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Show I I D0TM JIDE& iPlPII I wiS w -C HOT? I tv sp- Mr- if I CHAPTER III. H "Waiting For a Prince to Corns." fpiIID colonel told MIrs Ellen what 1 the girls bad said ulMiut Jim. nt which she Inuhod heartily. B- tint grew very rod unit showed M somo unuoynuco when bo related what H they had nntd nbout choosing ii farm H in tht country nnd especially whin H reference wns tnndc to Squire litiw-K litiw-K kins I shnll never forgot how my H plntc looked after it hnd gone n round H the table. It hud left my table empty i H aud hnd come ImcU piled to the brim I H with every sort of vegetable on the H table Minn Ellen laughed hen I con- ' H fessed thnt I did not know how to ent H rice, nor would she rest content until H Bhe hnd taken my plate nnd arranged H it according to the manner of eating , H rice In that section. She covered It ' H with butter nnd sprinkled a llitle salt ' B on It nnd. handing it I mole to me. bade, me ent it. telling me thnt It was n part ; B of my education. She laughed agalu , fl when I wanted to put pepper on It. H but she would let her fnther put a llt-B llt-B tie dish pravy over it It It were not I alatablo. I nte It. not because I liked I it then, for I would have eaten so 1 much sawdust had she told me it wusj good and asked me to do so. Every now and then, after I hnd swallowed some rice. I would look up to tlud her eyes fixed roeulshly on me. nnd then wo would both laugh. .She seemed to relish the Idea that I did not like the rice anil that J was eating It because she had fixed it and told me to do so I made this fuet very plain to her by the face I would mnke In nwn Mowing It She confessed after- m "ward to n little mullet In forcing me "to oiit"lt."nnd niter, when lreallv lo-VL lo-VL gun to like It', she would orten suv. "Will you imve your rice with cream 'and sugar on lr or n little pepper. Mr. Palmer?" V After dinner we went on the porch. where Itud brought us ppis - hop B you like the pipe." lie said us he hand-B hand-B ert me an old brier rout "We havr B given up clgnrs lately -on account o B the tarlfT." he added with a big, good nam red laugh. 1 said I did; that It fl was my chlefest luxury In my unlvcr-E unlvcr-E Hlty days ami 1 still preferred It to B cigars. Colonel Turplu said that if I M did not object to niusie Ellen would WL play us something; that she always did when he took his after dinner smoke. I said that I could not Imugliio B greater luxury, and I leaned back pre-B pre-B pared to undergo any a-uiit of lor-B lor-B ture nnd outnige to my nnNtIc untiire, for I knew something of music, as my fl father hnd been u splendid performer on the piano aud had given me the ben-JV ben-JV llt of his knowledge. Instead of hymu-t nnd waltzes, however, there Honied m through the window to us the sweetest jE notes I sccuied ever to have heard. 1 if ent dreamily ihliiklug of this lovely B girl unci her odd surroundings when M she appeared at the window and asked 1 if there wus unythlng Ibiit I liked espe I daily. - j "I do not know If you care for 1 Chopin." she said "rnthci does not I know It is Chopin, but It Is the musdc f he likes, and so always piny souie of L the nocturnes for him" I 1 "The truth is. Miss Turplu." I said. ' "I did tint think of what .voir were playing, play-ing, but wns merely reeling the etTeit of the music ionr playing seemed to mo to b? u pari of the scene out here, ns if it were un iKi-nmpuiilmcut to the moon In its wanderings or to the stars in the silent watches." My speech sounded like llntterj and 1 blushed us the thought came lo me. "I hope you will forgive my praise ir It seemed extravagant." I said, "but 1 only said what was in my hearl without with-out rotlnctliig that yon might take It for llattery " I had been accustomed to pay compliments at will and some- I times, I fear, wus given to th.ttery. luit j 1 would nut Imt-e hud this young gi:l ( think me gouty of such III breeding ) fornnythlng m Hie world ! "If that is the way you reel." she answered an-swered sweetly. "I will pln. something for you und trust to plenslng father." nnd, going back to the piano, she played play-ed something-1 do not know what. Bud said he had never beard her play it before, nnd. though I nskpd her often after that to play It for niti ngulu. 