Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1875-01-16

PASoSuSAy' PAOVty ASV"ASSACA oSooS
stood just in sight, with row Of red
and white hollyhocks nodding up to its
caves. A scarlet runner, dripping and
shining in the shower, half hid little
window facing On the lane, wherein a
fantastic assemblage OF spools, beads
and jars of confectionery looked out
with an eye to trade.
The girl threw open the gate.
Won't you come in?" she said
:" Aunt Polly will be glad to see you"
No, thank you" said the young
man, staring stupidity after her, as she
disappeared among the hollyhocks.
"Lives there" does she, he said con-
templating the tiny shop. "I'rn too late
for the train to-day. Guess I II call in
tomorrow. Wonder if they keep fish
ing lines?"
The next morning, after lounging
about the village, and trying vainly to
get sense of his situation, or rather
want of one, young Brownley brushed
his coat with extraordinary care.
"No signs of a shower to-day" he
said, as he strolled up the road. II
WOuucE IL i u UcttCI tnhO tuC tiuih!
And with that he turned up the road
toward the little shop. A clean old
woman, in a wide frilled cap and
wrinkled face, sat rocking herself in the
doorway. She looked up az the gate
latch clicked; a great cat purring at her
side rose sleepily, curling its tail as the
intruder entered. Fishing lines ?"
The old women sat about a fumbling,
spectacled search among her motley
stock, but none were to be found. He
could get them up at Squire Vander's
big store in the village. All! we'll, the
young man recollected just then that he
wanted some thread. He was often in
want of a bit to sew button on with.
" Poor young fellow" said Aunt Polly
to herself, commiseratingly, " board
ing, supposed" And needles? would
he have needles? He couldn't get no
better than her'n anywhere. No, to
be sure not And while the good wom-
an was putting up a parcel sufficient to
restore all the stray buttons in Chris
tendon. her customer sat cxpectant,
waiting but not for the PACKAGE; per-
haps trim little figure might suddenly
alight in the room, coming in from
among the hollyhocks, or tripping
daintily down the old stairway visible
just beyond.
Did-did your daughter get very
wet?" he inquired, very abruptly at last
considering how long he had heen con-
templating the query.
stS,.r,, T,~o2 kc;,>'t e1o,> H.. L.
day, but their house do leak some,
that's sartain, which is bad for Tom,
who's got the whoop-"
But suddenly the old lady got en-
lightened. Her spectacles seem to en-
large themselves. The frill on her cap
widened out interrogatively.
"Bless my SOUL" she said; what
on earth am thinking of to be sure!
I 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 umLrell :?
Miss Wander, l mean. Oh. bless your
heart, she only stopped here to ask af-
ter Tom, and to get in out of the wet;
though she did match some worsteds,
I rec lect, and, what's more, left them
behind her when she hurried off arter
the shower. I'd be obleeged 10 you,
sir, if you are going that way, to Just
let her know they are all safe"
Going that way! The young man lin
gered as he closed the gate, and the
sense Of his poverty and idleness did
come upon him then with q deadly
weight. What matter to him, or to any
one, which way he driftedl As he
walked down the path among Aunt Pol
ly's nodding hollyhocks, he could have
found it in his heart to envy the old
women her quiet little wayside nook,
and the undisturbed serenity of her
homely existence.
So it was Squire Vander's daughter
he had escorted so bravely with the um-
brella!-Squire Wander, who owned, as
Aunt Polly had told him, " no end of
land in these parts" "What fool I
am to be lingering about here" thought
our friend, as he wandered on; "I'li he
off by the next train"
But then, hadn't he commission to
Miss Wander, wasn't he charged with
message for her, and wasn't business
business? He heard the resounding
whistle of the train as it swept out of
sight while he still loitered. He passed
the Squiro's big mansion, wistfully.
What right had he to look in at the
pickets-a poor wandering waif who
would shortly be in want of breakfast =?
The great fields of waving COIN gold
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 flies;
pretty sun-lighted scene, where prob
ably n comfortable farmer, no hospit-
able house mistress, would have cou-
ceived it possible that the nicely dressed
young man stroiling idly by was with
out dollar in his pocket or an object
in the world.
Object! Oh, we'll, perhaps not exactly
that. Not if one can translate that