Year: 1872

For two weeks longer Ralph taught
at the Flat Creek SchOol-hOuse. He
was everybody's hero. And he was
Buds idol. He did what he could to
get Bud and Martha together, and
though Bud always 'saw her safe
home after this, and called OH her
every Sunday evening, yet, to save his
life, he could not forget his big fists and
his big feet long enough to say what
he most wanted to say. and what Mar
tina most wanted him to say. At the
end of two weeks Ralph found him.
self exceedingly weary of Flat Creek,
and exceedingly glad to hear from Mr..
Means that the school-money had
"gin out" 1t gave him a good excuse
to return to Lewisburg, where his
heart and his treasure were. A GER
tain sense of delicacy had kept him
from writing to Hannah just yet.
When he got to Lewisburg he had
good news, His uncle, ashamed of
his previous neglect, and perhaps with
an eye to his nephew's growing pOpu-
larity, had gotten him the charge of
/ the grammar department in the new
graded school in the village. So he
quietly arranged to board at board
ing house. His aunt could not have
him about, of which fact he was very
glad. She could not but feel, she said,
that he might have taken better care
of Walter than he did, when they
were only four miles apart. He did
not hasten to call on Hannah. Why
should he? He sent her message, of
no consequence in itself, by Nancy
Sawyer. Then he took possession of
his school; and then, on the evening
of the first day of school. he went, as
he had appointed to himself, to see
Hannah Thomson.


And she, with some sweet presenti-
ment, had gotten things ready by fix
ing up the scantily-furnished room as
well as she could. And Miss Nancy
Sawyer, who had seen Ralph that af-
ternOon, had guessed that he was gO-
ing to see Hannah It's wonderful
how much enjoyment a generous
heart can get out of the happiness of
others. Is not that what He meant
when he said of such as Miss Sawyer
that they should have hundred-fOld
in this life for all their sacrifices ? Did
not Miss Nancy enjoy hundred we'd
dings, and love and have the
love of five hundred children? And
so Miss Nancy just happened over at
Mrs. Thomson humble home, and,
lust in the most matter-of-course way,
asked that lady and Shocky to come
over to her house. ShOcky wanted
Hannah to come too. But Hannah
blushed little, and said that she
would rather not.


And when she was left alone, Hannah
g I,oi ir fxrn or inn nd
swept the hearth, and moved the
chairs first one way and then another,
and did a good many other needless
things. Needless: for lover. if he be
q lover, does not see furniture or
dress.


And then she sat down by the fire,
and tried to sew, and tried to look un-
concerned, and tried to feel uncon-
cerned, and tried not to expect any
body, and tried to make her heart
keep still. And tried in vain. For a
gentle rap at the door sent her pulse
up twenty beats minute and made
her face burn. And HartsoOk was,
for the first time, abashed in the pres
ence of Hannah. For the oppressed
girl had, in two weeks, blossomed out
into the full-blown woman.


And Ralph sat down by the fire,
and talked of his school and her school
and everything else but whathe want
ed to talk about. And then the con-
versation drifted back to Flat Creek,
and to the walk through the pasture,
and to the boX-alder tree, and to the
| painful talk in the lane. And Hannah
begged to be forgiven, and Ralph


laughed at the idea that she had done
ANYTHING wrong. And she praised


his goodness to Shocky, and he drew


her little note out Of But / agreed
not to tell you where he kept it. And
then she blushed, and he told how the


note had sustained him, and how her


white face kept up his courage in his
| flight down the bed of Clifty Creek
| And he sat a little nearer, to show her
| the note that he had carried i'll his


bosom / have told it! And


but | must not proceed. a lOve-scene,


ever so beautiful in itself, will not bear


telling. And so / shall leave little


gap just here, which you may fill up


as you please.


Somehow, they never knew how, they
| got to talking about the future instead
| of the past, after that, and to planning


their two lives as one life. And.
| And when Miss Nancy and Mrs.
| Thomson returned later in the eevening
| Ralph was standing by the mantel.


piece, but Shocky noticed that his
| chair was close to Hannah's. And


good Miss Nancy Sawyer looked i'll
Hannah's face and was happy.