Pocket Island: A Story of Country Life in New England

houghts. Some definite shape of what the object of a man's existence should be would in spite of all efforts mix itself with his algebra,

ook across the schoolroom at her well-shaped head with its crown of sunny hair, but her face was usually bent over her book. She had always treated him with quiet but pleasant friendliness at school, and he, understanding her nature by degrees, h

a farmer like his father, but what else to apply himself to he had no idea. He knew this was to be his last term at the academy, and that he must then turn his attention to some real occupation in life. He had been in the habit of calling upon Liddy nearly every Sunday evening for t

, where a bright fire was burning. She wore a new and becoming blue sacque, and he thought she never looked more charming. He had usually spent

ek," she said, as soon as they were seated. "Has your algebra

lve a harder problem than algebra contains, for another. The husking dance does not trou

church said it was a disgrace to all who were there. I wish people thought differently about such thing

de of annoyance on his face, "if you go to dances in this town.

egarding the dance, but sat

Liddy, finally breaking the si

ave been trying to solve the problem of a future vocation wh

to her, for, although he had never uttered a word of love to her except by

and now I know why. You know what a little bunch of mischief Alice Barnes is. She whispers more than any other girl in school, and makes more fun of him, and yet she is one of his prime favorites. Well, one day last week, at noontime, while she was talking with three or four of us girls, he came along, and she up and asked him if he wouldn't read 'The Raven' th

n lau

me to the academy to learn, and not to curry favor with him. Willie Converse is another of h

overcome the mood he was in. He sat in glum silence for a time, apparently buried in deep thought, while Liddy rocked idl

all daguerrotype of Liddy in a short dress, and looked at it. The face was that of a y

district school the day I wrote a painful verse in you

k about anything. "You have the worst case of blues I ever saw;" and th

ere, and how utterly in the dark he was as to any definite plans in life. The thought made his heart beat loudly. He looked at Liddy, quietly rocking on the opposite side of the fireplace. A little touch of sadness had crept into her f

to say anything or do anything to break what seemed to h

to the kitchen and returned with a long-handled

I shell the corn. I am going to make you work now, to driv

hand a moment on his arm and said, in a low voice: "Charlie, we have known each other for a good many years, and have been very good friends. I am going to give you a little adv

ontagion of his mood, and strange to say, his hopes and fears were insensibly merging themselves into her own. She watched the fading fire for a full

d," she thought as she reached her door