The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1879-08-14

drove the OK along for about three quar-
ters of mile and turned him into the
field, then, after leaving the money at
Ellis's, he went home, well pleased with
himself and the world generally.
Squire Chase was not at the tea party,
for he was fully determined not to be the
victim of made match, and he rather
suspected that one was in progress in
the Jones family.
The next morning Mr. Jones raped
at the 'Squire's back door just as the
family were at breakfast.
81 thought I'd run over and let you
know where your brindled OK is. Mrs
Hooker says there was one got into her
west farm yesterday, and she presumes
it is yours"
"Much obliged, Neighbor Jones. I'll
60 right over after breakfast, or send
Ned"
But Ned, like most boys of sixteen,
was shy of old maids and strange wild
ows, and steadily refused to go, so the
Squire himself went
Widow Hooker was making cheese
1t was late for cheese making, but she
always made one or two Fall cheeses
The door was wide open, but she did not
see Squire Chase coming up the flower
bordered walk; the first she knew of his
presence was the exclamation,
"Why, Polly Wiggin This is the
greatest surprise l ever had /" And
there was a great hand-shaking. $50,
so, Polly, you are the famous Widow
Hooker, are you? How do you like
farming?'
every well, Jerry, and if you can
STOP long enough I'll show you how I
manage"
OF course the Squire could atop, and
did stop, and was delighted with every
thing.
81 never thought a woman could man.
age so WE'LL" he said, ''that is, in the
house and out doors too always
thought that when woman undertook
to wear the-that is-when-"
"Oh, I understand" said Polly, ''you
thought my house would suffer from
neglect if my farm was properly caredfor.
81 see, see, Polly; thought my little
girl had kept house pretty we'll since her
mother died, but Of course it's nothing
like yours; when girls Of twenty can't
manage at all it is not to be supposed
that girls of fourteen can be very good
at it. Suppose we let bygones he bygones,
Polly. l have said would never marry
again, bu. if you will have me l will
break my word for once for when said
it didn't expect to meet you, and be-
iieve we have both grown wiser 81 Ice
our quarrel nineteen years ago"
'Do you think the children would like
me, Jerry You had better bring them
over first, and then l will give YOU my
answer"
81 don't believe Ned will come he is
rather bashful, hut will bring over the
other two, Mary Ann and Silas, to-mor-
row afternoon. Coed day, Polly"
And the Squire drove home with never
so much as thought of the brindled OK.
Meanwhile Ned had fretted and fumed
because he had no work to do and finally
he and Silas had gone fishing.
81 do wish father would get married"
said Silas, who, at the age of ten, had
very advanced views of life 81 think
Mary Ann makes horrid biscuits, and |
am tired of eating hominy and milk for
dinner: if father did get married, and we
didn't Ike our stepmother, we are all big
enough to run away"
"Yes," said matter-of-fact Ned, "but if
you keep talking you will scare away all
the fish, and we shall have to eat fat
pork for breakfast"
Squire Chase could not give very
good reason why he did net bring home
the brindled OK. He told Mary Ann
that he did not see the OK, then he told
Ned that he forgot all about him, and
finally he told Silas that he thought he
could not drive him home alone, and
would wait until the next day and take
him and Mary Ann over to help him.
The next day Mrs. Hooker had as
happy party &C tea as her house ever
held. Mary Ann quite fell in love with
everything, including the widow herself,
and Silas said he never did eat such cook
ies then Mrs. Hooker read some letters
from her son, who was at college, and
Squire Chase said he never before
thought big boys ought to go to school
in haying and harvesting, but he believed
he should send Ned next year, if Ned
| wanted to 90