Year: 1878

!


place, and the society of her aristo


cratic friends, anu bury herself in tn,


savage precincts of the little country


town of Alderville? Her friendi


wondered perhaps she wondered her


self; but not being one of those who


feel bound TO give voice to every emo


ton, she was mute. 1t was simply 9
freak of hers. Perhaps away down
in her great heart she was weary ol
the selfishness, the lrivolity, the glitter
and show of fashionable life, and
IOnged for the pure, true friendship OF
nature. She emembered, years ago,
when life was fresh and new, how she
had spent summer 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 dewey lane by the
whistliDg cowboy. She was sixteen
then now she was twenty five; old
enough to feel thrill of pleasure in
the prospect of living over again q
sweet past.


Atheline had some love phases.
They had affected her lightly, simply
because her best nature had never
been touched. The golden apple had
\ hui To Il l<f
no pain behind. Sometimes she tho't
she was not like other women-that
with loving she had no part. Pride
kept her from the senstion of empti-
ness when she looked into her heart,
The middle of June found MissHerne
quietly settled for the summer in an
old farmhouse on the banks of the
Merrimac, free of all fashionable re-
strictions, at liberty to dress in calico.
and wear her ripping brown hair in a
net. guiltless of rats and waterfalls.
Miss Herne was beautiful. and an heir
ess in her own right. He near rela-
tives were all in the world beyond,
and there were none to plac upon her
any restraint.


Mrs. Marshall, with whom Athe-
line boarded, had been an old friend
of her mothers, and took kindly in.
terest in the girls welfare. just in
terest enough not to be burdensome-
not to make it seem oflicious for there
certainly is an extent to the degree in
which people may be interested in us
if we are to be rendered happy by it.


The Marshalls were quiet people;
they had passed their lives on the farm
where they now resided, and which,
for the beauty of its location and sur
roundlngs, stood without rival.


Miss Hcrne slept late in the morning
after her arrival at the farm. When
she opened her window to let in the
fragrance of the sweet air aud the mn
sic of the birds, the beauty of the
morning struck through to her heart
as nothing else had the power to do.
She acknowledged the sovereignty of
nature, but she instinctively looked
dozen upon the sturdy farm.laborers
who went whistling away to the fields
in striped frecks and blue overalls.
What pity, she thought, to have to
contOund the sweet smell of crimson
clover and damask roses with the over
alls and striped frocks.


Atheline was naughty patrician.
50 1,ol lfcn tn, Co, 4 s,o l<v
of society was part of her education
she was not to blame, perhaps, for her
prejudices. She had been taught to
regard the contemplate distinctions
of society as second in sacredncss only
to her religion.


She went down to her late breakfast
in pink wrapper, with all her shining
hair hidden away in gold-colored
net. Her cheeks were flushed, and
her eyes bright with looking out over
the dew-wet fields.


While Atheline discussed the nice
breakfast set before her by the careful
hands of Mrs. Marshall, Mr.. Marshall
read to her from the morning paper.
He was interrupted by the entrance of
one of the farm hands.


Shall we hoe the corn in the Han.
son lot?'


The voice that uttered the question
was deep and mellow. but it grated on
the sinsitive ear of Miss Herne, and
she glanced up at the speaker with |
an expression of annoyance on her
face. She met the eyes of the man I
fastened upon her; not in admiration
but with the cool scrutiny one bestows
upon an Indifferent stranger. Miss
Herne flushed slowly, and was des-
perately angry with herself when she |
felt the blood creeping hot into her |
cheek.


The face beneath the rough straw
hat was brown as berry, but the eyes !
fine. the features good, and
the bronze hair and beard soft shining |
as floss silk. Besides he was tall, slen-
der and muscular-altogethe a man
to be depended upon. |
Atheline scorned herself for looking |





at him, and wondered if she was ex- |
pected to cat her breakfast with that
loon looking on. Mr.. Mar
shall, good old soul, felt called upon
10 do something in the case.


sThis is Miss Herne, Vert. She was
for water-lilies only little
while ago. 1t is rather early, 1 sup
pOse; do you think you could find
any for her?'


will make the attempt If You wish
me to, SIR Vert replied, never once
looking at Atheiine.


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 if the