The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1878-08-28

lie in the shade when other people
have to be working hard in the sun
and do believe it is Squire Dallas
new hired man. and he ought to be
at work in the hay field instead of ".
ing under the trees with a book,
And" Barbara added, surveying the
distant 5tzi1aeGnt with resOlute blue
eyes from beneath her uplifted hand,
The shall work, he shall help me =
"Young man." she called out. The
robin trilled on, the brook made a
cool, tnmultuous splashing over the
messy stones that formed it's bed,
and no answer came back to Barbara
save the 6utter Of the leaves in the
the hazel copse under the HILL"
Young man, / say" she called out
again, this time with certain accent
OF the impeTious in her tone. The
recumbent figure under the oak tree
Strengthened itself mp at once, and
made haste toward the stone wall
that separated S, uire Dallas do
mains from Deacon Wilde's south
pasture lot,
II beg your pardon" said he, "but
did you cali p
"Of course | called" said Barbara,
thinking within herself how tall and
straight and darkly handsome, Squire
Dallas new hired man was. Don't
you think young man that YOU ought
To be at work ?"
"At work p asked the Spanish
proved stranger. "Well, perhaps /
ought"
"Ther,'s no perhaps abont it," said
Barbara brusquely. COZ course you
ought.-And since you don't choose
TO work for your master, you may as
well be working Tor me-
"My-master ?"
esquire Dallas, of course" said
Barbara. Dear me how stupid you
are"
"And how, may ask. did You
know who I was" he questioned in
an amused sort of way.
"Ob, it didn'trequire any great ex.
ercise of briliancy for that, respond
ed Barbara, with o wise little nod of
the head. * know Squire Dallas
has got new hired man, and if you
are not he, who are your
"That is the question, said the
''But we mast not stand talking
here" went on Barbara, in business
sort OF way. Take the basket and
go to picking strawberries just as
fast as ever You can, because we're
to have company at our house-I'm
Barbara Wilde you know, young man
and | must get back with the bcr-
ries as quickly as possible"
"All right, Pm tolerably quick at
this sort of thing, i believe,'' said the
stranger.
Il hope you are" said Barbara, in
tent upon extricating tiny rose
pricker from the point Of her stained
thulnb--"snd at other things too.
Because, if you are not Squire Dallas
won't keep you."
"He won't eb ?"
Barbara shook her head. s'The last
man went away because he couldn't
endure the Squirrels driveling ways
Oh, was so sorry. He was nice !
He used to lend NE books and things
over the fence, and he taught district
school in the Winters. I used often
to come here and talk TO him over
the fence, because, you see, it is lone
some up at the house, if / do have
two grown sisters Lisette is cross
with me if / ask to borrow any of
her books-she has a dreadful tenn
per has, has our Lisette-and Maud
is too intellectual to trouble herself
about a slip of a girl like me. Grown
sisters are dreadful" with solemn
shake of the head.
"And I suppose you are not
grown" said Squire Dallas hired
man with a curious CLEAN of amuse-
ment around the corners Of his
mouth"
"No," said Barbara II am only six
teen and haven't got trains to my
dresses yet. But perhaps when the
girls get married and OF them is sure
to marry this Captain Severn-Oh.
take care, you're tipping all the her-
ries out upon the grass Squire Dali
las won't keep you week if you are
as clumsy as that"
But the hired man luckily suc,
ceeded in righting the basket befoI g