The herald., 1917-04-19
ENGLISH UNDEF|LED
BY HOPE DARLING.


Eth. What is it," Jasper Dunninl
asked, looking into the face OF the
girl who shared the road wagon seat
with him.
/ Margaret caught her breath. II
might hurt him, but what he had Just
said hurt her Would it do any good
/ She looked rehectively along the coun
try road that stretched away in front
OF them.
Did you ever hear OF widow who
was not a woman"
What an idea! I don't git you"
oh, please do not say git And
the other is such a colloquialism' II
you say a woman is a widow, that s
enough"
Jasper drew up or the lines until
his spirited bays reared.
See here Margaret. Before you
went away to college / talked good
'nough for you" he blurted.
The girls eyes met his; she was
conscientiOusly honest, even with her
self. 1T always annoyed me a little,
but l had heard people talk in that
way all my life. Not until l went to
Girton did | come to see Just what
such things mean she said
Il wish you'd never gone. You see,
| didn't so much mind waitin', cause
planned to fix up the farm so it'd be a
good 'nOugh home for you. But them
two years spilled you"
The silence endured so long that Jas
per thought the victory was his. With
a superior smile he said: 1t don't
matter"
Why could he not have said
doesn't" Margaret's brown eyes
flashed. 1T does matter to me and
to all who care for really good things"
she declared. And if you cared for
me, Jasper. you'd try to please me,
especially when I'm wholly in the
right. Why would be ashamed to
have Professor Larned hear you talk
sometimes"
That last word was added almost
desperately when she saw the color
fade from Jasper's face. Before he
could reply, they were at the gate of
the Village home where Margaret
boarded. A half dozen young men and
girls who were sitting on the veranda
came trooping down the walk to meet
them, laughing, talking, making plans
for the evening.
Those plans were so we'll carried out
that Jasper had no opportunity for
further words with his betrothed.
"'Shamed to have that professor
hear me talk" Jasper said to him
self as he rode home under the calm
stars. Il s'pose l could do little bet
ter, but l hain't agoin' to stand 1t to
be nagged all the time"
At that same hour Margaret was cry
ing softly, her head on the window sill.
To go through life blushing for hus-
bands mistakes, ashamed to have peo-
pie hear him talk-could she do It?
Could she hold fast to her own ideals
IL she were Jasper's wife?
For three days, she pondered these
questions. Then she did two things
she promised the school board that
she would teach another year and she
wrote a note which ran:
Dear Jasper:
There has been no change in my
feelings. l love you, but l cannot be
happy with a man who disregards the
:hings l hold essential. Therefore I
must take back my promise to be your
wife. Sincerely yours.
MARGARET"
Jasper made no reply to the note,
10 effort to see Margaret. A month
went by. He began to hear rumors
Of the many letters she was receiv-
Ing from one of the Girton college pro-
fessors. When on overtaking Jane
Harris, plodding along in the rain, Jas
per took her home, the story was re-
ported to Margaret so many times that
she became convinced that it was
matter Of daily occurrence.
The Grange picnic came early in
July. For years Jasper had taken
Margaret.
I'll not go this time" he decided.
Everybody would look and smile,
wen II they did not say anything. I'll
work in the harvest field"
He found his task a wearisome one.
Recollections of past joys crowded on
him. Suddenly he strobe off, resolv-
ing to go to the farm wood-lot. It
was there, in the shadow of a grove
of birches that grew on the bank of
a stream, that he had told Margaret
OF his love.
"She never loved me, though" he
thought, as. entering the dim, cool
woods, he slackened his pace. "If
she'd really loved me, how I talked
wouldn't a. made any difference"
Just then he came in sight Of tho
birches and Margaret seated on the
ground, her dark head leaning against
a trees silvery-brown trunk. A breeze
stirred the branches, and the waving
mosaic Of light and shade that fell
across her face showed that she had
been crying. AS II, in some vague
way, aware of his presence, she lifted
her eyes, and their gaze met.
1t was but a moment that each
looked into the others face. Yet the
fragment Of time was long enough to
enable each Of them to glance ahead,
seeing dimly what the future MIGHT