Year: 1865

= enough about the milking-1 most
concluded you was q going to stay in
the cow yard to be ready there to-
morrow morning"


Deborah Peck was not apt TO adj
| dress her sister in tones such as she
then used; nor to snatch anything
from her hand in the manner she
snatched that pail Of milk; nor yet to
fling herself across the room as she
tnen did, and afterwards 20 sit dumb
| " for an hour and GO dumbly to bed.
Something very unusual must have
occurred.


The expression OF Magdalen's face
was evidence Of the fact. Her tongue
Glove to her mouth-she did not pre-
sumo to say syllable in excuse
when Deborah reproved her so
sharply, but dropped her eyes with q
look of shame, and so sat down to
her knitting Magdalen Peck had
got beau, and now the secret is
out. 1t was a thing that did not
lightly affect the interests of the
maiden sisters wLo had dwelt so
peacefully in Woodbine cottage for
| will not reveal how many years.


Isaiah Sparks was C bachelor of
suitable age to be the husband Of
Miss Peck, whatever that age might
be. He was by no means i'll looking
He owned fine farm, and was re-
spected by his fellow townsmen.
Mr.. Sparks had lived calmly in the
neighborhood with Miss Peck all
their lives; but at this late day a ran
dom shot from the blind god had
gone through his waistcoat and left a
wound which Maggy alone could cure


But of all things the latter didn't
need--in her sisters estimation
was q lover or husband. Their
father had left them in very comfort
able circumstances; they had no
anxiety and very little care about
worldly things; and though it might
appear to many, humdrum sort of
life the two old maids led together,
they never had thought it so at all.
They had their sufficient resources
Nothing had ever occurred to sour
their tempers; they were fond of one
another. Deborah especially had a
spice of mirth in her composition
that drove away gloom end loneli
ness as q fire drives ont cold. III
short, they were perfectly content
and satisfied with present and future,
until Isaiah Sparks new plot began
to develop itself.


1t had always been the custom for
Debby to wash up the supper dishes
and get the kindling wood ready for
morning, while Maggy milked the
cow which the farm laborer drove
nightly to the yard. On one occa-
sion, Debby having finished her
chores, sat down by the window,
while across the road her sister was
still at her task. She saw Nh.
Sparks going by, mounted on his
black horse, and his eye rested on
the cow yard, as if he were critics
ing fine picture. Just then Mag
dalen, whose back was towards the
road, and who couldn't have known
the man was within mile, rose up
in her smSrt, spirited style. and
came forward, her pail in ney left
hand, TO hang her milking stool on
the fence. The civil neighbor bowed
to Magdalen. remarking that it was
a pleasant evening She bowed TO
him and replied that it was very
pleasant


A very trifling incident, but Debby
made capital OF it for deal Of merry
joking dur;ng that evening and the
following day, which Maggy enjoyed
equally with her sister.


Il wish you had run out and asked
whether it was me or the COW he was
staring at, laughed the younger Miss
Peek.


30, you-I know il was you
Didn't you feel the influence of his
gaze between your shoulders like a
poor mans plaster, applied warm


Be happy while you may, Deborah
Peck. Soon the joke appeared no
joke. The second night from tina,
her sister observed through the twi-
light man leaning over the cow
yard fence. as if talking to Magey at
her milking So little had coming
events cast their shadows before in
her horoscope, she could not deter
mine who the individual might be;
till, as Maggy, her task finished,
came slowly on. of the yard, he
turned, and Debby saw that. rs sure
rs she lived, it was Isaiah Sparks,


This was Sunday evening. Ii
flashed across Debby 5 remembrance
that Mr.. Sparks had taken special
pains to speak to them as they came
out of church, and that afterwards
when she iested about it, her sister
instead OF joining her as before
turned away her face without word
or smile. An ominous sign: and
when she saw the couple crossing
the road thus side by side in tha


manner. Debby Peck instantly sur
missed there was danger, which mus
be promptly met


She opened the door AID PLANTED
herself on the threshold. a BARRIE
against all intrusion, as formidable