1 never heard It. yet the strains even nowgo ihrough my iiead when I slj In the moonlight or He awake at nlghta thlnk'iiv of j;ile.L . . ' j Slie dlsnppeured nfter nwhilo to cltar itlie table and wash the dishes. I j thought, with some resentment. Colo met Turpln talked politics, und 1 soon r tenoned .that he was decided in his views, tho-igb somewlinf mixed In his ' politic. I found out that he wa ad-! ad-! dieted to tht habit of writing ''pieces" j for the papers, but never under his i own naiuo. lie chose rather such noms j de plume as ,-Vox Popull." "Citizen" ; und sometimes "Patriot " He did not ' believe thnt writing wns the profes-i profes-i nlon or u geuthniiuu unless one could hide ones Identity. Yet he Telt that the public fshoulii lie educated by this I means Ile'wusia Pemocrut. but believed be-lieved In a hlgV.protectlvo tnrllT. He disclaimed beliife n lingo, hut thought It the duty or the government to avenge the wrongs or any people persecuted by u foreign power And ho the night wore on und the moon rose higher In the heavens. I heard Itud aud the colonel discuss the work on the rnrm nnd Judged that the, former nnd two or three negroes did It all save tu the picking season There wns a contrudlctlon about this strunge household u'hlch wns perplexing perplex-ing to me. -'Where had Miss KlJen mastered the piano, nnd why was Itud, ' with the apparent education of a cultured cul-tured gentleman, wearing Jeans ami doing the plow work In the fields? I , had begun to weary of conjecture when Miss Kllen returned nnd offered to show me the view from Hie cupola.; It was a weary climb to the 'top of that old house, but one felt repaid on reaching there ns the panorama unfolded un-folded Itself In the moonlight. The moon wns but a fortnight old. nnd the night wns cloudless. Miss Kllen pointed point-ed out to me the field where the iirmy or Sherman had camped on Its famous march to the sa. but had not n word of criticism to make of that great gen-era gen-era I. She told me of the strong young manhood that was developing to regenerate re-generate the In ud und seemed to think the freedom of the slaves a blessing to Ihi(i people. She promised to take me to the negro settlement some day and show me how they lived. She hnd a Sunday school there of colored girls, "for.11 she said. "It is going to he through the mothers or the colored race that we will some day reach It and elevate It to what Is good nnd moral." I stood spellbound, ns It were. I by her earnestness nnd faith, and nil my preconceived opinions began to fall , nwny under the Intluence of this little brown eyed girl In a gingham gown. That night nfter 1 retired to my , room the Instincts or the newspaper man. which had lain dormant since ar-. ar-. riving ut the Pines? liewin to stir, and . I could not help thinking what n picture pic-ture -this household would make If field up before u Boston audience, iliu to turn these kindly people into uu oh ' Ject lesson would lie the 'ItuseM Ingratitude. In-gratitude. Yet put this Idea frm me as I would. It wou'd recur to me during the nlghi. und scene nrter scene, with Kllen n ud Itud nlwiiys lo the fore-' fore-' ground, kepi.shlftlng themselves iichw, the mental eiiiivn. und argue ns ' would Hint to make iim' or this hoinelv lire with Its poverty ami pride. Its dig-nlllcd dig-nlllcd eiidiiruiKo or changed conditions, ns 'the subject of a news letter would' be uu III return Tor Hn- liiidfallty I had received, yet I could not pm aside the longing to pen the plehire us I ! saw It and to paint It boldly, In order that other, mjght see It lit the same light ns it nnd appealed to me ' The next morning I wns up early, the ' sun. In fact, being onl an hour uhead of nn Thinking It .would be an excellent ex-cellent chance in HitJfsouieililtiu or the place and study Its. chunicter more In iletall. for I had become deeply Inter-estcd Inter-estcd In everything connected with the Pines. I dressed hastily und sinned ror u brisk walk. As I wus making the i half circuit of Hie House by way of ex. , plorntlOL I came upon Miss Kllou. ear- ryiug un armful of kindling wood. "Why. Miss Turplu." J cried, "I hud , no Idea of finding you up tit tills, hour." "You forget the dual Hw ructer I play." she laughed "I umSiot early. however, for It is late, Hut you are j responsible for It, as you demomlizeri the household lust ulght In encourag , lug father to discuss politics. Doubtless rou saw all his fallacies, bat was kind enough not to point them out to hjm." I I had been much entertained. I'sald, though his politics appeared to lie tomuwhut mixed und his Ideas were'. ."" I ouUo different rroui fhosul had expect-1 ed to hear him express. ' "Yes." she answered; "he Is halt Democrat and half Itepuhlicnn. with a dnsh here nnd there of populism. 