that denoted the presence Of Andy
Morgan, her fathers foreman He was
not far away. He was riding through
the aisles Of tree trunks below. and he
was not alone
Eve bent over and Eazed down at rhe
straight, well knit figure riding the
black horse. He was gazing directly
ahead. and the brim of his hat shaded
hts chin. where Eve knew a dimple
lurked. A tender smile played about
Ewes lips. and the very intensity Of
her gaze must have attracted his
glance to her had he not been absorbed
In conversation with another man
whom Eve did not recognize, although
he was riding one of her fathers
horses. She saw a pair of brown, well
shaped hands grasping the bride reins
and the crown of his big hat, and she
noted that he sat well in the saddle.
They stopped beneath the big pecan
tree where she was hidden, and Nor
gan slipped from his animal and tight
ened a girth. Then he leaned lazily
! against the tree trunk and rolled o
cigarette.
You'll like it here all right, Webb"
he was saying. The old mans fair
and square enough
"I think | shall like it first rate"
said the other man heartily, and Eve
| liked his voice at once. 1t was deep
and pleasant. "Farweps got a pretty
sizable ranch here"
YES; it'll take us a couple of days to
ride over it," returned Andy, and then
in a tone which Eve had never heard
from his lips he added, 1T will be an
easy matter II you want to get into
partnership with the old man."
"How's that?" asked Webb. us he
anxious to sell?"
Not exactly. But he's made it pret-
ty plain that whoever marries his
daughter can have a thousand acres
| tn bar no r.
! home-not that there's any danger of
his losing her in that wayw Audy
laughed scornfully.
81 didn't know that he had daugh-
ter" said Webb rather coldly.
"Oh, yes: a regular freak-thln and
scrawny, with red hair and freckles!
That's what we call her around here
'Farwelrs freak She's inclined to be
soft in my direction"
"Oh, hang it all, Morgan, girl can't
help her appearance, you know" OBJ
jected Webb in a displeased tone. ~
may as well be plain with you as long
as / am to be here and we are to be
constantly associated. / don't stand for
any of this careless talk about WON
home, and they mean a good deal to
me, and because Of them all women are
entitled to my protection. I'm not a
milk and water chap, but every man
has his own ideas about things, and l
might as we'll tell you that that's the
chip on my shoulder, and hope no
body around here knocks it Off, He
Enplya firmly and plaa
Andy Morgan laughed again-not a
nice laugh to hear. "Oh. very well,
Webb" he said carelessly. I'll warn
the boys to confine their talk to the
weather and the latest styles in dude
collars from the east"
''They are certainly safe TOPICS" re-
torted Webb calmly as he followed his
companion through the grove and out
into the open plain.
Eve Farwell leaned against the tree
trunk and closed her eyes. Her face
was white and strained and certainly
did look very plain just now. She
could hardly believe that it had been
Andy Morgan who had spoken 30 care
lessly about her. Why. Andy had made
love to her, and She Ewes white face
suddenly went scarlet and was hidden
in her thin little hands. She loved
handsome Andy Morgan with a girls
first love, and she had betrayed her
liking, and he, the coward, was max
ing jest Of it to this newcomer! What
had Andy not said to the other meu on
the ranchl
What sensitive Eve Farwell suffered
up there in the pecan tree to which
she had gone so happily nobody might
know, but when she finally descended
a pink spot burned in either cheek, and
her red hair was tossed into a becom-
ing nuff around her ears. With her
red brown eyes and scarlet lips even
Andy Morgan could not have called
her "freak." although she was thin.
Pleading a headache Eve fed to her
room. Her Aunt Janet, who kept