Year: 1873

heart clung to him, hiding his faults,
and exaggerating his virtues, but
she wished that he could lMve been
and as she turned away
and sought her bed, her awaken
ing mine said clearly, "Abeth, in
your hunger you are feeding upon
husks." Two days later, Clarence
was called home on the account of
the marriage and removal west Of
an older brother.


When they heard of it, the old
people, who were careful to con-
ceal any affection they might feel
for a member of their family, were
surprised into expressions of re-
gret Grandma declared that no.
body never milk as good as Renee,
and he always saved the stlippings
in pail by themselves without
grumbling, besides never eating
both butter and syrup at a time
upon his pancakes, like some I;
while the old man remarked that
Renee was "stiddy," and he did not
know what he could do without
him.


Abeth said nothing to them, but
told Renee how sorry she was, and
how much she would miss him.
He pretended to doubt it, and said
she would soon find another beau.
She made no answer to this asser-
ton, but thought if there was any
forgetting he, not she would do it.


Everybody knew, those late Oc-
toher days, that winters storms
and SHOWS were near at hand; but
nature quite ignored the fact, and
smiled in her sunniest beauty. A
whole years peace seemed written
in blue haze and autumn fading


watch fires, while no wind stirred
the great heaps of leaves, or rob-


bed the trees of the ripe foliage re-
naming upon them.


Abeth put aside the thought Of
the dreary days in store for her


and, knowing that Clarence liked


to see her gay, she went about the


house like a sunbeam. She dressed


to suit his taste, mended, and cook


ed for him his favorite dishes, ani
was so witty and mirthful that
grandpa remarked confidentially to
his wife that "he didn't see why no
young feller didn't take a shine to
their Beth" The last day was, as
Traddles would express it, "a hard
pull" and in the twilight, seating
herself at the organ, inherited, as
was her fine voice, from her dead
mother, she sang that song which
through so many years has kept its
strength, "Kateleen Mavoureen."
She did not sing to any one. She
sung because she must give ex-
preston to her pent up regret
and the words, at may be for
years, and it may be forever" were
fraught with frantic feeling. Clar-
ence came and whispered, "Dear
old Beth, don't get blue this last
night, let's have Yankee Doodle,
and III help you.' She bowed her
head upon her hands for a moment
and wondered that she should he
able to comprehend all his nature.
while he could understand only a
part-what she felt to be the most
unworthy part-of hers. Then
gulping down something in her
throat, she thought herself selfish
and ungrateful, and sang to him
the light songs he called for,
There were few moments of con-
versation otter the others had re-
tired, Clarence told Abeth how
often he would write, how much he
would miss her, and how sure he
was that he could never love any
body else, that bye and bye when
he was rich, he wonld come for her.
Would she go with him then :
Abeth bowed her head, and though
her heart said she would go with
him before that vague time if he
wished it, she did not let her lips
repeat it, for, though not yet eight
teen, she was woman enough to
wait to be sought. The next
merging he babe her good bye III
the presence of the old people, and
was gone. Abeth was busy with
plans for self-improvement. She
would practice music, would bor-
row Bell Carson's hooks to read,
would set close watch over her
hasty temper, and try each day to
grow a noble, intellectual woman,
all for the. sake of Renee. And