Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1870-02-25
SELECTED STORY.
OUT IN THE RAIN.

~ N II ~ y 66A& ~
OUT IN THE RAIN.
Sprinkle rain! shower /! right down on
Mile Warmers tasteful little hat and grace
full shoulders, unprotected save by a thin
shawl Notwithstanding the beseeching glance
Of the p~rettiest pair of hazel eyes that ever
look up to a cloud in that way. ri
When Mile came to a large, white farm
house, she very gladly, and rather hastily
for just then there was a heavy peal of thun-
der-opened the gate, and went up the fow-
ef- bordered path to the house. and as anoth-
er peal Of thunder was heard, accompanied
by a vivid fash of lightning, Mile entered
without ceremony. She took in at a glance
the contents of the room, plainly but neatly
furnished-the cane seated chairs, the pref
ty chintz-coyered lounge the book case
filed with books and sheet music ; the violin
in its case in the, corner, the vase Of faded
flowers, and the ornaments on4the -mantel.
There, was no one there, but she heard a
childish voice in the next room and again
knocked. A dark, eyed girl Of ten or eleven
years opened the door.
Mile explained why she was there. With
the ease and good manners of one much OIL
der, the child babe her welcome, placed a
chair near the stove and took Miles drip
ping hat and shawl.
Il was just beginning to get dinner that
was the reason I didn't hear you knock. 1t
will be a long time before the shower is over
and you must stay with us for dinner. 1t
will be ready by time Ben comes but that
will not be for an hour"
"Es, dinnie'u be weddy when Ben tums'
lisped and laughed a little girl of three
years.
The older child. whose name was Hetty.
resumed:
II can't get a very good dinner I amt
quite old enough, but Ben says | do nicely.
He puts it on for me, and l see to it. But
he does not allow me to take off kettles, for
fear I will burn or scald myself; but | think
I am large enough to do that, | like to
have everything ready fer him when he
comes in tired and hungry. [ can't make
biscuit wish [ could, for Ben likes them
ever so much but Martha who comes in
to make bread for us says she will teach
me-"
.sWhcre is yoHr mother22" asked Mile
of the little Eva, when betty was out Of the
room. Il s..a
1--WE is got no mudder bnt Ben" the lit.
tie one lisped.
When Hetty came back Millie said
CHOW / have got nicely warmed md my
dress will dry just as we'll at work as sitting
still ; SO I will help you get dinner. If yol
: like | will make some biscuit, and we vii
s have dinner in a very short time"
> Hetty was delighted. Ben will be glad
: Might she look on and learn how?
Mile was young, and frank, and gay
and she and the children soon became very
: yell acquitted over the. biscuit. She saie
presently, trying a potato With 4 fork
7 "The potatoes are done. will pour tn
water of SO. and then put them on again
to dry. That will make them mealy. Ii
a few minutes we will peel them and thel
dinner will be all ready except taking i
up"
The dinner seemed very meagre to littl
Hetty as she ran over the items in her min'
, potatoes, peas, pork, biscuit, butter, epcpmIl
beers, milk and water. She had wanted t
make tea for her visitor, but she decline'
decidedly. The poor child said APOLOGIZE
r cally: ~
: When father and mother were alive,
n used to have a good many things for Dime
VI and Martha, our hired girl, used to &c
them all but when they died, and SOUR
Johns said he bought q mortgage on gu
farm, and that we had got to pay eyer,
cent the day it was due, or lose everything
T we had to do without a good many things
and we are very poor now, and Ben is afrai,
we can't have enough to pay it, and they al
say we may look for no mercy from SPUR
Johns, for he is very hard to the poor: an
y he has always wanted our farm, because
n Joins some Of his own land where he want
! to build. I heard all about it when one
the neighbors was talking with Our Ben
though he didn't want me to know abou
it," .
l. Mile had listened to this with a curiou
4 mixture of feelings. for Squire Johns was
declared lover of hers, and though she ha'
not yet accepted him, she had been please
with his attentions and had certainly give
: him encouragement. Moreover ne was
receive his final answer in three days fror
y that time, and she was not sure the answe
reserved and laid away for that time wa
mo" True, Mile was not in love wit
him, but she had waited so long in vain 10
that ~eestatie state Of feeling she had read an
heard SO much about, she thought she wasno
capable Of love, and that to like any on
was as much as she could expect. But SD
certainly liked Squire Johns as. well if nc
better than any one, and his love must ees
is tainly be disinterested, for he could nc
lie know what-but now Mile stopped. Coul
he not? Might he not have found out som
q way? If this story was true. would sucn
t. man be likely to marry a poor girl 70
Mile Warner was really an helress IN
small way. She was sole lnherltor OF
small, ppipcumbered farm from heF fatne'!
and FIVE thousand dollars in bank stock
But the farm was two hundred miles sout
Of this town, where she was visiting a cous
in, and nobody knew Of it; and during ne
visit she had always helped her cousin !
St her work as she always helped her motne
when she was at home-capable, lndustr'
GUS little girl that she was. ,
The story agreed with things that sho ma