The Cheyenne Daily Leader

A FEMININE FENIAN.

"What! Another Fenian?"

"Waal, I wouldn't go ez fur cz callin it thet, James Francis. Of corse, not being a Methody er Baptis', either hard or soft, kinder sots s'picion on her in Otter Crik, but a Fenian!" The worthy postmistress shook her head in charitable doubt.

"I wouldn't prefer sich a ser'us charge. Sho's a pleasant spoken young critter, an not 'tall rev'looshanry lookin."

"Kelly wuz a Fenian," asserted a veteran farmer, deftly balancing a demi-john of molasses against the sundry contents of a huge bandanna handkerchief.

"'Poars cz ef this deestric' is jes' runnin riot after sich firebrands."

Kelly was the late incumbent of Otter Creek, discharged by the selectmen on three connts, age, subscription to incendiary literature and indifference to arithmctical accuracy, as clearly proved by his favorite formula, "If you come within three figgers of the answer, you're nigh enough."

"She has smilin cyes," irrolevantly remarked an imprudent youth sorting out hand rakes in the corner.

"Hit a'ready, Abe?" snoerod the veteran.

"Smiliu cyes be blowed! For a sarviccable schoolmarm give me a savage lookin gal. Howdy' s'pose this un'ill rassle 'ith the mill gang?"

"I don't favor her persuasion," candidly admitted the stalwart James Francis, "but for all that I'm for giving hcr a fair trial, cvcn though sho does turn the hoss' head on the wrong road to meeting."

"Here she comes now, a-caperin down the hill with them Tucker children," remarked the postmistress, a pleasant smile lighting up her comely faco. "It do beat all how a great growed gal, an a schoolma'am at thot, kin frisk along ez giddy an friv'lus ez eny of her schol- ars.

Quite unconscious of the interest she had excited, the young teacher came blithely down the hill, her own rapid step still further quickened by the im- patient urging of her smal! charges, the little sailor hat tilted forward over a faco protty only in its youthful curves and happy, frank cxprossion. The post- mistress was quito right in dociding that there was nothing rovolutionary in her appearance. Abe also was correct in his opinion of her eyes, and James Francis, viewing her critically, became conscious of an alarining indifference to the manifold ovils lurking in her per- suasions. So impressed was ho by the unfairness of his original remark that, after investing in chocolates for which he had no earthly uso, he requested tho genial Mrs. Forbes to observe silenco on the subject, a favor roadily granted and quite as cheerfully withdrawn undcr the irresistible tomptations of a cozy tea, with the girl toacher as her guest.

Toaching in the country is tho ordeal through which nearly every tyro must pass before boing allowed to cngago in city service. Though not the ideal pur- suit painted by pen artists, it is tho stepping stone fror which many an ambitious worldling hopes to climb to the heights of fame. In her unobtrusivo way Cecilia Desmond was ambitious. She covetod a college courso and in- dulged in roseate dreans of a futuro crowned with honors won by porsonal effort. As a step in the right direction, when the Otter Creck vacancy offered, she promptly packed her simple ward- robe and said goodby to the dear ones in her city home. It was tho first sopara- tion, and the ache of parting throbbing in six hearts exprossed itself in a copi- ous shower of youthful tears, quickly dried. howoyer. in a tlash of fuu ns tho strenuous efforts of tho stage driver to lash tho trunk to tho tailboard resulted in tho breaking of the rope, sonding him sprawling in tho roadway.

After a month's oxperienco of the new lifo tho young teacher was begin- ning to realize that famo asks mnch of its votaries. The routine of work was wretchedly monotonous, variod only by occasioual skirnishes among tho difTer- ent sectious of the district. Tho constit- uency of Otter Creek academy had many subtle subdivisions based on fam- ily fouds or political and religious vari- ance.

To uuite so many oloments in even seoming harnony and at tho samc time impart sufficicnt instruction to satisfy the rather exacting community was a task of gigantic proportions. and one which the girl in her homo lotters frequently' asserted could be nccom- plished only by tho united offort of a statesman, a profossor and a polico of- cer. As comparison is a reliof or a tor- turo froo to all, Cecilia fell into a habit of contrasting her fate with her sur- roundings, and thus became fully con- scious that her lot was not as flowery as were the meadows strotching along the slope and tranquilly monopolizing the fertile interval.

From the meadows her thoughts ro- verted naturally to their owner, the fair minded young farmer who had cham- pioned her cause 'even while condemn- ing her belief. He was one of nature's nol 'emen, she admitted rather grudg- ingly, and censured herself severoly for allowing her thoughts to dwell pleasur- ably on his masterful manner and vig- orous, manly boauty. At such timcs, to atone for her mental vagaries, she locked hersolf in her sultry chamber, and forcing her intellect to Wie contem- plation of some abstruse problem be- guiled herself into tho belicf that she was fairly reveling in an intelloctual elysium.

