Year: 1870

ter cucumbers, milk and water She
had wanted to make tea for her visitor,
but she declined decidedly. The poor
child said apologctically


When father and mother were alive,
we used to have a good many things for
dinner, and Martha, our hired girl, used
to get them all; but when they died, and
Squire Johns said he bought mortgage
on our farm, and that we had got to pay
every cent the day it was due, or to lose
everything, we had to do without a good
many things, and we are very poor now,
and Ben is afraid we can't have enough to
pay it, and they all say we may look for
no mercy from Squire Johns, for he is
very hard to the poor, and he always
wanted our farm because it joins some of
his own land where he wants to build.
heard all about it when one of the neigh
bors was talking with our Ben, though he
didn't want me to know about it"
Mllie had listened to this with curious
mixture of feelings, for Squire Johns was
declared lover of hers, and though she
had not yet accepted him, she had been
pleased with his attentions and had GER
tainly given him encouragement. More
over he was to receive his final answer in
three days from that time, and she was
not sure the answer reserved and laid away
for that time was "no," True, Milie
was not in love with him, but she had
waited so long in vain for that ccstatic
state of feeling she had read and heard so
much about, thought she was not capable
of love, and that to like any one was
as much as she could expect. But she
certainly liked Squire Johns as well if not
better than any one, and his love must
certainly be disnterested, for he could
not know that-but now Milic stopped
Could he not? Might he not have found
out some way? If this story was true,
would such u man be likely to marry
poor girl? For Milie Warner was real
ly an hcircss in a small way, She was
sole inhertor of small uninoumhcrcd
farm from her father, and five thousand
dollars in bank stock. But the farm was
two hundred miles south of this town,
where she was visiting Il cousin, and no.


body knew of it; and during her visit she
had always helped her cousin in her work
as she had always helped her mother when
she was at home-capahie, industrious little


girl that she was.


The story agreed with things that she


had heard hinted at, but only hintcd at :,


and even they the next morning were


smoothed over, for Squire Johns WAS Il


rich and influential man, and people could


not Afford without some reason, to lose


his favor. She remembered it all now.


Could he in reality be such scoundrel


She could Judge better about the truth


of the story when she had seen Ben. Who
: was Ben? Two or three inquiries had
amounted to nothing, The children apoke


just as if everybody must know who Ben


was. Was he an uncle, cousin, hired


man, or what? Evidently somebody very
DID, by the way Hetty spoke of him. But
she shrugged her shoulders as she looked
out at the still pouring rain.


Young Ben Hazel, out in the field, ,


pitched up the last hay on the load, lean


ed his pitchfork against a tree, AMI took
head. His gaze followed the hay cart, as


it went over the broad lands and returned
"The hay is all gone in," he said, with


long breath of relief. 81 could not af-


ford to lose one load now; | don't know


that can do it, but if can sell part of
, the land I NAV. 1t will be a hard pull
though"


The young man followed the cart into


the barn The storm was at its height
; when he went towards the house from the
| back way. He stopped in surprise, as he
J saw through the window some one was
) standing at the table with arms bare to the
! elbow, mixing flour It must be Martha.


No; those fair: white arms are not Mar
l tha's, neither hers the slender, graceful fl
f cure, As he came nearer, he could dis


tinguish the sparkling. piquant face. She


was laughing and talking with Hrtty; and


evidently giving her directions for what
[ she was making. Hcttv was gazing upon
D her, eager and absorbed. Little Eva was
2 sitting at the table in her high chair, work
G ing at a piece of dough-


| Bv and bv there was spattering of wa
, ter heard in-the next room bv Hpttv.
' "Ben has come" running hastily for
ward and opening the door.


''Brn has tum !" echoed the little one
a clappine her hands and lispiug as he came
@ in. bright and smiling, what she had ir


store for him. II is made tate for 90
e I is"


t He caught her M in his arms and gave


her kiss, while she laughed and shouted
c but his eyes were seeking the stranger.


Hetty said. rrcttilv: "Mv brother Ben


Then to him (: This lady got caught in tho
| shower Ben. and is staving till it clears
S up. She has hecn so kind as to helm mt
to get dinner and has made some splendid
: biscuit"


Y They both stood mute n minute, shc


with surprise at the real Ben Young
3 handsome. and well-bred. he with admirn
? tion, and a strange new feeling he could
, not define He had hardly made her wei
9 come with a return Of his self-possession
g when there was loud rap at the stree
a door. Hettv went to the door, came bach


pale, and whispered to Ben-"Squire
r Johns "