1 fear, but It makes him very uugry to tell him so, ns he thltiks himself a hidebound Democrat. Uo can never forget that Ilotiry Clay believed In n protective tnrltr. I thluk, next to Hen-oral Hen-oral Oglethorpe, he admires the Ken tueklnn more than tiny or our historical characters. Hut I must not allow my. seir to lie dragged Into political argil ment. ror I see you nte ready to tnku up'the cudgel ror Cluy.-no doubt, mid slncoyou hnvu come bothering about so early you must make yourself use. fill." She then showed me the wood pile and told me to bring enough to the kitchen to Inst two rull duys. "Miss Turpln." I snld u little luteins lutei-ns 1 entered the kitchen with my arms loaded down with tdiurt oak logs. "Is It really necessary for you to do thin work'" She looked with surprise nt tne. and 1 thought I saw a faint color come to the huiTucc of her sklti, but 1 could not tell, for she was lighting the lire She suw that 1 was earnest 4u my question, und. still kueellug In front or the stove, she turned her frank face toward me aud said: "I would resent the question. Mr. Palmer, did I not know that a kind heart prompted it Yes," she added; "it Is ns necessary for me to do this - J 'v n Mint to nifCiv i)f coarse you must have heard from your relatives rela-tives that the Turplus were greatly re duced. The house Is heavily mortgaged, mortgag-ed, und to meet the Interest we have to save In every legitimate way. Hud whiUn to hire a cook, HaimWfrrno"t Us'-" ten to ti t in Father Is (lolornilncd thnt the moment he defaults on tlm Interest Inter-est that minute he will give 'up tint Pines to the owners, for such they ure who hold the niortruge on It, And, oh, Mr. Palmer, you don't know whnt It would tiieuti to rather and mother to move from here now llesldes, too. wo would be no better off -even worse. I thluk. for we would have no place nt nil. Hud u ud I would lie glad "to go Into the world nnd run our clianrcs, but It can't he thought or, not now." She sighed nnd continued to mnke the fire. j Uy degrees I round out nil there was , to tie known or the fnrally. Tor there ! wore no skeletons there After the war It seems that Colonel Turpln hnd lived In a reckless sort of way, still keeping up the style of living he had grown nccustomed to before the clinuge or fortune in the southern planter's lire. It was not until Hud had finished his college course nnd Miss Kllen hud completed her studies thnt the real condition or tile family became kuwn. It was these two who "i it roally necessary for you to do thia work?" hud-finally saved the plantation and home Dy pledging the Interest on tho 'mortgage There was one mom qhlld. a boy of sixteen. The brother and sis- u, in.. tei weie keeping him at college n.., nnd Inil planned that he should mke tin nrse In law after Ida acntleinie studies were completed. Wns iliele -nnre-rom-nge lti"New Kiiglantl, I won1 dered anil was It not the hlood of the cavalier that was telling now? She had given me her confidence without restraint, for she helleved me then to he one with the Kentucky Palmers, and I. weak creature, dared not dl-ojiuse dl-ojiuse her mind for fear or lonlng that confidence and friendship which thin fictitious relationship hnd Inspired. "And now. Mr. Inquisitive," she said, "ir you hnvo finished your catochlHtn, I will mix the hatter nnd you will go ror n long walk nnd get an appetite for breakfast." She hail rolled up. her sleeves In order to knead tlm dougU, and with her arms bared lo tho elbow she pointed out to me a roud which she advised mo to take, telling me it would bring mo to the old Oglethorpe bridge, "Hut your father promised that yoi should take me there," I snld, "and that is a debt of honor you iust pay." "Very well," she laughed. uj ir pro-paring pro-paring to go. "but you will go without your breakrast, and, what Is worse. Itud will call you out rot making him lose his, ror ho comes from the Holds hungry and out of temper sometimes." "I would not mind going without mine," 1 said, "hut heaven forbid that ho lino u fellow