The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1935-10-25
CHAPTER VI-Continued

CHAPTER VI-Continued
sought to be in my breast pocket"
thrusting his hand inside his pea-coat.
"My eye! If I amt forgot that tele-
grant," he abruptly exclaimed. "The
station-master at Sawyer Falls gave
it to me when he handed out the mail.
1t clean went out of my mind. It's for
that chap Heath who's stayin' over at
The Widder's.'
"Hadn't you been wool gatherin' you
might "a given it to Sylvia to take
back with her. She was here only a
little while ago." Silas Nickerson said.
81 know it."
"S'pose 1 was to take it over" Elisha
Winslow suggested eagerly. I'm willin'
to-"
"Fur's that goes, can carry it"
Capt. Phineas Taylor piped.
"Now, there's no use in all you fell
lers volunteerin'," Eleazer Croker as
serted. \"Tm goin' straight over to Mar
cia's, as it happens, soon's I've ct my
dinner, an I'll take the telegram"
With an air of authority, he held
out his hand.
The crowd fell back.
Early afternoon found Marcia alone
in the Homestead sitting room. Sylvia
had U0no I'M tho hoo Ctop1nv HQa th
was asleep; ard at last the delicious
interval of solitude which the woman
coveted was here.
The basket at her elbow overlooked
with mending, but she had not yet
taken up her needle.
She could not work. Try as she
would, her mind wandered off into
byways too fascinating to be resisted
-byways which no matter how re-
mote their windings, invariably led her
back to Stanley Heath.
In retrospect she lived over again
every incident, every word, every look
that had passed between them, until
she came to the barrier of the un-
known which her fancy bridged with
intricate rainbow-hued imaginings.
She twisted possible explanations this
way and that and would contentediy
have continued the pastime had not
Eleazer Croker knocked at the door.
Eleazer could not have chosen a
more inopportune moment to drag her
back to earth.
With frown and deep sigh, Mar
cha went reluctantly to let him in.
oval, now amt it nice to find You
by yourself !" was his greeting. "The
kitchen looks cozy as can be. Where
was you settin'?"
Il was in the front room, but per-
haps we better drop down here so
can listen in case Mr.. Heath should
CALL"
Anywhere you say. Wherever you
are suits me-"
"I'll just run in and put the screen
round the fire and get my mending."
Marcia replied astritle upeasily. "In
be right back"
Left to himself, Eleazer smiled
smile of satisfaction.
The kitchen was warm, Marcia was
alone and apparently not busy. Could
circumstances be more propitious? For
tune certainly was with him. Today,
this very afternoon, he would take his
future in his hands and put to her
the question he had so often deter
mined to put
When Marcia came back, he was
primed and ready to begin his declara-
ton.
'Weather's been fine, amt it," he
started out.
Marcia took up her sewing.
do you think. SOP" questioned she.
raising her brows Seems to me we've
had lots of rain and fog"
"Wal, yes, now you mention it l do
recall a few thick days. Still, spring
is COMM"
'I'd like to shingle the south ell this
spring." announced Marcia, giving a
disconcertingly practical twist to the
conversation. How many shingles do
you suppose it would take?"
Eleazer frowned. The dialogue was
not proceeding along the lines he had
mapped out.
"Pd have to reckon that out. It's a
good notion, though, to make the ell
tight. That's what the birds are dom.
They're gettin' their nests built an
kinder pickin' out their mates"
II did not realize you were so much
interested in birds, Eleazer," Marcia
exclaimed. II have fine bird book
/ must lend you. It's in the other
room. I'll fetch it."
Springing up, she disappeared.
.Drat itl' murmured Eleazer. could
anything be more exasperatin'f An