Show Q ilITcj BY EQ Y w J Copyright 1905 by Dolly Story Pub Co Brown October days had brought pungent scents of woods and fields Ragweed and Blackeyed Susans decked deck-ed tho roadside The grass crackled underfoot The russet oaks and yellow yel-low birches looked gaily down on freshly plowed fields of richest brown These were busy days on tho farm with tho corn to bo shocked fruit to bo picked beans threshed and lato potatoes to dig The crisp keenaired I cool evenings were spent by Ward Drlscoll at Tho Nutshell as he had always dubbed the pretty little cottage where Hose had lived her young life She was sweet and fair and ho had always thought of her as his sweetheart until this last fateful summer when her parents had admitted to their hearth and home a summer boarder a young poet from the city but ho had gone away now and Ward was patiently waiting until Roses thoughts should again turn unto him Toward the last of the month the farm work droned Tho bustlo of Hold work was over tho corn shocked shock-ed tho apples gathered the elder and apple butter made Its fall In earnest nose oald I Ward one clear cold night looking up at tho sky streaked with Northern lights the silvery frost on tho grass and the heap of squashes on tho porch Yes she sighed Its kind of lonesome lone-some to have all tho work donea I sort of Saturday night feeling When the frost Is on the punkln doesnt appeal ap-peal to mo Tho first part of the fall Is worst though It has such a fading look llko a woman Just beginning to loso her youth but lato fall Is hale like the tonic of middle age Rose I believe Paul Wendell demoralized de-moralized you with his poetic fancies1 laughed her mother Theyre fine nights to sleep thats all I see In them said Ward Rose sighed and wished the young man were not so Intensely practical The next night when Ward was at The Nutshell ho saw a transformation transforma-tion In Hose The faraway dreamy look she had worn of lato had given way to sparkling happy eyes and a suppressed excitement of manner the air of one who has heard good news With a pang Ward wondered what had wrought this change Two or three times she seemed on the point of telling him something and then evidently reconsidered the Impulse Im-pulse His next visit chanced to bo In tho morning when the Rural Route delivery deliv-ery was made Ho noticed how eagerly eager-ly she watched to see If the man would stop at the box and how quickly quick-ly she ran out and seized the letters I A look of pleasure flashed Into her face ns she selected one His observant ob-servant eye caught the fine stationery station-ery and the city postmark When he called that evening Rose was so absorbed In writing that she did not hear him enter When ho spoke sho quickly turned over the sheet of paper on which she had been writing and It seemed to him that Thyre fit > nights to sleep thats all I see in them said Ward fho wore ai expression of detected guilt ThroMghout tho evening she kept casting surreptitious longing glances at 1 or unfinished work and was quite distrait of manner Ward cut his call shorter than usual and wInt homo depressed and disheartened For a week he did not go near The Nutshell or any of tho places where he would bo apt to encounter en-counter ROBe but remained at homo brooding ovoi tho fact that sho was l not for him One afternorn Rose uppeavl In tho doorway ot his home radiant and charming If the mountain wont como to Ma hommed etc sho quoted laughing Ward motbcr sent mo over to tell you that sho was lonesome for the sound of your voice All the wounds In Wards heart began be-gan to ache at the sight of his erstwhile I erst-while sweetheart Ho found no roply ready You stay to supper Rose said his mother and Ward will drive you home You havent been hero In ages Rose promptly accepted tho Invlta tlou and kept up a gay chatter all I I Ill read them and not laugh he replied heroically through tho meal but sho was dls turbed secretly at the serious face and mien of the young farmer After supper ho went to tho barn to harness Black Beauty and hIs mother said Impulsively Rose my boy needs cheering up See If you cant put Some spirits In him Rose promised but the rldo was begun be-gun In silence which seemed to bt protracted beyond endurance Finally Fin-ally sho spoke Ward why havent you been ovoi to see us for a week You never stayed stay-ed away so long before I thought you wouldnt care to see mo ho replied Your thoughts and Interests seemed elsewhere Oh you noticed then she said abstractedly Who could help but notice ho replied re-plied bitterly You could hardly expect ex-pect mo to enjoy witnessing the pleasure pleas-ure you got In your letters from Paul Wendell I know of course that he cared for you but until lately I had hoped that your liking for him was but a passing fancy She stared at him In bewilderment Then sho laughed a mirthful little laugh Oh Ward dear Ward Paul Wendell Wen-dell was engaged before he came hen to a beautiful girl who has been traveling trav-eling abroad for a year Sho has I como back now and they aro to b < married soon Rose Really Really you stupid But what has made you soso dlf fercnt of late And tho last night 1 was at jour house you were certalnlj so occupied Iu writing a letter thai jou didnt want mo around Well Ward Ill fess up I wanted to tell you all along but I was afraid of your ridicule I have always Leec addicted moro or less to the habit of scribbling rhymes and when Mr Wendell was here ho read somo 01 them and Insisted on sending them tc i a magazine I just got a letter that day you were there from him say I Ing they had been accepted and tht editor wanted more so that night J I was trying my art again I wanted tc show them to you but I knew youi contempt for poets Rose ho cried happily Maybe I have a contempt for poets but not I for poetesses If you will only be my Fife your whole life shall bo a I poem poemAnd And you will read them and not laugh 7 sho asked anxiously Ill read them and not laugh he replied heroically |