should go without Ills" Tcara came Into her eyes, but Hhe noon brushed them nwny und with a smile snld: "You touched u wuak spot then. Hud Is the salt of the earth, and he deserves to Hud diamonds In this dull soil In stead of lighting out tils life foi u row pounds of cot i on " I started down the road which she had pointed out. wouderlig what had come over me when my life In Hoston had ccmcd a thing rorgofteti In a few hours ami m work and literary career become a Hccoudnry matter with me I puttied through uu old orchard, where the opening apple buds leur their fragrance fra-grance to tlie air, and by my side It seemed to me that the unseen presence of Miss ISIlpn walked. The dogwood wiih. blossoming down by the branch, ami when I reached tliej pine trees their erlsp needles. Htlrriijg' In the breeze, seemed singing some blithesome air Instead of wnllluu 'mournfully. n.,tliey isxl done i;u e.ven log previous saw bet little ro.e garden ami. picking the only (lower then In bloom, bid It avvii) beiixath my wahtcont Tin ie wax an impii Ipued plctnre-ipieiiisH in tlu- unk. it limn nnd out or the ivdnr nirl niiderluik-h I 'might lime cxpmeil to -oe iAui dnatl come I round the bridge ti. thi- pun MIsh Ellen hud pointed out nnd for an hour uni reclining upon ltd Ivy colored nnjlij conjuring tin niivh Mtfuit, .us I imagined had be.eii enacted hern whin itsowiiern lived In apinr nee itud when women lu silks und Rutin and ' H powdered hair sat in the oaken dining H hull nnd danced the stately minuet on H rich carpets and under ninny lights. H ' In my iiientnl vision I thought 1 fiw ; lH one with the feat u res or Miss Ellen' H who glldeiMpast all otliers nnd stood In H guy colored brocade waiting to bq.. s H wooed like n princess, The jilcturo ' H faded, und 1 saw the real Kllen, tiouu B the less regal, but In place of thu Bcorn B tho other wore upon her llpr. i!ie;-e was jB n gentle patience, and about her form B there hung u simple cotton gown more H benutifnl than the stately gown woven H in my dream picture. I must hnvo B been asleep, then, after nil. t thought. B looking nt my watch, for It wus past i B ho time when nhe told mo to bo back. B Hurrying home the way I came, I B found I hem seated at tho breakfast H tabic, nnd I pleaded guilty to nn early B morning unp nmoiig the woods. B "Aud your d renin?" Bhe nuked, as If B reading what was In my mind B "Wan or a beniitirul wotunu clad In i B Bilks," I said, "nnd she stood In nu old B hall waiting for a prlnco to 001110." B "Ah, what a Bad awakening!" she B nnld. laughing sweotly. B "Hut wait until I toll you of the ? M change (hat came 'o'er the spirit of tu.v H dream,'" 1 added. B "And I will Roiiiu dny Rhow you the "" H Ilrst Rcenu of your picture," Hhe Bald '""$ B softly. SJ H "And the Inst part?" '"? ,, B "I do not know whnt It Ih. and you ',' "? B have, not told me." , j B "Hut I will some day, and." looking" ': $F' M Into her deep brown eyes nnd nltiTost ''' ' H Hpenklng in a whisper, "I like It better " B than die lli-st portion of my pleturn.V tit -H B I did not see Miss Ellen nlone again r B (hat day. .Squire Hawkins en I ted In' , L B the afternoon nnd sluyed to dinner. v B fie wns n kindly looking man, not ovi.r,.$ 4 B hfty, I Hhotild Ray, and he wore 11 pros- , B pcrntiH nir, und he wemed to meto" jB have seen n good deal of the worldly " MIkh Ellen did not ploy for us thatt evening, for nhe and the Bipilre took"u M long wn)k In the moonlight, nnd wheii " B slie enme home sho went to lier ronn. ?3 B only stopping to sny good night ns she B passed us op the porch. The squire ' ' B Hlnyed awhile longer nnd entertiilneil B us wllli stories of his university rinyHUfe: -, B In flermnny. where he hud been edit,, V B cnted. He seemed lo treat Miss Ellen ' B when he wns with her In such a gcn B tie. fnfherly wcv that I laughed at the- B k'le gossip that I, had heard aliopt his; B courting her I cnlnyed his com'pn'nv '1 B nt'd laughed heartily over his stories.' ,: B uhlch were good nnd well told. He. l M hMd Koine good clgnrs. which Hud and,, 1 B ) euloyed," but the colonel would riot-' tuuoke one. for he snld they would nn' B "f his nerves and tnnke hltn "hanker.1 f aficr- the Hwtbpota of -Egypt" .ThOa.j H squlro, tried to hnpter him out of hhl: H resolution Unt lift! folbu wns'otW! rate nnd ntbck to the ptpW -'J 'J IMMr ' ? H - vTo 08 continued.) ;p . H |