The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1873-02-22
The Squire's Mistake.

Squire Dudley was in his garden,
pulling weeds in his patch Of tame
strawberries, on the morning when he
took a fancy for Ruth Lees pretty
face. She came down the road, look
ing fresh as new blown rose in her
plain calico dress and straw hat. Her
brown hair, cut quite short, blew all
about her face in little rings, and her
blue eyes and bright cheeks made her
as pretty a picture as one often sees.
Squire Dudley saw her Just as she
came opposite the strawberry patch,
and called out "Good morning!n in
his brisk, CHEEKY way. %
40, good morning." she answered.
You almost scared me, Squire Dud-
ley. l didn't see you until you spoke. .
pheasant morning, isn't it3' said
the squire, coming UP to the fence.
Ruth had halted in the road.
Its beautiful weather." answered
Ruth. ~ told mother it was too
pleasant to stay in doors, and started
off on VISIT
Are ycur strawberries ripe YETI"
said the squire, wondering that he
never had noticed before what a fresh,
charming face Widow Lees daughter
had.
"Our Strawberries" laughed Ruth.
awe haven't got one. Our old rooster
got in one day, about a week ago, and
picked all he could eat, then coaxed
the hens in, and between them they
ruined our strawberry CROP"
Too bad!" said 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
making great calculations on her
strawberry jam. She was terribly
vexed when she found out what the
hens had done."
I've got lots to spare" said the
squire. I" I'll send some over to your
mother.'
"She'd be much obliged to you,"
said Ruth; Elf you have more than
you want"
Plenty of them," answered the
squire; "plenty of them. Can have
them just as well as not"
"Weli | must be goins," said Ruth.
"Good morning"
sGood morning. returned Squire
Dudley, looking after her as she went
down the road. 81 declare there amt
prettier girl in town than Rutl, Lee.
| wonder some of the young fellows
haven't got her away from the widow.
If was young now"
The squire stopped suddenly. An
idea had just flashed across his brain.
Pm fifty" he said at last, after
thinking quite bnsily for some min
utcs, "l'm fifty, but don't look it.
don't see why shouldn't try my luck,
after all. Girls as young as Ruth
marry men older than am. I'm 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 to be saving and prudent. I'm
sure we need a good housekeeper.
Mrs. Brown is old, fussy and crooked,
and this way Of living isn't half liv-
ing. l do believe Eli marry Ruth, if
she will have me. Maybe Charley
will say it is foolish, but l 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 a
new housekeepcr 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, can't say.
"Don't you think we need house.
keeper7" he said to his son Charles
that afternoon, as they sat on the We
randall. The squire evidently saw
some new feature in the landscape,
for he kept his face turned away from
Charley's as he spoke.
GA housekeeper z" asked Charley.
"We've got Que. What do we want
of more, should like to know7"
"Yes, know" assented the squire,
turning red in the face aud beginning
to get q little uneasy :" but Mrs.
Brown isn't such woman as we need.
She doesn't take any interest in the
work as-as a woman would who
who had more interest in it."
After which extremely logical argu-
ment the squire got more fidgety than
ever.
"I understand that" said Charley.
eff she had personal interest in the
place, and in being prudent and keep
ing things up, she'd do better than
she does now. Now she gets her pay
for her work, and that is all she cares
for. 1t is all we can expect of her"
"Just so," said the squire, glad to
know Charley agreed with him SO far.
"I've been thinking this morning that
the best thing conld do would be to
get some one who would take a per-
sonal interest in matters. i don't see