Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1876-02-17
TWO MEN AND ONE WOMAN.
BIZ EBEN RExFoRp.

I The sky was full Of sunshine, warm
aud bright as the sunshine of June
lays is apt TO be and the air was
] sweet with the fragrance of newly
bloSsomed clover and the Glove pinks
by the path. And TO make the scene
more pleasant the robin whose nest
was IN the apple tree by the we'll was
singing his very merrie>t song, while
his pretty, demure little wife was
brooilnG over nestfull Of speckled
eggs near by.
But, for all the day was so bright
and pleasant in its influence, Olive
Gracm's mood was not in harmony
th L. She had risen that morning
feeling out of sorts, as the best and
most eten-tempered of US will some
times. Everything had seemed to go
wrong with the mornings work. The
children kept getting in the way, and
asking questions, Just for the sake OF
asking them The butter refused to
come, though she had lifted the
dasher a thousand times, she was
sure. Her mother was washing, and
the kitchen was warm and sitting.
"Dear me, I'm tired Of this kind of
life, said Olive, fretfullY. 1t was
not often that she INDUCED in this
kind Of mood, and her mother looked
NJ little wonderingly. "It's drudge,
drudge, drudge, from morning till
night, and from one weeks end to
another" she went on II wonder if
there isn't some easier way of getting
a living ?"
"Why, what's the matter now p
asked Mrs Graem, wiping the steam
IN suds from her hands Il never
lne,r taat you disliked work afore"
IT ,'on't dislike work. answered
Olive -" d willing to work. always
expect to Nat il must be that per-
son can do on,eihing besides house
work for livelihood There's the
city. | don't see Why young
woman can't learn dressmaklng, or do
fine sewing there, and ha We an easier,
pleasanter time of it than %'orAinS on
4 farm. I've a good notion to Try t.
| could board with Aunt Sarah, you
know "For goodness sake" *
claimed Mrs Graem, forgetting to put
any clothes in the wrlnger she was
turning theoretically, in her surprise,
whats got into your head now ? |
never had the faIntest idea that you
ever thought such a thing afore.'
81 never did think of such thing
till last night" answered Olive. "But
other girls get living in that way,
and see something of life, and why
shouldn't l.? I've got tired of stay
ING here in this dull old country
neighborhood and seeing nothing"
"How YOU talk !" exclaimed her
mother, dropping into y chair, and
wiping her heated face with her great
apron. "Tm sure there's good deal
going on here. There's the Sabbath
School celebration, and picnics on the
Fourth Of Julys-I don't see how
we'd get along with more"
yes, but I'm sick of them all
They're the same thing over and
over. want a change"
Il don't think ii does girls any
good to CAD off to the city. It alters
gets Their heads fnll o. grand notions
least wise, it did the Conover girls,
an they couldn't get their livin' nu-
ther, by workin' hard, an glad
enough they was to come home.
BIT they've telt ever 30 much above
common folks ever since, an poor
Oh Mr.. Conoyer has hard row to
hoe, in keepjn 'em dressed up in
fashion They got to be ladies,
suppose, cause they worked in the
city, but don't want y0u to get your
head chock full O. such foolish an ex
travioant ideas, an | know you
would, if you was to go off there, as
you've been talkin' about. Better
stay nj home, an be a little cleyerer
to Rob Eaton, l think"
Olive flushed up holly. Rob
Eaton had been her lover, a long
time. He was a stawart. brown
ia ed farmer, with rs warm and true
heart as ever beat. But Olive had
an idea, rather vague, visionary
one, but an idea, nevertheless, that
she was born for something more
than to be a mere farmers wife. She
had face full Of bright, healthy
beauty, and because so many had
admired it, she was rather vain. She
was hardly content to waste her
sweetness on the desert air Of farm
er's life She liked Robert Eaton
well enough much better than any
other young man Of her acquaintance.
But she did not believe she could
ever care enough for him TO marry
HIM She knew that nothing would
please her parents SO much as to see
her his wife. Therefore, coming at
time when she was in one of her most
perverse AMI restless moods, her
mothers words made her stubborn
and angry.
Rob Eaton :" she exclaimed, with
an indignant flush Of her brown eyes,
''it's always Rob Eaton. I've heard
that dinned over so much that be
Gin to hate the name and its owner"
II should think that you'd be
ashamed exclaimed Mrs Grsem,
warmly. I'm sure there amt like
lier young man in the neighborhood
than he Is.
i don't say anything about that
answered Olive. Hes well enough,
Tor those who are satisfied with that
class Of people.
or, YOU amt O. the persons 10 be
satisfied with such people, theu?'
asked Mrs. Graem, with intense sar-
casm I'm glad to know it. You'll
marry prince, 'spose, or a lord.
'spose you're sorry that your father
an mother are such common people !;
but don't see but you'll have to put
up with It. l wish to goodness
Mrs. Graems wish, whatever it
NAV have been, was never uttered,
for a step upon the gravel walk inter
rupted her. and she turned to see a
Young gentleman coming up the path ;
handsome fellow. with an air OF
ariStocratic hreedipp in his face and