Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1921-02-09
Cattle, Grand Forks Farm.
wanted him to come quickly" Her
young freedom. was very previous to

"dnScu 1kAHl ~ COHNo QOAChlys I1SC
young freedom. was very previous to
her.
One or two others had proposed to
Nancy in h~ot-hehded. boyish fashion.
That had been part Of girlhood's fun.
One. q Junior, after begging her to
elope with him. had gone away. crush
ed. and vengeful, only to send her.
two weeks later, a bunch Of violets
and a little note thanking her for her
"common-sense," explaining that
|"Pop had threatened to cut his allow
ance in half unless he settled down
and made his m~id-years."
These had been boys;s dear, senti-
mental, clean-hearted boys, but Peter
Hyde was different
She had not dreamed Of this-not
for a moment, until she had seen it III
his eyes that afternoon as they sat
under the maple tree with B'lindy's
lunch spread between them. He had
been such a jolly con,rade through
so understandable. like Claire and
Anne and Daddy! He had never
thought she was silly or not-grown-
tuD-enough, he liked children and ami
mails and knew just what to do to
make Monte and Davy happy; he had
shared with her his ambitions in his
work as though she was a man but,
with it all, he was a farmer-his lot
had been cast in the narrow confines
of Judson's FARM and barns and pig
gery-except for these pleasant days
at Happy House she. Nancy Leavitt,
with her heart set on a goal as dis
tant as the stars themselves, could
have little in m with him.
All this flashed through her mind
as h walked slowly, reluctantly to-
ward the orchard-and with it an an
noyance that their pleasant comrade-
ship should end this way. So that
Peter began to tell her in stumbling,
awkward words how much her going
must mean to him. she wanted to cry
out and beg him to stop.
"Nancy-I'm clumsy as the devil.
Don't you know what I want to tell
you? I can't let you go without
knowing it-and-and-Nancy, could
you er-ev love q fellow-like
me-enough-to-want - to marry
him?"
Then the woman's heart within her
made Nancy ages old.
"Oh. Peter!!" she said with tender
compassion. She didn't want to hurt
this very dear friend!
I'm not nearly good enough for
you. Nancy, but then, any fellow isn't
good enough! And, Nancy. there
isn't anything in this whole yoru I
wouldn't do-if you cared"
"Oh. Peter!" Why in the world
couldn't she say something more, she
thought. Why couldn't she stem that
food she knew was coming? Why
could she not make him see instant
~. how impossible 1t all was-and say
goodbye and go!
TN make o happy, Nancy-i1
loving will do It," he finished hum
bly,.
Peter wish-you hadn't-said
this"
do you mean you don't care-a
bit 2" he cried, p%rotestingly. Have
frightened you? You said yourself
that living n day up here was like
weeks somewhere else! Somehow
I've not thought Of your going away
ever. You seemed such q part Of n
here. You're so-dinerent-from ali
the girls I've known! You're such "a
Nancy was biting her lip to hide
its trembling. Over her swept q rev.
~erence. for this that Peter Hyde wa
Offering her-she knew that q mans
pure soul was being barred before her.
Hia awkward words came slowly be-
cause they were born Of q deem
feeling. She was not worthy!
"Oh. Peter! Peter! Please-rm-
I can't let you say ali this! I'm not
what You think me! Tn . cheat!
You'd hate me f..
He caught her hand. II know wha.
you are, Nancy-you're the best,
truest straightes-hsarted little Girl
that sver ltvedI"
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