The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1874-08-20

lightcncd. Her spectacles seemed to en-
large themselves. The frill ON her can
widcned out interrogatively.
"Bless my soul" she said; "what upon
airth am l thinking Of, to be sure! do
get things little confused, what with
so many inquiring arter Sairy Jane and
Tom: And you be the young man that
see her home with the umbarcll.-Miss
Wander, l mean. Oh, bless your heart
she only stopped here to ask after Tom,
and to get in out of the wet; though she
did match some worsteds, reclect, and,
what's more, left them behind her when
she hurried off artcr the shower. I'd be
Oblecgcd to you, sir, it you're going that
way, to just let her know they're all
safe"
Going that way! The young man lin
gcred as he closed the gate, and the
sense of his poverty and idlcncss did
come upon him then with deadly
weight. What matter to him, or to any
one, which way he drifted AS he
walked down the path among Aunt
Polly's nodding hollyhocks he could have
found it in his heart to envy the old
woman her quiet little wayside nook
and the undisturbed certainty of her
homely existence.
So it was Squire Vandcr's daughter he
had escorted so bravcly with the um-
brclla!-'Squire Wander, who owned, as
Aunt Polly had told him, "no end of
lands in these parts" "What Il fool |
am to be lingering about hcrcw thought
our friend, as he wandered on; 'Ill be
off by the next train"
But then, hadn't he a commission to
Miss Wander, wasn't he charged with
message for her, and wasn't business
I h,,sS n.l =:
whistle Of the train as it swept out of
sight while he still loitered. lie passed
the 'SQuire's big mansion wistfully. What
right had he to look in at the pickets-a
poor, wandering waif that would shortly
be in want of breakfast? The great
fields of waving corn goldcned in the
sunlight, the orchards on the slopes hung
Justify ripe with fruit, and under the
trees here and there the cattle stood
cooling themselves in the shade, and
lazily whisking off the tiies:a pretty sun
lighted scene, where probably no COM
Portable farmer, no hOspitable house
mistress, would have conceived it posi-
bic that the dccently dressed young man
strolling idly by was without dollar in
his pocket or an object in the world.
Object. Oh, we'll, perhaps not exactly
that. Not if one can translate that
CLEAN in the young mans eyes as
through the trees that skirt Squire Van
der's lawn he catches a glimpse of Il
pretty figure in tluttering muslin, sitting
and swaying itself lcisurely in a great
swing under the boughs of spreading
oak; TO and fro, to and fro, the airy figure
| fits, the leaf shadows embroidcring her
white dress, and glints of sunlight spang-
| ling her braided hair. Should he venture
in: He stood irresolutc. and as he stood
there came an Eruption of small boys
through a side gate-a pack of hungry
youngsters just let out of school.
Il say, BesSy, is dinner ready?" they
cried.
"Comc here and give me a swing" an
swered Bessy, inconscqucntly.
As they approached, the boys caught
sight of the watchful, wayworn face peer
ing through the shrubbery.
why, that's the chap was down at
the store after situation" cried Jack,
jim and Jerry in chorus.
Bessy turned hastily; she knew her
friend of yesterday in Il moment. "Oh,
come in. come i'm she cried. 81 ought
to have thanked you for your kindness
last night"
IL just-just missed the train" said
the traveller, started out of his sclf-pos-
session, and naturally, under the circum-
stances giving utterance to the first tib
that suggested itself.
Going away? Why, don't you find it
pleasant hcrc:"
Every pleasant, but"
But the hotel and boarding houses are
all full, suppose"
Ito tell you the truth" burst out the
young man, won to strange confidence by
the frank eyes looking out at him, and
speaking out the bitterness of his heart,
lit would make very little difference in
my casc-they'd crowd me out, whether
or no, for couldn't pay for ROOM"
Not pay for room. Bessy's eyes
looked up at the broad front of her
fathers house where door and window
stood open free and spacious. So much
room and to spare while others were so
was quickly turned to smile ut behold
ing the alacrity with which Jack, Jim
and Jerry had monopolized the swing.
Now there's fellow could give us a
regular toss all together" cried little
Jack, his merry black eyes looking out
toward the tall figure at the gate.
There is no resisting fate, and before
he knew it Mr.. BROMLEY was fairly in
that sacred Enclosure, the leaf shadows
tiuttering over his tall figure, and over
Bessy's arch face, and over the rosy,
merry boys, as they swung, laughing,
skyward, sent up with a will, once, twice,
and again. And while they were all thus
merrily engaged an elderly gentleman
with an ivory-headed cane came walking
up the path.
Father" said Bessy, soberly, "this
is the young gentleman who was so kind
as to help me in the rain Yesterday
land such fellow to lift! cried
Jack, as he came down from his ride in
the tree-tops.
"Ah," said the old gentleman, cying
the youth sharply, Mr.. BROMLEY, whom
| saw yesterday, l believe"
Hes regular brick, father" cried
Jack. "Such a swing! If you take him
in the store it'll be jolly-then We can
swing every day"
"Ay, ay," said Mr.. Wander, smiling, as
his young people chung about him-"ay,
ay, to be sure; that's all young folks
think about nowadays-a jolly time!
Well well, come in to dinner, Mr..
BROMLEY, and we'll talk the matter
over. And so you thought it no harm to
try again. Nothing like perseverance,
my lad!'
Mr.. Brownley did not state that he
came with message from Aunt Polly.
Perhaps he forgot to deliver it altogether.
l am not sure.
But this l can affirm, that in the an
nails of Evansville it is related that the
successful Mr.. BROMLEY, the honored
and honorable Mr.. BROMLEY, rose to his
present estate from a very humble posi-
tion-a mere place behind counter
and, as some hint, by first securing
place in Bessy Vander's heart, which sit
uation, understand, he holds to this
day.
Chinese Private Life.