The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1879-01-16
"THAI Talbot GIRL,

BERTHE Talbot sat upon the great flat
stone that formed the doorstep to the side
entrance Of the Newton farmhouse, pick
ing cunants, and Frank Desmond lay
upon the grass watching her.
Berthe he said, presently, ''do you
know that your lips are a great deal red
der and prctticr than those currants?'
The girl Coiorcd turiouslv and com
pressed her lips forcibIy, but made no
answer.
Then he laughed
why don't you answer me, Bertie?"
The girl flashed him look from her
angry eyes, and asked, in a low, angry
tone:
what do yOn expect me to saw"
You might, at least thank me for
ny compliment any lady would do
that.'
But am not a lady," cried BERTHE,
bitterly and passionately, land YOU don
mean those things when you say them TO
mc-You know you don't.n
But l do" persisted Frank, adIn;r;ag
chc flush in Berties tanned check and the
angry Light in her gray eyes. But l do.
he repeated again, more earnestly, laziiy
Sctd:'t. or utC Sioo9 "iitr ao's.ff'' 't'fl'4',of.
upon the stone beside her "Bcrtic," lie
continued when hc was where he could
talk to her in whispers, ''why do you
always laugh OF get angry when | tell
YOU that You are pretty, and that like
you!'
.Bccause," said BERTHE, fercely, mo
one c!ss tells me l am pretty or that they
Ike me, and know you are making fun
IF ne"
4 am not making fun Of you, Berthe,
'ruN whispered, with an information that
made Bertie's heart b;at 50 hoty and tu-
muuously she almost feared her COM
panion could hear it. Il DO think you
are pretty, and what Is more. | love you,
and in token Of it am going to take a
kisS-a lovers first kiss Don't make a
noise, please, or YOU will awaken some of
the ladies from their afternoon sicsta.
There, that was the first kiss he said,
when he had Withdrawn his arm from
abou her waist and his lips from their
long, clinging touch 10 her trembling
ones, "but it shall not be the last by a
great many, darling"
And then, while she finished picking
the currants. he talked to her SO ardently
OF his love that BERTHE, innocent rs she
was, could not but believe il.
BY and by gay voices commenced to
sound upon the front porch, and some
one came busting into the darkencu
dningroom behind them, ana Mr. Des-
nond Joined the young ladies, after win
ming Bertie's promise to meet him bv
midnight and moonlight under the wal
nut tree in the field adjoining the farm
yard.
"Bcrtie, hayn't you finished those cur
rants YETI cried Mrs. Newton, sharply,
coming 10 the dining-room door
Yes, ma, am, answered the Girl, gath
cring together her pans and fruit, and
taking her way towards the kitchen; and
for the remainder Of that day Bertie was
supremely happy.
All, how soon some blissful illusions are
doomed to be shattered.
Late that night, when all her work was
finished, and nearly every one about the
farm had retired, BERTHE crept to her little
attic room over the back kitchen, and
kncIt down by her open, vine screen win
dow, her arms folded upon the sill, to
wait until she should hear the clocl, be
low strike twelve.
As She knelt there, along the lane that
ran close by the side OF the house, Frank
Desmond and Miss Stoner were walking
the lady holding her thin draperies from
sparkling with jewels, one great, flashing
diamond telling a story that Bertie, had
she been less innocent Of the world ways,
might have read.
Il wish you to understand, Frank Des-
mond," Miss Stonor was saying, that l
will not tolerate any Irritation on yom
part with that Talbot girl
How can you talk so prepostcrously,
Gracei As ii / would tiirt with a servant
girl"
"Weu, as it happens, Mr.. Desmond, l
saw you sitting on the doorstep beside her
this afternoon, and | must confess it look
ed suspiciously like Irritation"
Il was only amusing myself with the
little ignoramus, laughed Frank; Il hope
you are not getting jealous, Grace, and
imagining that l am about to fall IN love
with that girl"
Jealous of your echoed Miss Stonor,
with contempt that made Franks blood
tingle, but which he dared not resent since
he had wooed the lady for her money.
mo, indeed! But very young and pretty
girls are occasionally made the victims of
young mems limitations for anything but
Iaudabie reasons, and, since we are en-
gagged, | want 1t distinctly understood
that | will not tolerate any attentions from
you to pretty servant girl, that may re-
suit in scandal"