Notwithstanding this severo, self in- flicted discipline, youth at times ran riot and urged Cecilia to the commission of many acts not at all compatible with the dignity of her position nor her lofty intellectual pretensions. The orchards, berry patches and sweet smelling hay- fields were responsible for many of her doviations from th college course, but that the handsome James Francis was also an active agent was fairly well known even before the veteran farmer made his next visit to the postoffice and volunteerod the information: ".James Francis an the Fenian air gettin kinder soc'ble. Ho's mowin the long medder. an she's drivin tho machine. So sot on each other 'at they couldn't see me goin by."

She's a-drivin Jamcs Francis ez waal ez the mower," laughed Mrs. Forbes, "You mark my words, Obadiah, aforo tho snow blows the selectmen 'ill hey the school on their han's. Shucks! The crossest grained old cormorant 'at ever livod 'ud jes' hev to smilo seein them young things go by. Lor, they don't know theirsolves how far gone they are. It minds me of when Jabez an me used ter como from meotin ez if we wuz walkin on air."

"You wuz fairly matched," snarled the malcontent, "but this un thinks her- self a cut above farmcr. Talks of goin ter college. Pity sho wuz ever hired ter the Crik. If they're still in the medder, I'm goin ter hail 'em on my way back an say suthin cz 'ill rile 'em.'"

"Trust you fer thct, you old cross- patch," muttered Abe, who seemed to be a permanent part of the general store. "It's pizen fer some folks to soe others cniyin thcirsolves."

"Thero you go. you blame old mees- cheif. I jes' hope ef you go meddlin in the long medder you'll git yer legs twisted inter tho mower an cut off at the jints." And with this awful expres- sion of his wrath Abo went to tho door to watch the veteran's movements.

Truo to his intentions, Obadiah cross- ed the intervening fields, and loaning on the fence inclosing the meadow hol- lowed his hands into a trumpet and bawled across:

"Hull-oo, James Francis! Help so scurce 'at you hev ter hiro Fenians?"

Then, without waiting for a roply. ho ambled off, his shrill, cackling laugh adding to tho annoyance of the hay- makers.

"Don't you think you ought to apolo- gize?" asked tho girl, quickly regaining composure.

"For what?"

Ho came round to the horses' heads, and from that vantage point looked stoadily into the driver's eyes.

"For calling me a Fenian. You were very unkind."

"I didn't mean to be," awkwardly: then humbly, "haven't I mado up for it since?'

"But I was a stranger then, " insist- ing on her injury. "That's why it hurt me so."

"I wouldn't hurt you for the world. You know that, Ceciliar."

The girl winced slightly. His pro- nunciation of her name was one of the littlo things that grated on her sensitive taste, but a superfiuous lotter or two lose forco when the aggressor is hand- somo and spirited. That ho was both she acknowledged inwardly and was moved to forgiveness. The moment was fraught with peril for the college scheme. It was receding steadily into the distance. James Francis saw his advantage and mcanly pursued it.

This is as good a time as any to come to an understanding. When I called you a Fenian, I hadn't even seen you. I don't know that I even knew what a Fenian meant. I don't know yet, but of this I am sure—whether vou'ro a nihilist, a Fenian or an anarch- ist, or all three together, I love you. "

The horscs tossod their heads impa- tiently, and the man passed his hand soothingly over their glossy coats.

"Lot's cut another swath, " suggested the girl irreverently.

"Not another blade." he declared. "until I have my answer. Yes or no?"

"Well, since you will have it, no!"

"You don't mean it. Say you don't, Cecilia, " ho pleaded humbly, yet hope- fully.

"I do mean it,"she asserted passion- ately. "I never meant to settle down on a farm. I want to go through college and writo A. B. to my name."

"Writo Journoe instead," he said, with telling insistence. "(Give up the school and come home to the farm. Say yes, doar. You'll never regret it. "

Tho fringe of olms, shading the brook rippling through the interval, caught the rays of tho setting sun and cast them back again liko javolins of light. The girl was dimly aware that ovening was on the land. The air was heavy with tho fragranco of now mown hay. Shimmoring banks of clouds sank down behind tho treo tops; the chirping of crickets and the faroff croaking of frogs down in the alder swamp mingled with the lowing of cows and tho soft trilling of birds seeking their nests; the holy calm of nature soothed even tho unrest of a wavering heart and hushed into silenco the promptings of ambition.

Everything living is going home, said the girl very gontly.

"Lot us go too. See, tho sun is nearly gone."

"I ain only waiting for my answer, he romindod hor.

"Do you know, Frank, that you have asked mo to renounco the hope of a lifo time? I havé strugglod so for ahigher oducation." Thero was a wistful into- nation in her voico that lovo interpretod corroctly. Sho was pleading to bo saved from her less noble self.

"We will seek it together,' ho an- swered.

"Dear heart, lifoe has only bo- gun.

Before tho snow blew over the meadows Mrs. Forbes' prediction came to pass. The young teacher returned to her city homne, but not for long.

"I noyer thought I could settle down on a farm, mamma," she whispered during ono of the long confidential talks precoding the final going away, "but Frank is—soso—difforent.

The mother's faco was beautiful as, stroking the sunny head buried in her lap. she answered softly: "A woman's heart is a vexatious thing. my darling. Its depths hold many a socret; but, with a tonderly indulgent smile, "love conquers all."—Mary B. O'Sullivan in Donahoo's Magazine.