The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1875-09-23
THE BASHFUL LOVER.

THE BAS HFUL LOVER.
John Patterson was driving his venera-
bic horse slowly homeward from the lit
tie village of Briarton. They were pass
ing the low-lying farm of Nathan Wynne,
and John, without daring for the life of
him to turn his head, rolled his great
black eyes toward the substantial stone
farm house i'll the hope of catching Il
glimpse of Kitty, the farmers comedy
daughter. But, though John kept his
eyes turned in their sockets till his head
ached fcartully, he saw nothing of Kitty.
John was desperately in love with Kitty
Wynnc and had been for many day, and
yet dared not tell her so. Tell her that
he loved her and ask her to marry him?
Why, he would not so much as look at
her when there was any Danger of his
being caught at it tor the world, and sim
ply because he could not, for it was
Johns misfortune to be excessively bash
tul. He generally made out to bow to
her when he met her, but even that al
ways brought Il great lump into his throat
As John passed over Il little knoll and
out of sight of the house, the farmers
great orchard-the trees ready to break
down under their weight OF ripe fruit
was before him.
"What a while that miller kept me
waiting for my grist. Pm as hungry as
bear. L must have pockettul of those
yellow beauties to eat on my way hOmc.'
And with this John drew rein on his
horse, scaled the fence and struck out in
4 bee line for his tavOrite tree.
He knew as well as Farmer Wynne did,
and in fact every man and boy around
knew, just where the best apples were to
DC found, for Nathan was not one of those
men whom large and small boys Of preda-
tory habits designate as a "stingy old
hunks'' HIS fruit was as free to all as
the water in the little brook which di-
vidcd the orchard by its never-ceasing
flow.
John had filled his pockets, and was
about to retrace his steps to the wagon
when he caught the tlutter of a pink dress
through IA cluster OF ounce trees, and
heard Kitty's merry voice in conversation
with some one. Stealing hasty glance
through the trees John recognized kitty's
companion to be her cousin, Hetty Shaw,
from the village They were coming di-
rectly toward the tree under which John
was standing.
What in the world was he to do? He
did not fancy running away like de-
tected thief, and his trembling knees and
palpitating heart warned him that if he
would not die then and there he must
seek place of concealmcnt.
To add to Johns bucketful of embar-
rassment on this occasion he was con-
scious that he was not in the least fixed
up" He was in his everyday garb, and
there was a huge black patch ON the knee
of his gray pantaloons; and John hated
patches because he was poor and obliged
to wear them. The sleeves of his coat
were far too short, as also the legs of his
pants, and to make the matter worse his
clothes were covered with flour which he
had somehow got on while he was wait
ing for his grist at the mill.
John glanced up into the tree, but the
foliage was not thick, and there was little
chance for hiding-place there. Near the
tree was an inverted hogshead, which had
been used as stand from which to pick
apples from the tree. The hogshead had
once been used as temporary dog-kennel,
and hole perhaps eighteen inches in di-
ameter had been made to admit the dog.
There was no time to be lost. The
hogshead afforded the only retreat within
the trembling young mans reach, and he
was not long in squeezing himself inside
of it.
The girls came on and sat down on the
grass right where John, by STOPPING down
and peering through the circular hole,
could watch them.
Kitty, he thought, looked prettier and
brighter than ever in her pink dress, and
the sun, which was settling into the west,
made her brown hair as golden as the ap-
pies IN her lap.
Kitty held up an apple by the stem, say
"Name it, Hetty; but not Will Joyce,
nor Jerry Davis, nor"
"There, stop; the apple is named"
said Hetty, merrily.
Kitty pared and ate her. apple, carefully
saving all the seeds. When she had them
all in her chubby hand she held them out
for Hetty to spell the name. Touching
each seed with her finger, Hetty spelled:
"J-o-h-n Patterson"
cit spells it exactly. Why, Kitty, what
are you blushing so for? One would
think that fellows name was spelled out
in your heart in indelible letters by the
way you look"
Kitty said nothing, though she looked
uncommonly sober for her, John thought,
and he wondered if the girls didn't hear
his heart beat; he thought they must, it
was humping away so furiously. He
thought, too, that Kitty was angry that
anyone would suppose that she cared for
him. How humbly he felt; he could
scarce have told why; and how his cheeks
burned with the flush of wounded pride.
Now, really, Kitty" said her cousin,
with bantering laugh, eff you don't
drive away that forlorn look / shall think
you care more than your pride will let you
acknowledge for that great, awkward
BOBBY, who hasn't the courage, nor never
will have, to ask you to have him."
"Hush, Hetty!" said Kitty, as she rose
to her feet, and her cheeks glowed with a
flush of deepest crimson. "You do moi
know John Patterson as we do, or you
would not utter what you have. He is
not awkward at home with his mother
You ought to see how kind and consider.
ate he is to her. Father drops In there
often, and he says there isn't more noble
hearted man to be found. Yesterday, you
Hetty, were making game ofJohn because
he wears clothes that are patched and old.
fashioned. John is industrious, and dc
you know what he does with his money
Father says he is paying off the mortgage
on his mothers little farm, and that wher
he has a few dollars more than are neces
sary for payment he expends it fol
books. Mark my word, Hetty, Joh1
Patterson will yet be man that you will
be proud to class among your friends. H,
has intellect of no common order. It.,
only his great bashfulness that keeps hin
back now"
"Now, Kitty, you are too absurd" AMI
Hetty laughed as though she thought he
companion in jest. "Well, it is leap
year; you had better offer yourself to thi
paragon. l don't believe he will refuse"
know no one whom l would soone
marry-so, therev' And Kitty's face wa
scarlet with hluehoo nc chm ~, od fh;c fro n