| OCR Text |
Show J i ' t . - . . . : - --v.- ' . 1 t t . -or ' - ''!)' zt j . ,: --a t 1 . . it . . r J . . .i over- t ' - . ' i : t : ct - t--".rs. '-; 1 : t ; : s ' f..;; 1 ' i arn : ' .::!'..;' !::o:;"r.t :;;:ow- i -. i ll t ..t f '. c ,1 over I;it!nct!y i- " ' 5 v, ' was: "-' . : i i ret know, Oar. that I 1 . . i ! i -1 t'. i r? Ar.l I was rot t -re I : i l carei for r.:e. I had to j. i." . la 1 - :.::: room that r!;Lt, Felieli v or..; 1 If f'o coull t the fine girl v, t.o 1... i f-'.i there a f v L -ur pre- vi U9 w.i. Mr? for Sir. l-et.-r Lemmon. the l.a 1 & iover now f:.r her own hf-irt, a'-. 1 she had pron.;.-d to marry Mm on the day oa w hich Marcia. would rr.axry I et?r Lcmmoa and g: away t her new home. ; Eut tha could not help wondering w hether, If Tierce Lai proposed to llax rhi, as the had evidently ex;ecte3. Ilarchi would ever have become " l'f -t?r Irr-''"-irn. --, t .: i j ' 1 i t ' :' . '' i -i : vt s-.? it. i: ; -' ' 1 a ! . - f Tin, 1 f-'...:'.:-. ' " ! 'y ! r..: ' t' t r i' "X.. i i, .n't thir .i s- ' v' -: ' ' 'rr ' : e v. . i if t ... : . I l r?v-f r?v-f : e'.i marry cry ore to r-t .'i'A-'-V fir,a h re. M e warts a h'n.-. v, ! o. n have 1 r o'.vn way." Th'ie v as a ji,on.er.t' t- re. e i Pierre haid: - "What would you d. if f'- u.i leave -your You couldn't gvt u'.:-r S ty yourself here." "Oh, I'd risk itl" Pierce crossed the rorch r. r.d t..x,x a feat on the bench where Sari i was sitiirj. Felicia could se? th.-;n 1-oV.i from her window. ":.:arcia," he said with a Kith; e:r.l ar-m-sed hesitation, "I want to t.iy something some-thing to you to ask you a vae.-tlon.". "Very well," fhe answered, takir, j up the cat and stroking it. Hut the ar.lm.nl, unaccustomed to such friendly attention from her, sprang away and f.ed up to Felicia's room. "What was it you wanted to say?" said Marcla. And Fierce moved up a little rearer her on the bench. "I wanted to tell you thatto ask you whether if " At that moment a voice was heard calling from the road, and Pierce rose. "It is father." he said. "He told me he would come by for me in the buggy. But, Slarcla. if I come over tomorrow evening can't I speak to you then?" The very words almost that Peter'( Lemmon had spoken to Felicia! The girl drew back with a strange, sharp pang at her heart. Until this moment mo-ment she had not known bow much Pierce was to her. and hot tears sprang to her eyes. She felt herself seized with a sudden reckless desperation, and whereas, a moment before, she had shuddered at the thought of becoming Peter Jm-mon's Jm-mon's wife, she now firmly made up her mind to marry him. - Sunday, true to his appointment. Sir. Lemmon called. Felicia, who had been watching from her window, met him fit the door and showed him Into the stiff parlor. As she passed the kitchen door she heard the voice of Pierce Manson within, with-in, but he was speaking in a tone too low for his words to reach her. "Fellcey," said Mr. Lemmon, hitching his chair close to her, "I want to talk to you some before Slarshy comes in. I want to tell you that I've been thinking think-ing about you, and the way you're living liv-ing here with Marshy. I've about concluded con-cluded that somebody oughter be look-In' look-In' after, you and your Interests. Half the farm and property's your3, ain't it?" She edged laway from him a little and averted her face, that she mljht not see the sallow visage and sharp, greedy-looking- eyes.. A thought of Pierce's clear, haiel eyes cami to her. "Yea." phe answered, coldly; "father left everything to be equally divided between us." "Then why don't you clxilm your sheer?" "I don't know. I've never thought much about it. Marcia manages and I wouldn't know how to do it. We're obliged to live together." . "I'll tell you what's the best thing you can do, Fellcey. Have the farm equally divided, and sell or rent out your Bheer. . I'm willing to take It at a fair valya-tion. valya-tion. And as to livdn'. I can offer you a good home away from Marshy, where you can manage and do as your please. I wsnt to make this bargain with you, unbeknownst to Marshy. Listen to me, my dear. . . : Felicia shuddered as he thrust forward for-ward his unattractive face and laid his hand on her arm. She could bear it no longer. 'I think I hear Marcia coming." she said, hastily rising and going to the door. . She had Indeed heard the kitchen door open and shut, and as she slipped into the passage she met Marcia face to face. "Oh, ptease go into the parlor and talk to Mr. Lemmon please do!" implored im-plored Felicia. "I I can't bear it." "Fool!" said Marcia. contemptuously. "To think that he w anted tomarry you! I know what he's after, though he's keeping It from me. He wants to cheat you out of your land and get you to live with his old idiot aunt, and tend on her like a slave. Why. you blind bat! I and Peter Lemmon have been engaged these two weeks!" t Felicia stood as If stunned. ' "Don't stand there staring like a |
