The Republican journal., 1869-10-14
OUT IN THE RAIN.

OUT IN THE RAIN.
| Sprinkle! rain' shower! right down Mlllle
Warmers tasteful little hat and gracefu shoul-
dcrs. unprotected save by q thin shawl not
withstanding the besccching glance of the
prcttiest pair of hazel eyes that ever looked up
to cloud that way.
When NIillie came to a large white farm
house, she very gladly, and rather hastily
for Just then there was heavy peal OF thun-
der-opencdt the gate andwent up to the flower
bordcrea path to the house and knocked for
admhlance. Nobody answered, and as an
other peal of thunder was heard, accompani-
ed bv a vivid flash Of lightning, N1illie enter
ed without ceremony. She took n.at Il glance
the contents of the room she came to-;l large
square room, plainly but neatly fur. ..ishcd :
the cane seated, chairs, the pretty chintz-cov-
cred lounge, bookcase filled with books and
the sheet music the violin in the case IN the
corner, the vase of faded flowers, and the or
namcnts on the mantel. There was no one
there, but she heard a childish voice i'll the
room, and again knocked. A dark eyed girl
of ten or eleven opened the door.
Mile explained why she was there. With
the ease and good manners of one much Older
the child badc her welcome, placed . chair
near the stove and took Miles dripping hat
and shawl.
II was just beginning to get dinner, that
was the reason | didn't hear you knock. 1t
will be a long time before the shower is over,
and you must stay with us to dinner twill
be ready bv the time Ben comes; but that
will not be for ;,n hour.
'.Es dnnie'll be wcddy when Ben tums, :"
| lisped and laughed u little girlof three years.
| The older child whose name was Hetty, re-
sumcd:
II can't get avery good dinner, ain quiet
old enough, but Ben says [ do nicely. He
puts it on for me and | see to it. But he does
not allow me to lift off kettles for fear | will
burn OF scald myself; ;.but think | am large
enough to do that. ! like to have everything
ready for him when he comes i'll tired and
hungry. Ican't make biscuit; wish could
for Ben likes them ever so nuch But Mar
tha, who comes in to make bread for us, says
she viii teach me-"
| ''Whcre is your mother" asked Nlilic OF
the little Eva when Hctty was out of the room.
| I'VE is got no muddcr but Ben,' the little
one lisped.
| When Hetty came back, Millie said:
| s'Now | have got nicely warmed and my
dress will dry as we'll at work rs sitting still,
50 l will help you get dinner. If you like,
will make some biscuit aud wcwill have dim
ncr ready in u very short time"
Hety was delighted. Ben wouldbe so glad
Might she look on and learn how?
Millie was young, and frank, and gay, anc
she and the children soon became very wei
acquainted over the biscuit. She said PRESENT
Ily, trying potato with q fork:
sThe potatoes are done | will pour tho
water OIL so, then put them on again to diy
That will make them mealy. In few min
utes we will peel them, and then dinner viii
be ready except t"kin" it up"
/ The dir lcr Sc -nct. very meagre to LITTLE
EHetty as she ran over the items in her mind
Ipotatoes, peas, pork, biscuits, butter cucum
bers milk, water She had wanted to makl
tea for her visitor, but she declined decided
". The poor child said, apologetically:
''When father and mother w"rc alive W.
used to have q good many things for dinner
and Martha, our hired girl, used to get then
ALL but when they died, and Squire John
said he bought u mortgage on our farm, ant
that we had got to pay every cent the day i
was due or lose everything, we had to dt
without good many things, and we are yer,
poor now and, Ben is afraid we can't have
) enough to pay it, and they all say we ma,
: look for no mercy from Squire Johns, for ht
is q very hard man to the poor, and he ha
always wanted our farm, bee Use it join
some of his own land where he wants t.
build | heard all about it when one of tn,
Htl1HDtIS WIS L.ltNiii3 VIII l'Cll, ~ lI
didn't want me to know about it.
Millic had listened to this with q curiou
mixture of feelings, for Squire Johns was
declared lover of hers, and though she ha.
pot vet accepted him, she had been pleased
with his attention, and had certainly givel
him encouragement. Moreover, he was t,
receive his final answer in three DAYS from
: that time, and she was not sure the ansWe
t reserved and laid away for the time was mo
t True, Millie was not in love with him, bu
D She had waited SO long in vain for that costa
n tic state Of feeling she had read and heard s.
much about, she thought she was not capable O
@ love and that to like any one was as much a
h She could expect But she certainly like
Squire John, as well ifnot better than any one
and his love must certainly be disinterested
+ stopped Gould he not? Might he not hay
), found out in some way? Ifthis story wer
If true, would such a man be likely to marry
J. poor girl? For Millic Warner was really a
. hciress in 4 small way. She was sole inher
tor of q small uncncumbcrcd farm from he
+ father, and five thousand dollars in ban
y stock. But the farm was two hundred mile
e south of this town, where she visited
+ cousin, and nobody knew of it; and durin
4 her visit she had helped her cousin in he
!, !, work rs she had always helped her mothc
II when she was ;ll nOmc-capaDlc, mduStrOU
i" little girl that she was.
The story agreed with things that she ha
L. heard limited ut, but only limited at, and eve
% that the next moment was smoothcd over ft
Is Squire Johns was a rich and influential MAJ
r and the people could not afford without SON
D. reason, to lose his favor. She remembered
all NOW. Couldhc in reality be such ascoun
G trel?
y She could judge better of the truth of IL
:, story when she had seen Ben. Who was he
q q Two OF three enquiries had amounted to II,
" thing The children spoke just as if ever
il body must know who Ben was. Was he III
t. Gle, cousin, hired man, or what? Evident1
' 'r somebody very old, by the way Hetty spol
'' of him. But she shrugged her shoulders
she looked out at the still pouring rain
IS Young Ben IIazwell out in the field, pitcl
!; cd up the last hay on the land, leaned Ii
I; pitchfork against tree, and took off his stra
u u hat to cool his moist forehead. His gaze 70
's lowed the hay-cart, went over the broad land
|