Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1879-06-11

| Il Will go TO the hotel at the entrance
of the valley, and have my traps sent
up at once," he said. 81 shall have
time to get back before sunset"
'The land sakes, Alice, do hurry and
hull them Strawberries" said Aunt
Hester, bustling about, after he had
gone, while | get ready the biscuits for
tea. | shall make a pretty sum out of
this, and if you work real hard, | will
buy you new delaine."
"No, he is not like us" thought Alice,
busily hulling the strawberries. 81
don't believe he would talk, like Ezra
Barnard, all the time about potatoes
and squashes. Oh, I do hope not!
wish somebody would tell me of books
and of the world. am so tired Of this
dull, dull life"
She brushed the long chestnut curls
carefully, in front of the little mirror. in
her own room, and fastened blue rib
bon at her throat, before going down to
supper that night. 8
The stranger glanced more admiring-
ly than ever at the pure, sweet face.
"Hurry and eat, Alice" commanded
Aunt Hester; "for you'll have to get the
COWS up and milk them. Your uncle
won't be home till late"
The girl obeyed silently. Rising, she
took her broad-brimmed hat from the
beg, and left the room.
She was just lowering the meadow
bars, when step sounded behind her,
and pleasant voice sounded in her
ear: "Allow me to assist you. And may
I accompany you? It's many long
year since 1 used to go for the cows"
Yes," she said quietly, ''if you wish
to-" And together they passed through
the meadow, knee-deep in clover.
The girls eyes, as they walked, were
fixed, as he noticed, upon the blue hills
in the distance, in dreamy way.
"What are you thinking of, may l
ask" said her companion.
81 was wishing I had books" she
said, Emusic and art; all that makes
life so beautiful Oh, if I could only"
She checked herself suddenly, re-
membering that she was addressing
stranger.
81 know" he. said gently. "But l
have some books in my trunk that per-
haps you have never read. l will lend
them to YOU"
"Thank you," she said simply; and
then they walked home in silence.
Ezra Barnard was in waiting, in the
front room, when they returned.
"Hullo, ALP he said, greeting her.
Il came over to ask you to a dig they're
a-goin' to have down to the corners, to-
morrow night. How dye ?" acknowl-
edging the introduction to the stranger
awkwardly. :
"[ cannot co." she said coldly.
"Oh, pshaw, al! You're always say
ing that. You can go. Your aunt said
you could. They are a-goin' to have a
tarnation sight of fun!''
az cannot 90, Ezra"
"For the land sakes. Alice. | should
think you would be ashamed ofyerself!"
broke in Aunt Hester, Indignantly.
"Arter all the pains Ezra's took to come
way over here purpose to ask you.
Shouldn't you think she orghter be
ashamed, Mr.. Ellis ?"
"Perhaps Miss Bond doesn't care for
parties" said the young man pleasantly.
But this ere one is goin' to be an ex-
ira affair-two fiddles an a bass viol. I
tell you it will be regular old hoe-down.
Say, Al ="
But the girl had slipped quietly from
| the room.
81 swami exclaimed Ezra, his forid
face becoming several tinges redder, eff
that amt a purity trick to serve Teller !
There's more gals than one in the world,
howsomever, as I'll jest show her. I'll
ask Alminy Bindwort to go-she'l!
jump at the chance"
claw, now, don't sbe hasty, Ezra,"
said Aunt Hester, soothingly. "Alice
will go. I'll bring her round to-mor
row. She's only little odd and ofish.
When you are married it'll be all right"
CT don't know as I care about halky
gal for wife p exclaimed Ezra, coarse
". Perhaps [ won't have her, arter
ALL" and snatching his hat, he sullenly
left the house.
Later in the evening, when she
thought they were alone, Aunt Hester
gave Alice what she called piece of
her mind. She ended by saying:
oval, you are a big fool /! You've
lost Ezra Barnard by this tantrum. I'd
like to know who'll have you now?
Mabbe YOU think you can catch this
city chap you're so fine around. It's
likely thing he'd look at such gal as
you be"
"Oh. Aunt p cried Alice, interrupting,
and the tears dropped from her eyes,
how can you be so cruel [ never,
never thought of such "a"
t She paused suddenly, and burst into
tears.
Every moment that Alice could
snatch from her drudgery she now
spent in reading. Before the books
which Mr.. Ellis had first loaned her
were read, he had sent to the city for
more. Nearly every evening, when
Aunt Hester was comfortably doing in
her armchair, Mr.. Ellis would select a
book, and going out on the porch,
would read aloud, in his clear, musical
voice, to Alice.
How kind and good he was, Alice
said to herself. How much interest he
j l.