The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1876-02-03
girl so. Let me fix up my hair. You've
got it all loose, and almost torn my dress

girl so. Let me fix up my hair. You've
got it all loose, and almost torn my dress
off,"
Like fool he did, thinking she had
thrown up the sponge, and that the
stakes were his. But he soon found out
what an inconsiderate jackass he had
made of himself, for she only laughed
"Now you may kiss me-if you camp
But she did not wait for any such
consummation-bad never intended to do
it put out her foot (and she didn't wear
number two shoe by any manner of
means y permitted him to tumble sprawl
ing over it, and started off OH run. At
least she tried to do it. But unfortu-
nately for her purpose, he had grabbed
her dress in falling, and though there
was great ripping he held fast, and an.
other wrestling match was the result.
That very morning Mrs. Brown had
carried all her canned fruit into the Gel
lar so as TO have it out of the rumpus
she was certain would follow, and, as
luck would have it, the shelf upon which
it stood was grasped by Kate, and down
it came, smashing everything into smith
Greens, and deluging them with the
sticky contents.
"Good Lordp exclaimed Tom, quickly
releasing his hold.
"Oh, heavens!" shrieked Kate.
Robbersl" screamed Mrs. Brown,
who had heard the smash. "Robbers
thieves burglars! cut-throatsl"
"What, Nance ?" asked her husband,
who had just came in at the moment for
another pail Of cider, for the fiddler was
already, as he said, "as drunk as blind
owl"
"Down the cellar. Oh, oh" she
groaned.
"I'll be the death of them."
He took down his gun and started, and
Kate whispered to Tom, with sudden
gush of modesty:
"There comes Dad He'll murder
you if he finds you here alone with me-"
"Show me the way out, quick"
"Come this way"
She took his hand with all the inno-
cence of cosset, led him a little way,
told him to stoop down, and then sud-
denly lifted him from his feet and
plunged him head first into the fish bar
rel
Thus the old man found him, dragged
him forth, washed him under the pump,
and laughed long and heartily when he
heard the story, vOwing that his Kate
was ga trump and none of ther boys
could git away with her, no way they
could fix it,"
at hain't nothin', Tom," he contin-
ued, carter yer git used ter it, and Kate
hain't much better. / saw her scudding
of almost under bare poles, and her
hair looked like ther back of er tarred
sheep"
But Tom took different view of the
matter, and was seen no more that night.
He skulked home fairly beaten by girl,
and swore "by Deuteronomy" he'd never
90 to another husking bee as long as he
lived.
1t wasn't so with Kate. She managed
to change her dress and wash and rear
range her hair in the shortest order, and
make her appearance again, demure as a
church mouse, and didn't make such a
fuss when some others wanted to kiss
her, but just turned up her lips like
clover to bee. And she was deter
mined that Bertha shouldn't escape, and
put up one of the boys to run her down
if need be, but to kiss her TO his hearts
content, the proud, stuck up, hateful
thingW
Bertha sat shivering with dread in a
corner, wishing her father would only
come. But it was fun to poke fun at the
pretty schoolmistress when they dared /;
and she was about to be dragged forth
despite her pleadings and the tears which
gathered in her sweet brown eyes, when
she saw a stranger smiling at her per-
plexities. One glance convinced her
that he was gentleman. His dress
and manner showed that, and his face
showed that he was disgusted with the
entire proceedings. As she was about to
be rudely thrust into the circle of mad
caps, he made his way to her side and
said in low and educated voice:
"Pardon the want of an introduction.
Are you not Miss Bertha Baker ?"
"Yes, sir"
"Your father, finding it impossible to
keep his appointment with you, has sent
me in his place. am Alfred Browning.
You have often heard of me-"
Certainly, SIR" And knowing him
to be the son of an old friend of the FAM
lily, she instantly felt a sense Of relief and
safety.
"You are not going home so soon? ?"
said Kate. "Don't 60, dear. We shall
miss you so much," and then as soon as
she disappeared made faces at her.
How very slow and how very pleasant
the walk homeward 1t made Bertha
blush to think of it when she at last laid
her head upon the pillow-and her
dreams? Well, girls, you have had the
same kind.
"Now," exclaimed Kate, that aristo.
cratic thing has gone with her city lover,
who she had the brass to pretend she
didn't know, let's have some genuine old
fashioned fun"
In this the majority joined, and every
particle of restraint seemed to be re.
moved. And such goings on were never
seen or heard before. Even some of the
matrons who had been the greatest
romps in their day, were shocked, and
the ancient maidens, with little pigtail
curls, hid their faces behind their huge
turkeytail fans, SO astonished were they,
and peeped over them.
Husking bees, like everything else
come to an end, and well-I had letter
from Ransomville the other day, and IL
said that pretty Bertha had married
Browning, and bold Kate Brown had con.
sented to make Tom Jones miserable fol
life, after all. And my word for it, she
will do it.
Seeing Stars.