n's
tastes should care to remain in so quiet a neighborhood, but could
arrive at no solution of the case. In discussing him, she had heard
the Bartletts quote his reason, that he was studying practical farming,
and later on intended to take it up, on a large scale. When she had
first seen him at the Squire's, she had made up her mind that it would
be better for her to go away, but the memory of the homeless wanderings
she had endured after her mother's death, filled her with terror, and
after the first shock of seeing Sanderson, she concluded that it was
better to remain where she was, unless he should attempt to force his
society on her, in which case she would have to go, if she died by the
wayside.

Dave was coming across the fields late one autumn afternoon when he saw
Anna at the well, trying with all her small strength to draw up a
bucket of water. The well--one of the old-fashioned kind that worked
by a "sweep" and pole, at the end of which hung "the old oaken bucket"
which Anna drew up easily till the last few feet and then found it was
hard work. She had both hands on the iron bale of the bucket and was
panting a little, when a deep, gentle voice said in her ear: "Let go,
little woman, that's too heavy for you." And she felt the bucket taken
forcibly out of her hand.

"Never mind me, Mr. David," she said, giving way reluctantly.

"Always at some hard work or other," he said; "you won't quit till you
get laid up sick."

He filled the water-pail from the bucket for her, which she took up and
was about to go when he found courage to say:

"Won't you stay a minute, Anna, I want to talk to you.

"Anna, have you any relatives?"

"Not now."

"But have you no friends who knew you and loved you before you came to
us?"

"I want nothing of my friends, Mr. David, but their good will."

"Anna, why will you persist in cutting yourself off from the rest of
the world like this? You are too good, too womanly a girl, to lead
this colorless kind of an existence forever."

She looked at him pleadingly out of her beautiful eyes. "Mr. David,
you would not be intentionally cruel to me, I know, so don't speak to
me of these things. It only distresses _me_--and can do you no good."

"Forgive me, Anna, I would not hurt you for the world--but you must
know that I love you. Don't you think you could ever grow to care for
me?"

"Mr. David, I shall never marry any one. Do not ask me to explain, and
I beg of you,