Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1870-01-13

4
She said presently, trying potato with
! a fork sc4.', IS Ill = &, i7Fi
'The potatoes ars DONE. l will pour
the water off soon, and then put them on
again to dry. That will make them
I mealy. In few minutes we viii peel
them and then dinner WILDE ready ex-
cept taking it mp" as.ia .t.. olq q
The dinner seemed very meagre to
little Hattie as she ran over the items in
her municipalities, peas, pork, biscuit
butter, eucurnbers, milk and water. She
had wanted to make tea for her visitor,
but she declined decidedly. The poor
child said apologetically. ...,
"When father and mother were alive,
we used to have a good many things for
dinner, and Martha, our hired girl, used
to get them all; butwhen they died and
Squire Johns said he bought a MOI tgage
on our farm, and that we had got to pay
every cent of it the day it was due, or
lose everything, we had to do without a
good many things, and we are very poor
now, and Ben,is afraid we won't have
enough to pay it, and they all say we
may look for no mercy from Squire
Johns, for he'is very hard tothe poor,
and he always wanted our farm because
it joins on some of his own land where
he wants to build. heard all about it
when one of our neighbors was talking
with Ben, though he didn't want me to
know about it,, .-,r.,,...,
Millie had listened to this with curl
GUS mixture of feelings, for Squire Johns
was declared lover of hers, and though
she had not yet accepted him, she had
/ been pleased with his attentions and had
certainly given him encouragement
/ Moreover, he was to receive his final
answer in three days from that time, and
she was not sure the answer reserved
and laid away for that time was "no.p-
True, Mile was not in love with him,
but she had waited so long in vain for
that ecstatic state of feeling she had read
and heard so much about, she thought
she was not capable of love, AMI to like
any one was as muchas she could expect.
But she certainly liked Squire Johns as
well If not better than anv one, and his
love must certainly be disinterested. for
! he could not know that-but now Mile
stopped. Could he not? Might he not
have found out some way? If this story
was true, would such man be likely to
marry poor girla For hMillie Warner
was really an heiress in a small way
| She was sole inher;tor Of small, unin-,
numbered farm from her father, and five
thousand dollars in bank stock. But
theefarm was two hundred miles south
of this town where she was visiting a
cousin and nobody knew of it: and dur
ing her visit she had helped her cousin
in her work as she had always helped
her mother when she was at home-ca-
pable, industrious littls girl that she
was. .a.# E3..-s.
The story agreed with things that shc
had heard limited at, but only hinted at,
and even they the next morning were
smoothed over, for Squire Johns was "a
rich and influential man, and people
could not sfford,o without some reason,
tolbse his favor. She remembered it all
now. Could he in. reality bersuch a
scoundrel? p .s ~. ,..i isde
She could Judge better about the truth
of the story when she had seen Ben
Who was Ben? Two or three inquiries
had amounted to nothing. The children
spoke Just as if every body must know
who Ben was. Was he an uncle, cousin,
hired-map,or what2 Evidently some
body very old, by the way Hetty spoke
Of him. But she Shrugged her should.
ers as she looked out at thestili pouring
rain. 81, r .-.f-5,. trg
Young Ben Hazel, out in the field,
pitched up the last hay on the load,
leaned his pitchfork against tree. and
took Of his straw hat to cool his moist
forehead. His gaze followed the hay
cart, went over the broad lands and re-
| turned.
"The hay is all gone in," be said, with
long breath of relief. 81 could not af-
ford to lose one load now; don't know
that can do it, but if l can sell part of
the land may. 1t will be hard pull,
though" ......
The young man followed the cart into
theSbarn.l The storm was at its height
when he went toward the house from
the back way. He stopped in surprise,
as he saw through the window some one
was standing at the table, with arms bare
to the elbow, mixing flour. 1t must be
Martha'E f8,lf -TssifFE HG"f
No; those fair white arms are not
Martha's, neither hers the slender, grace
full figure. As he came nearer he could
distinguish the sparkling. piquant face.
She was laughing and talking with Het-
ty, and evidently giving her directions
for what she was making. Hetty was
gazing upon her, eager and absorbed -
Little Eva was setting at the table in
her high chair, working at piece Of
dough- ,ss~,a oE zu3.ol,s.- s-si''' ''t.
By and by there was SCATTERING of
water heard in the next room by Hetty.
s"Ben has come.p running hastily for
ward and opening the door. .,er q,
'sBen has tum p echoed the little one,
clapping her hands, and lisping. as he
came 10 bright and smiling, what she
had 10 store for him. 81 is made tate
for 90, l is."7 7isa. Z ''-'lii'
He, caught her up in bis arms and
rvovo nor l,;ea ,,1,,Ia H. l,,.l,oI