Connecticut western news., 1878-06-27
The Squire's Hired Man.


 "More strawberries ?" said Mrs. Wylde, with perplexed contraction of her brows.
 " Yes." said old Phillis, the cook. I've made two short-cakes an pie. an dar ain't nigh enough left to fill de big glass dish for tea"
 Is" Dear me! l" said Mrs. Wylde, "what shall we do? Barbara "--to slender young g1rl who was curled up III one of the deep window-seats, reading" you'll have to go."
 Barbara Wylde scrambled down out of her high perch.
 " Mamma" said she, "what nui- sance all this is l I don't believe Gap tain Ellwood Severn is worth all this trouble. don't believe he'll fall in love with either Maude or Lisette. And I think preserved gooseberries are quite good enough for him"
 Hold your tongue, child p said Mrs. Wylde, sharply. Takg the basket and go for the strawberries at once"
 And Barbara disappeared, unwillingly enough.
 Strawberries, indeed P said Barbara to herself. @ It's dreadful to be the youngest of family of girls, and have to pick strawberries for one's elder sis ter's besdx.
 "I wonder which of lem he'll marry ?'' sgd Barbara to herself, as she paused a minute to listen to robin which, perch ed on the boughs of feathery elm be- yond the brook, trilled out his barcarolle of glad music. [" I,isette is the prettiest. of course, but Msude is literary, and has read all the new books, and can talk 90 we'll Gentlemen like intellectual ladies. Iyish "-witha a sigh--ssthat | was intellectual.
 And our little maid fell to work at the strawberries again for full. five minutes. And then she shook her basket, and peered down into its depths with eyes of azure despair. 9ifs. . t...t .''s,'s. l"Not half full, 1" said she to herself !: "not q quarter full. Oh, dear me 1 how wish some one would come to help mel And there is some one stretched provokingly in the shade under Squire Dallas's big oak by the stone wall where the sweet-brlers grow. People have no business to lie in the shade when other people have to be working hard in the sun And I do be- ieve it's Squire Dallas's new hired man. and he ought to be at work in the hay field instead of lying there under the trees with book. And he shall work he shall help me p s
 Young man ]" she called out. @ @ Young man, I say p she called out again. this time with certain accent oi the imperious in her voice. The recum. bSnt figure under the oak tree straight sned itself up at once, and made haste toward the stone wall that separated Squire Dallas's domains from Deacon Wylde's south pasture lot.
 's I beg your pardon" said he |" but -did you call ?"
 "Of course I called" said Barbara thinking within herself how tall anG straight and darkly handsome Squire Dallas's new hired man was. sDon1 you think, young man, you ought to be at work ?'
 -"At work ?" repeated the Spanis browed stranger. '.Weu, perhaps ] ought"
 Tnere'sno perhaps about it, saic Barbara, brusquely. "Of course yor ought. And since you don't choose tc work for your master, you may as vel be working for me-" -..
 "My-master ?"
 !" Squire Dallas, of course" said Bar bara. "Dear me, how stupid you are P And how, may I venture to ask, dit you know who I was ?" he questioned in an amused sort of way. a .sa .3r@
 "Oh, it didn't require any great ex ercise of brilliance for that, " responded Barbara, with wise little nod of tn. head. "I know Squire Dallas has go new hired man and if you're not he who are you?"
 5" That is the question:" said tn, stranger, grayely. A " '
 {" But we mustn't stand talking here. went on Barbara, in business-like sor of way. 'sTake the basket and go t, picking strawberries just as fast as eve you can, because we're to have compan, at our house-I'm Barbara Wilde, yol know, young man-and must get bacl with the berries for dessert as quick, as possible s.' '1flh @tfia
 "Al right" said the stranger; ''pn tolerably quick at this sort of thing, believe
 "I hope you are, " said Barbara--in tent on extricating a tiny rose-pricke from the point of her stained forefnQe -''hnd atlother things too. Because if you're not, Squire Dallas won't kee1 you" aa,3 i,s,,.. nsl .istti ... s.a1i
 "He won't eh ?' z '"h4 l's.
 Barbara shook her head. "The las man went away because he couldn' endure the squire's driving ways" sai she. ooh, I was SO sorryl Be VI