The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1872-11-21
THE sQUIRE's MISTAKE.


Squire Dudley was in his garden, pull
ing weeds in his patch of tame straw
berries, on the morning when he took
fancy for Ruth Lees pretty face. She
came down the road, looking fresh as a
new-blown rose, in her plain calico dress
and straw hat. Her brown hair, cut
short, blew all about her face in little
rings, and her blue eyes and bright
cheeks made her as pretty picture as
one often sees. Squire Dudley saw her
just as she came opposite the strawberry
patch, and called out " Good morning"
in his brisk, CHEEKY way.
90, good morning!' she answered.
"You almost scared me, Squire Dudley.
didn't see you until you spoke"
Pheasant morning. iHn't it I" said the
Squire, coming up to the fence. Ruth
had halted in the road.
ats beautiful weather." answered
Ruth. II told mother it was too pleas
ant to stay indoors, and started off on a
visit"
Are your Strawberries ripe YETI" said
the Squire, wondering that he never had
noticed what fresh, charming face
Widow Lees daughter had before.
"Our Strawberries 7" laughed Ruth ;
eve haven't got one. Our old rooster
got in one day about week ago. and
picked all he could eat, and then ooaxed
the hens in, and between them they
ruined our strawberry crop"
"Too bad !" exclaimed the sympathetic
Squire. "Have some of these, Ruth !;
they're just ripe enough to be good"
He picked some great clusters of ripe
berries and handed them over the fence
to her.
"Thank you," said Ruth, smiling.
"How nice they are. Mother was max
ing great calculations on her strawberry
jam. She was terribly vexed when she
found out what the hens had DONE"
"I've got lotsto spare, said the Squire.
"I'll send some over to your mother"
"She'd be much obliged to you," said
Ruth, "if you have more than you
want"
"Plenty of them," answered the Squire
"plenty of them. Can have them just
as well as not"
Unjust be going" said Ruth. GOOD
morning"
GOOD morning" returned the Squire,
looking after her rs she passed down the
road. az declare there amt a prettier
girl in town than Ruth Lee wonder
some of the young fellows haven't got
her away from the widow. If l was a
young man now"
Squire Dudley stopped suddenly. An
idea had just flashed across his brain.
I'm fifty" ne said at last, after think
ing quite busily for some minutes. "Pm
fifty, but don't look it. I don't see
why should not try my luck, after all.
Girls as young as Ruth marry older men
than 1 am. Pm sure she'd make any
man good wife. Her mother is one OF
the finest women in the State, and she's
brought her daughter up to know how
to work and be saving and prudent. I'm
sure we need good housekeeper. Mrs.
Brown, she's old and fussy and crooked,
and this way of living amt half living.
I do believe I'll marry her, if she'll have
me. Maybe Charleyll say it's foolish,
but can't help that"
The Squire fell to wedding out his
strawberries again diligently, and kept
thinking about Ruth all the while. Long
before dinner was ready he had fully
made up his mind to propose marriage
to Ruth, and bring home new house
keeper and mistress to the great house
whose mistress had been dead for ten
years or more; provided, of course, that
Ruth didn't say no, and the Squire thought
there wasn't much danger of that, though
why he should be so sure l can't say.
"Don't you think we need house.
keeper?' he said to his son Charles that
afternoon, as they sat on the verandah.
The Squire evidently saw some new fes-
ture IN the landscape, for he kept his
face turned away from Charley's as he
spoke.
"a housekeeper Z" asked Charley.
"We've got one. What do we want OF
more, should like to know"
"Yes, know" assented the Squire
turning red in the face, and beginning
to get little uneasy; but Mrs. Brown
isn't such woman as we need. She
doesn't take any interest in the work al
AS a woman would who-who had
more interest in it"
After which extremely logical argu.
ment the Squire got more tidgety than
ever.
understand that" answered Charley
"If she had personal interest in the
place, and in being prudent and keeping
things up, she'd do better than she does
now. Now, she gets pay for her work
and that's all she cares for. It's all we
can expect of her."
"Just so" said the Squire, glad to know
that Charley agreed with him 80 far
"Tve been thinking this merning that
the best thing l could do would be tc
get some one who would take personal
interest in matters. don't see as yor
intend to get married, and if you won't
/ don't knew bat I'd better"
The Squire breathed easier. The worst
was over with.
"You get married ?" exclaimed Char
ley, in intense surprise. "Why, didn't
know that you ever thought OF such &
thing"
sand haven't till this morning." ex'
claimed the Squire. 81 got to thinking
about it this morning, and the more
thought about it the more thought it 9
good plan. You haven't any objec-
tions ?"
"Of course not" answered Charley
"You CT n do as you think best. If you
deem it advisable to get wife have