The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1878-06-29
but you'll not forget the strawber-

para.
And off she tripped with rosy-stained
fps, golden hair floating recklessly in
he wind, and light. elastic feet bowling
lown the buttercups and red clover as
,he went.
Dear me, chile" said Phillis, as
she came into the kitchen, rosy and
0reathless with the haste she had made,
. what time you's benz
mot half an hour cried Barbara,
iinging away her hat, and splashing
her face with cool water out of the
bucket. HAS he come, Phillis?"
ode company young man, miss~
said Phillis. "No, he amt. An Miss
Llsette she's a-scoldin' cause you aim
ben to arrange deroses for de big bokay
in de middle OBJ de table; an Miss Maude
she done can't fix her hair to suit her;
an'--dar's de missus calling now. Run,
Miss Barby, runn
"There, mamma, / told you sou
said Miss Maude Wylde, the "intel-
lectual' member of the family. "It
will be an announcement crowd if Bar
bara comes to the table"
"Let her wait" said Lisette, serene
ly.
"But l won't waltz flashed out Bar
bara, her blue eyes glittering with in
dignation. q lCiU come to the first
table. After arranging the roses and
gathering the wild strawberries, and
mamma, is it right to keep me in the
back kitchen all my days?"
"My dear! my dearn' demonstrated
Mrs. Wylde, "you are forgetting your
self"
"And 1 do so want to see Capt.
Severnr' added Barbara, resolutely
choking down the big sob which rose
to her throat.
what nonsenser' said Lisette, the
dove-eyed beauty with the ripping hair
and the complexion of rose and snow.
." AS if Capt. Severn would ever look
at you"
but l may look at him, supposed"
cried indignant Barbara. "And I'm
sixteen years old, and you've no right
to treat me like a baby"
Children! children! don't get to
quarreling," said Mrs. Wylde. "And
Barbara can sit just here behind the
tea-urn, and l dare say we shall have
plenty of room"
"Therer' said Barbara, with a tri-
grimace at her sister.
"Horrid little spoiled childm said
Maude.
Barbara always gets her own way"
commented Lisette.
Hushr said Mrs. Wylde, authori-
tatively. Z" Here comes your papa up
the laurel walk with Capt. Severn"
Lisette peeped from behind the folds
of the fluted Swiss curtains, Maude ran
to the Venetian blinds of the bay-win-
dow, and Barbara climbed with sixteen
year-old agility into chair to peep
over her sisters shoulder.
"Oh, good graciousr' cried she,
dropping from her aerial perch with
startling suddenness.
"What is it?" said Maude.
cts Squire Dallas hired man,
gasped Barbara.
" What's" said Lisette.
CT don't mind about the first ia
ble," said Barbara, turning pink and
white, like a Observation-Disclosures rose;
"rd rather eat in the kitchen with
Phillis." And away she darted like a
scared young doe, before anyone could
stop her.
$50 awayr' said Barbara, indig-
nantly.
She had cried until her eyelashes
were all glittering and her cheeks
stained with tears, to say nothing OF
the crumpled state of her sash ribbon
and white muslin dress, and now she
sat crouched under the shadow of the
great towering almond bush, as if she
would fain retreat utterly out of the
world of sight and hearing.
Capt. Severn stood immovable before
her, with folded arms and questioning
Spanish eyes.
81 shall not go away" said he, cum
til you have pardoned me-"
How can / ever pardon you?"
flashed out Barbara. "You have i'm
posed upon me; you have practiced on
my credulity."
"You asked me to help you gather
strawberries-and | helped YOU"
"You allowed me to suppose that
you were Squire Dallas hired man"
81 claimed no identity, one way or
the other,' pleaded Capt. Severn. 81
was trying to find my way by short
cut across the fields to your father S
house, and sat down under the oak-tree
to rest. And when you called me |
came, like a true knight of old. Now
if you can convict me of any serious Of
Tense in all this, | stand ready to abide
the consequences"
You never, neUer, will be able to
forgive me-" sobbed Barbara, again re-
firing behind the end of her blue sash.
Little Barbara" said Capt. Severn,
falling ON his knees, as if it were the
most natural and conventional thing in
the world to do, evil you forgiUe me?"
And what could Barbara say but
yes?
Capt. Severn insisted upon his straw
berry tart that evening, according to
agreement, and they ate it together, he
and Barbara, like two school-children,
out on the lawn, while Maude yawned
behind book, and Lisette acidly won
dered "what on earth Capt. Severn
could find to amuse him in the chatter
of a child like Barbara"
And when the red leaves of late Oc-
tober choked up the little stream beside
which they had gathered wild straw
berries, there was wedding at the
Wilde homestead and the hr;da ,.,as