Smyrna times., 1880-10-20
How He Got a Wife.
l am Kate.

am Kate.
OF course | can tell my own adventures
a deal better than any one can tell them
for me. That stands to nature. Pm not
practical writer, and don't know how to
| produce what the fashionable authors call
"grand pen.etfects," but | believe l can
make you understand how it was, and that
is all that is necessary.
Leeman had sprained his ankle, that's
my brother, and he could not go to town
with the load of russell apples that was piled
into barrels and stood waiting under the
big shed.
| . It's too bad!' said he. "These russell
apples are worth deal at this time of the
year, and we shall miss the market today"
Cant you ask neighbor Hutton to take
them?" asked my mother.
"Neightor Hutton is a deal too sharp a
practitioner for me-" said Leeman. Its
a hard thing to say about a neighbor; but
| can't trust his honesty"
"Mr. Hall?"
"HaIl would be casting it up in my face
for the next six months that had asked
favor of him." said Leeman. mo I'd
rather loose the apples than my independ.
ence. But it is too provoking that | must
needs have slipped on that piece of orange
peel, now of all times in the world. have
been saving up these apples all winter with
a special eye to this particular market day."
"Leeman," said I, "I'll gop'
"Nonsense |" said Leeman.
"But why not?" said |. sold Pomp is
as gentle as a kitten, and l know every
inch of the way"
"But there are the Red swamp woods,
that desolate stretch of three miles, with
never house on either side of the way
except the deserted cabin where the old
negro hung himself some twenty years age"
argued my brother.
"Who cares for the Red swamp woods ~
said /, valiantly. ~ never was afraid of
frogs and whippoorwills, and Pm not going
to begin now. Lii, will you 60 out and
help me harness early in the morning,
and"
"Oh, wish was going tool Can't go,
Kate2' cried Lii, my hoyden young sister,
with her blue eyes glistening with delight
at the idea Of anything unusual.
"Stuff" cried |, imperiously. "Of course
you can,tl Hasn't Pompey heavy load
enough without your ninety pounds Of
mischief loaded on? Besides you must
stay at home and take care care of mother
and Leeman, and finish the chintz curtains
for the big west chamber, for Colonel Hay
may come home at any time now"
Col. Hay was our city bOarder-a gentle
man who had been recommended 10y his
physician to try the fresh, pine scented
breezes of the Shawaugeenta mountains
and whom our rector had recommend X
the Icy Spring farm.
We were not rich, although mother anC
Leeman had managed the farm economical
ly and we'll since fathers death, and thu
weekly addition to our income would b.
something worth considering.
/ 4 r. A~ar Ia-r Al aac
ant too and Icy Spring farm was yer.
lovely spot, although we seldom allowet
ourselves to think of that.
So, after little, 1 coaxed mother ant
Leeman to consent, and the next mornin
Lii and l were up long before daybreak
Harvesting old Pomp and getting ready 70
the day. journey.
BY the time the red, level light of tn
rising sun touched old Pomp's gray man
with radiance, l was driving through tn
Red swamp, where the maple trees, fror
which it took its name, were all aglow wit
crimson blossoms, and the thrushes an
robins called to one another with hute-lik
notes.
Well l managed splendidly. l kne
where l was going to when | started.
sold the six barrels of russets to the ma
who kept the Park Hotel for 81 apiece
- and that was more than Leeman himse
:. anticipated.
. "Be careful you don't get robbed now,
said the man, as he watched me put tn
bills into my little portemonnaie.
"Robbedl" said !, with laugh. "Wh!
who should rob me?"
"Oh, / don't know" said the LANDLORD
"Thers's always tramps and burglar
mo mo around. They're q crop that don't belon
to to any particular season of the year"
As turned away--I did not notice {
the time, but it came back to me afterwarC
In as things do come back like sudden fias
III across the dark shield of memory--a ma
who was lounging on the steps locke
hard ut me. .-.-.-...
l colored little, and thought to myself
"Well, he'll know me the next time he SEE
me-" and then forgot all about it, for ha
mothers black bombazine to match an
Lil's spring hat to buy, and some dime
china to select, and the doctors prescri
ton for Leeman to fill out at the druggist
a so it was we'll on to o'clock when turne
'S' old Pomp's head homeward in the suburb
OF the town, with feeling of elation while
was quite pardonable, when one conside
my inexperience in the marketing line an
my exceptionally good success.
z The sunshine was warm, and still on u
u high road, and was rather glad at fr
when we came to the cool shadows of Il
Red swamp, where the birds are all sile
rae in the noon heats, and the sweetest
odors came floating up from the tangl'
,s-tf recesses Of fern and cowslip, on either si'
--- Of the solitary, railed.in road.
All at once old Pomp gave a sidewi
start, his ancient idea of shying, and tn,
DUE | saw a man, pale, dusty and tired lookiu
of sitting on fallen log, lust outside of q
tent road 7 felt eorrv for him I was M
1 fhar ho laf a ma an
looking vagabond go past our house witho
~~-s n draught of milk or a niece of fresh bak