Year: 1861

4 That was a week ago. Hetty had sail
I" Yes. " and agreed to bring father ant
mother around on the subject" Josial
had not been to the house since-proba


bly, feeling very much like dog ventur
ing on the premises of the person who's
sheep fold he had just plundered. Al
yet neither had the courage to speak t.
the reigning powers" on the subject
and Hetty, feeling as if she wished t.
put the ordeal off as long as possible, a
any rate to have one more confidential
talk with him on the subject, said:
Mother is going over to Aunt Ruth's
to spend the evening. and wants me te
go. But guess | won't. I've beer
working on fathers shirts all day, be-
sides doing the dairy work, and am as
tired as | can be. So | guess they'll
have to go without me. Don't come un.
til eight o'clock. / shall be through
putting things to rights then, and will
let you in"


Of course Josiah was not too obtuse te
understand that, and SO far forgot his
bashfulness as to petition parting
kiss, which was peremptorily refused, Of
course.


No, | shan't. Do take yourself off.
Think didn't see you fdgeting around
Sarah Jones at Deacon Dangers yester
day evening? I've not forgotten that
sir ?"


Now, Hetty--"


But the appeal was broken off by a
tantalizing little laugh and as he sprang
forward to take pleasant revenge,pn his
tormentress, she slipped away and.ran up
the path to the house, where he saw her
wave her hand as she disappeared within
the kitchen porch; j; and then he turned
from The gate and took the road home
ward.


The tea things had been carried out,
the table set back against the wall, the
crumbs brushed from the clean home.
made carpet. and Hetty's work stand
drawn up in front of the blazing fire
A bountifully piled plate Of great red ap-
Piles and plate of cracked walnuts were
on it, in close proximity to Helty's work
basket


On one side of the fire sat Mrs. Thorn
as, fai and fair, and at peace with all the
world rocking and knitting, and re,
freshing herself at sundry intervals with
half eaten apple that lay on the corner
OF the table, aud touching every now and
then in a earessing manner with her
foot sleek, lazy looking cat that purred
and winked on the rug before her, Hetty
sat on the other side, sewing, and busy
in thinking how she should tell her moth
er she expected visitor. She would
have given the world to be able to say
oh-hand, that she expected Mr.. Haw-
ley to drop in about eight. But she re-
collected with a twinge of conscience,
how hard she had tried to get the old la
dy to accompany her husband to Aunt
Ruth's spite of her forewarnigs of spell
of neuralgia; how she had also plead
headache as an excuse for not going her
self. And she knew her mother was
quite sharp enough to draw her inference
from these facts, and from her being
dressed with unusual care to spend an
evening at home.


l shall not dare to tell her noy.-
She ii be sure to think I wished TO get
her out OF the way so might have Jo-
siah all to myself, and should never hear
the las, of it," Aud like wise little
puss she was silent.


I'll venture my word on it, you would
not have wondered at our young farmers
enthralment if you could have seen Het-
ty Thomas as she sat by the fire side that
cold November evening.


Under pretext of being ready to go to
her uncle's Ga thing she had no idea of
doing) she had, just before tea. indulged
in an indiscriminate liking up.t A
neatly fitting dark calico. with the store
book still on il, fresh linen collar and
tasteful black silk apron--these were the
chief items of Hetty's toilet but she
looked as sweet and dainty in her plain
dress rs il hours had been spent in don.
ming lace and jewels. Her rich hair Of
the darkest linge, fell in shining folds
close to her warm red cheeks, and was
caught up in a cunning knot behind.


Eight o'clock had past Mrs. Thorn
as was doing in her chair-her shadow
on the opposite wall bobbing about in
grotesque mimicry as she nodded 10 and
fro, now crushing the voluminous white
satin brows on her spruce cap against the
hack af har ahair-.nu ui,naet rali;,s.