Year: 1878

What whim Induced Atheline
Herne TO renOunce fashionable wa
tering place, and the society OF her
aristOcratlc friends, and bury herself
in the savage precincts Of the little
country town of AlderVille? ? Her
friends wondered perhaps she won
dered herself but not being one Of
those who feel bound 10 give voice TO
every EN- otiOn, she was mute. 1t was
simply a freak OF hers. Perhaps
away down in her great heart she
was tired of selfishness, the frivOlity,
the glitter and show OF fashionable
life, and lOnged for the pure, true
friendship Of nature. She remem-
bered, years ago, when life was fresh
and new, how she had spent sum-
mer in the country. She recalled the
smell Of spruce and pine when the
summer was hot; the murmuring,
dreamy music of the brook winding
through green pastures, the bleat of
the white,lambs on the high hills,
and the patient, brOWn-eyed cattle
driven up the dewy lane by the whist
ling cowboy. She was sixteen then,
now she was twenty-five old enough
to feel a thrill OF pleasure at the pros
pect Of living over again a sweet
past.


Atheline had some love phsses.
They had affected her lightly, SIM
ply because her best nature had never
been touched. The golden apple had
turned to dross in her hands, and left
no pain behind. Sometimes she
thought she was not like other wO-
men-Pride kept her from the sensa-
tiOn of emptiness when she looked In
TO her heart. The middle of June
found Miss Herne quietly settled
for the summer in an old farmhouse
on the banks of the Merrimac, free of
all fashionable restrictions, at liberty
to dress in calico and wear her rip
pling brown hair in a net, guiltless OF
rats and waterfalls. Miss Herne was
beautiful, and an heiress in her own
right. Her near relatives were all in
the world beyond, and there We're
none to place upon her any restraint.


Mrs. Marshall, with whom Athe-
line boarded, had been an old friend
OF her mothers, and took q kindly
interest in the girls welfare. Just
interest enough not TO be burdensome
not to make it seem OfiiciOus (; :; for
there certainly is an extent to the de-
gree In which people may be inter-
ested in us II we are to be rendered
happy by it.


The MsTshalls were quiet people
they had passed their lives on the
farm where they now resided, and
which, for the beauty OF its location
and surroundings, stood without a ls-
val.


Miss Herne slept late in the morn
ing after her arrival at the farm.
When she opened her window to let
ia the fragrance of the sweet air and
the music of the birds, the beauty OF
the morning struck through to her
heart as nothing else had the power
to do. She acknowledged the sOver-
eignity of nature, but she instictively
looked dOlUn upon the sturdy farm
labOrers who went Whlstling away to
the fields in striped frOcks and blue
Overalls. What pity, she thought,
70 have to cOnfOund the sweet smell
of crimson clover and damask roses
with the OveralIs and striped frOeks.


Atheline was naughty patrician.
This half contempt for the lower
classes of society was 8 part OF her
education (; she was not to blame,
perhaps for her prejudices. She had
been taught to regard the cOntempti-
BILE distinctions of society as second
in sacredness only to her religion.


She went down TO her late break
fast in pink wrapper, with all her
shining hair hidden away in gold
en-cOlOred net. Her cheeks were
flushed, and her eyes bright with
looking out over the deWy fields.


While Atheline discussed tie nice
breakfast set before her by the care
full hands of Mrs. MARSHALL, Mr.. Mar
shall read TO her from the morning
paper. He was interrupted by the
entrance OF ole OF the farm hands.


'fShall we noe the corn in the Han
son lot ?''


The voice that uttered the question
was deep and mellow, but il grated
on the sensitive ear of Miss Herne,
and she glanced up TO the speaker
with an expression Of annoyance on
her face. She met the eyes of the
man fastened upon her not in ad-
miratiOu but with cool scrutiny one
bestOws upon an Indifferent stranger.
Miss Herne flushed slowly, and was
desperately angry with herself when
she felt the blood creeping hot into
her cheek.


The face beneath the rough straw
bat was brown as q berry, but the
eyes unusually fine, the features good
and the bronze hair and beard soft
shining as floss silk. Besides, he was
tall, slender and muscular-altOgeth-
er a man to be depended upon.


Atheline scoTned herself fOr look
ing at him, and wondered if she was
expected to eat her breakfast with
that country loon looking on. Mr..
Marshall, good old soul, felt called up
on 70 do something in his case.
Ihat ls Miss Herne, Nerts She
was wishing for water lilies only
little while ago. 1t is rather early, j
suppose DO you think you could find
any for her ?''


81 will make the attempt if YOU
wish me to, sir, Vert replied, never
once looking at Atheline.


In spite Of her cool self-control. she
felt the slight. He would DO his mas.
ter's bidding, but not at her pleasure,
and she silently determined that il
the lilies came, with ever so subtitle q
fragrance ia their golden hearts, she
would not notice them. Miss Herne


was doing 8 very unWise thing suf.
fering herself to get indignant with
this man, and thus allowing him To
occupy her thoughts.


At dinner a slender glass full oi
lilies stood beside her plate. The
dreamy odor almost made her dizzy
with delight, Int she would not looh