The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1919-07-30
the VENEER OF THE YEARS
BY WALTER CREEP.


wered.
He looked at her incredulousl!
and stammered, And you amt go
in to marry me?"
Certainly not" She laughed
at his discontinue.
well, you can go to" he STAN
mered and suffered, growing rec
in the face, "-thunder!"
Thanks, think 1t is coming tt
|, me-" she answered, smiling.
He walked hastily away. She
watched him disappear in the direc
ton of Cora's house and breathet
sigh of relief.
She entered the quiet street Of
the sleepy town and went direct tC
the postoffice. when she inquired
for her mail the post master hand
ed her nicely wrapped package
tied with a pink ribbon and a small
linen envelope, the writing on
which looked familiar. She almost
ran out of the Office and down the
path toward her home until she
came to the oaks. She seated her
self at the foot of a tree and open
ed the envelope first. Quickly she
glanced over the neatly written let
ter and noticed the name at the
bottom of the page. 1t was from
Merlin! Her soul thrilled. The
silence of the years, which had
been spreading their deceptive We
ner over her hearts true love, was
broken. For a moment she held it
against her futtering heart, de-
liriously happy, He W as coming
home Saturday-and let's see Ibis
was Wednesday! Only three more
DAYS unit, he would be there! Her
mind was a middle of confused and
nappy .ltLghti. Then lis .Lite
the ribbon that bound the package
anG- was still mere SUI prised to
fl 4 a beautiful took, p,ual in col
ors. bearing M"r':n's name On the
title page as the author.
She hurried home and showed
the book TO her father, telling him
of the Importance of it.
"Just think, dad, Merlin, my old
wrote that book. Just
look how many editions it has sold
through and oh, it is so tender and
to mel"
Il am glad you like it," said her
father, turning the leaves rapidly
and glancing at the chapter titles.
Il am sure glad you have heard
from Mitchell. l always did be-
ieve that boy would make good IL
he had a ghost of show. He's
the kind of fellow l like to have
around me-. He is worth more in
a minute than that ignorant Brown
Roy is in a millineum!"
And, father, he is coming to
see u.s." she continued enthusiast
ically, What shall l do to enter
ain jhim properly? You know
he's been among society people
low for six years asd our simple
country ways will seem very COM
nonplace to him."
81 suspect" answered her faith
r, twinkle in his eye," the way
lie would enjoy most, would be for
'ou to take him for a stroll down
our Flowers Lane" At least
hat is what l would have liked
'est when l was his age"
"YOu mean thing!" Samantha |
ousled his grayish hair mischiev-
usly and hurried up to her room
o tidy things up.
The three days from Wednesday !
ntil Saturday passed-for her like |
dream. Always the thrill of ex-
ectascy, of Impotence for the
our to come, kept her counting |
he hours. She became very in
ustrious and almost unconscious
t what she was doing, went about |
asks she had hitherto considered
rksome with a light and singing |
cart. She brushed up the house,
ranged the furniture differently |
laced new books on the table and !
i'd everything ,she could to make |
he place seem more attractive.
lever before had she taken such |
n interest in housekeeping as now.
Early Saturday afternoon she |
lressed in her newest frock and
vent up to Devondale to meet the
He was due to arrive
IN the four-o'clock southbound
rain, but she went to the station
It three and waited impatienty,
the monotonous minutes
Until the train should arrive. At
asst when the whistle sounded in
he distance and the train came
numbering alongside the platform.
no oil asf oil