1/4 



RECREATION. 



made on it is mine, or at least suffi- 

 cient of it to enable me to obtain a 

 higher education ; but Steve said he 

 had made it, though my father worked 

 as hard as he. I was never encour- 

 aged to work, and never wanted the 

 farm until I learned Steve was em- 

 ploying every effort to obtain legal 

 possession of it ; not until he painted 

 me in such colors as to incur your 

 detestation did I-resent his conduct." 



After a painful pause she said, in 

 an agitated tone : 



"Am I to understand that all this 

 feud and enmity is because of me ? 

 Oh, I am so sorry, so miserable." 



" I am sorry to wound you, Miss 

 Sheldon, but my lips spoke when my 

 heart wished not to speak. I came 

 to this church to-day to see you be- 

 for leaving these parts forever." 



She looked up quickly. " Where 

 are you going ? " 



" Out into the world. I have over- 

 estimated my strength, and find 

 nothing here but pain and sorrow. J 

 am either misunderstood or do not 

 understand myself. I am accused of 

 possessing an ungovernable temper 

 and of wounding those I love. Out 

 there in the world I will be an atom 

 whose peculiar characteristics will 

 injure no one." 



'■ It is possible you may have been 

 misunderstood ; but was it manly or 

 sensible to ride through the streets 

 of a town at such speed as to im- 

 peril your life and the lives of oth- 

 ers ?" 



" My horse ran away with me, and I 

 was endeavoring to get back into the 

 country when I passed you." 



" Oh, then you did see us ? " 



" I saw you when I entered the 

 street, and would rather have died 

 than injure one of those children. In 

 fact I expected instant death when I 

 faced that gate." 



She held out her hand with a bright 

 smile. " Allen, if you had a thousand 

 faults that deed would have atoned 

 for them all. I have longed to thank 

 you for the risk you took of certain 

 death. We saw your noble and suc- 

 cessful effort to turn your horse into 

 the side path, and I wished to con- 



gratulate you on your escape when 

 you came through the gate on your 

 return, but you would not look up. 

 You acted as though you were 

 ashamed of your noble deed." 



I looked at the glowing face and 

 sparkling eyes, and felt a sensation 

 I had never known before. I an- 

 swered : "I was ashamed. Every 

 blunder I made, every ludicrous po- 

 sition I fell into, was before you." 



" You say you are going into the 

 world never to return — are you not 

 making another mistake ? " 



" Mr. Yost, whose farm adjoins 

 mine, wishes to lease more land, and 

 I can let him have my farm." 



" I was not thinking of your farm, 

 but of your friends." 



" I have no friends." 



" Did I not offer, and did you not 

 take, my hand in friendship ?" 



I slowly shook my head and re- 

 plied : " Mere friendship would be 

 an aggravation. I thought during 

 the winter I had conquered the pain 

 and heartache ; but I find it would 

 be increased if admitted to friendship 

 bestowed on others, while it would 

 be torture if I were compelled to wit- 

 ness the success of Steve." 



She looked sad and thought 

 deeply a few moments, and with a 

 quiver around the corners of her 

 mouth replied : 



" A strange foreboding took pos- 

 session of me when the Friends in- 

 formed my father he must give up 

 his home in Philadelphia and answer 

 the call from Wilkesbarre. I tried 

 to prevail on him not to go, but, al- 

 ways obedient to duty, he answered 

 the call and came here. Modesty 

 forbids me to listen to wild language 

 such as yours, but I am fearful it is 

 the same voice of pride I obeyed on 

 several occasions, and always regret- 

 ted. If I had hearkened to it this 

 feud would not have reached the lim- 

 its where a house is divided against 

 itself — father against son, brother 

 against brother. Therefore, do not 

 think me without maidenly reserve 

 if I again give you my hand and 

 pledge you my friendship. I do not 

 love Steve, and have told him so ; I 



