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Show L 1 THE LITTLE MOUNTAIN MAID I I1 1 My UUUUT11Y O. CLAHK I I I Copyrighted, M03. by Tht Authari PubUMng Company I I Hj Thoy wore seated on a rustic bench H at a fashionabio water place. She was a fair woman of 2G; he a tall, H dark, handsomo roan of 30. H "I want to tell you tho story of my life, Miss Arlington," ho was saying. H WI don't suppose it will prove Interest-J Interest-J leg to you, but I have a selfls'h dcslro IJ for your opinion after I have finished. H I will not tiro you with details, but HJ will state as briefly as posslblo the HJ principal facts. I Blinll plcturo to you H a tlirty, ill-clad. Ill-fed boy, who knew 1 cothlrs of schools nor books, at the H ago of thirteen. My mother died when Bfl I was qulto small, and I stayed with IB my father, whoso business was work-B work-B Ing one of those numerous stills In B tho mountains of Tennessee, and dodg-B dodg-B lng the revenue ofllcers, when ho was BB not too drunk to do so. My duty was fl to scout around and warn him If dan-Bfl dan-Bfl ger threatened; and far my faithful-BB faithful-BB ncss I received, but kicks and threats. B At last he was killed whilo defending Bfl tho still, and 1 was loft nlono A fain Bfl lly took mo to work for my board, but Bfl the treatment I received at their hands Bfl was moro than I could htand, so one B night I went away, AM night I ran Bfl through tho darkness; every nolso-ln-IB creased my terror lo3t I should bo B overtaken and carried back. After HHL sunrise I crept Into a thick clump of. 'flHJr, pines some distance, from tho road, Bfl and with my bundle for a pillow I foil H asleep. Several hours later I was B awakened by a little girl bending over IB "'Whero'd youns kin from?' she H asked calmly, as I opened my eyes. BB I bounded to my foct, expecting that Bfl I was about to be captured and taken Bfl back, but thoro was no ono clso in Bfl eight. 'What youns 'frald of, boy?' sho Bfl asked. Bfl After sho had repcatodly assured Hm mo that she) had not 'seed anyono after HI mo, and she knowed her pa and ma Bfl would not let me go if anyono came Bfl (or me,' and I had cautiously peered behind nearly every 4rce In tho vlcln- 8 Ity, I told her my story. I at oncu en- Bl listed hor sympathy, which was sweet BJ to mo, as It was the first I had ever BJ known. Bm "When my story was finished, she fl came closo to me, and, patting my BB choak with her little brown hand, tpld BH mo again how ver7 sorry sho was, and Bl assured mo that I was sate as long Bfl aa I stayed there, and that if anyone J should came she would hldo mo whcio BJ nobody couldn't novcr fliul me.' Sho BJ Invited mo into her play-house, which BJ was nearby, and thoro wo played until BJ tho evening shadows began to fail, BJ then I reluctantly ro3umcd my Jour-BJ Jour-BJ ncy, Sho.walkod4a short dlstanco with BJ mo, and saying that sho would havo B her 'par' shoot anyone who might be .mV- looking for mo, pointed tho nearest B way to town, and as' wo parted, nald: BY 'I reckon youns'll hov tor klm back nu' Hjf 'Seated on a rustle bench. BJ marry mo w'on youns gits rich,' and I BJ yromlsod hor, of courso. B "Miss Arlington, that was my first B and last cxperlonce In childish com- B panlonshlp, and my first tasto of tho ft swootness of human klndnoss and sym- Htf. k. Pathy. I havo never slnco seen my HKBnf llttlo mountain girl; but can you won- rUS dr that eho still has a warm place In Bfl my memory?" :M MIsd Arlington was looking Intent- IB ly at tho ground, mid mndo no reply, BB "In two months' tlmo." he contln- ued, "I had worked my way to the far west A few weeks later I found an old man lying in one of the mountain moun-tain gorges, crushed and bruised. I assisted him to his cabin, procured medical assistance, and nursed him back to health. Ho was a recluse, and was known as a bad man, but my act completely changed his nature. I had been good to-him without auy selfish motive, and he felt toward mt, aa I "'I reckon youns'll hev ter klm back an' marry me w'en youns git rich.' " did toward tho llttlo girl back in Tennessee Ten-nessee "As soon as ho was well ho adopted mo and changed my name, and then my education began.. Doing nn educated edu-cated man, the hermit had chargo of my studies until I was fitted for college. col-lege. Ho molded mo according to hla own conception of manhood, over Impressing upon mo tho sin of ingratitude. ingrati-tude. As boy and man I had talked and thought about tho llttlo mountain lass. You have no idea how tender a romance could bo built upon a foundation founda-tion ait slender. "Beforo I entered college my benefactor bene-factor told mo that I was to bo a gentleman; that I had unlimited wealth at my command, and that I must spend money freely for tho benefit ben-efit of others. Ho had a fortune loft him, which had increased rapidly during dur-ing tho years of his seclusion. "I suggested that I go back to my old place and seo If I could do nny-thlDg nny-thlDg for tho llttlo girl who had been so kind to me. No act of ml'no ever pleased him more. I traveled to Ton-nesseo Ton-nesseo and found that her parents had died' somo years before, and that sho had beon adopted by a widow, who had" moved to a distant part of tho country; but I found no traco that I could follow. I advertised, but to no avail. Sho has been In my drcamB all theso years, and I determined novcr to givo up tho search until I know what had. becomo of her. Now for your ndvl'co. Should I marry beforo I havo found this girl?" "You certainly should not," sho ro-pllcd, ro-pllcd, raising hor eyes for tho first tlmo. "I had hoped for a different answer. an-swer. "I can glvo you no other," "Rut sho mny bo'raarricd, or dead," ho urged. "You aro not suro." "And perhaps sho is as lllitcrato as tho people from which I sprang, and whom I dctost for their ignoranco and lack of ambition." "And If sho woro?" "I could novcr marry her, Every man has his Ideal. MIno has been tho llttlo mountain maid; now, you aro my Idea of perfect womanhood. Could you not giant my heart's dcalro by marrying mo?" "Aro you sure you would caro for mo, evon If you know my past?" sbo nuked timidly, after a pause. "I am euro no other woman will oyer hold tho place in my heart that you hold. I caro nothing for tho past it I can hayo you In tho future" "Shall I toll you of my childhood?" "If you wish, but it will mako no dlfforonco." After a long pause ho said, "Plcaso do not keep mo in eus-ponso." eus-ponso." "You woro bo'n in tho mountalnn of Tonnessoo," sho began, "and I, too, was born in tho mountains of Tennes see). My parents died when I ' a child, and I was adopted by a wealthy lady, a cousin of my mothor's, and " "Woll?" "I I rcmembor tho llttlo boy whom I found asleep beneath tho pines " Her llstoncr started. "You! Miss Arlington!" ho oxclalmed, lifting her head so that ho could look Into hor eyes, "aro you my llttlo mountain maid?" "Yes," very faintly. "My darling!" |
