St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1880-10-23

hoofs broke upon their merry chat
ter, and handsome young gentle
man went dashing by, lifting ins hat
as he passed.
Shades of Erebus." sasped Rose.
1T IS no other than the Squire. ]
shall die of vexation. | wonder Il
he saw uncle's boots?"
/ Nonsense" laughed Hattie,
turning down the obscure road in
dicated; "do you suppose he conld
see four pair OF feet and as many
old hats at that Gilpin pace?"
Thus rattEng on they reached the
berry patch, and were soon in the
midst of the luscioEs food. planning
how they would surprise Aunt
Maria with full pals, snd of tie
pies and short-eake that good soul
would make for them the next day.
There! I've completely demol-
ished Aunty's dress, exclsimed
Hattie, while May held up , pretty
white arm marked by ugly scratch
es, and declared she was dis6gured
for life.
"Oh, dear. it is high noon, I am
sure" interposed Rose. coming ont
of q tangle of briars heated and
flushed, land l have picked my last
berry. 1t is fearful work, and 1 am
completely tagged oat. Let's have
dinner.
1T isu;t more than ten O'clock"
| ughed Hattie.
"I don't care, Tn in q starving
condition. said Rose.
"Oh! oh! oh r.
What i'll the world is the mat
ter?' asked all the girls in aibreath,
as Rose ended her sentence with
scream after scream, and then dash
ed in haste down the glen.
"Oh, Il great snake!" exclaimed
Sue.
Instantly they all followed Rose,
who was stumbling over stones and
logs, and at last would have fallen
head first over precipice, had she
not landed in the arms of n gentle
man who was lying at full length
upon the green sward beneath
ma jes@ic oak, beside babbling
brook. Fortunately. at the soNnd
of the girls screaming he had risen
to his feet, and SO saved her from n
most ignominious fall.
As it was she stood breathless,
pale and trembling, minus one of
her boots, and her hat having dis
appeared to keep it company, leav-
ing her glorious hair in state of
wonderful enehantment.
"What has happened?' question
ed the gentleman, as he supported
the trembling girl.
On the next instant waves of
brilliant bushes swept away all the
pallor from the face of Rose. for
she knew that her preserver was no
other than young Squire Buttles.
ut was IL snake, she managed to
articulate, as she sank down out of
his arms at the foot of the tree,
where they We're joined by the rest
of the frightened girls. II stepped
right on it. Rose continued, and
but for Uncle Joshaa's boots, l
must have been bitten" and then
she blusheG more divinely still, as
she glanced at the pretty pink-stock
inged foot.
A smile Lit up the face of the gen.
tleman as he took in the pictresqe
group, all disconnected and rosy as
a June morning.
- 1T is n .aost disgraceful esca-
pade," exclaimed Hattie, and she
turned with great dignity to the
gentleman, who had introduced
himself.
Not in the least. Miss Willard,
he replied; people do not go berry
ing in silken hose and Sunday liats, "
and he smiled down into the apple
blossom face OF Rose.
oh! yes, they do" laughed
roguish Sue; "as Rose, for instance
She wanted to wear tiny kid slip
pers also, but Aunt Maria vetoed
it, and sacrificed uncle's boots.
And the loss will never be rene
died. / fear we shall be victimizpd
by fresh supply of moans aad
groans," said May.
"As for myself" said Rose, with
tears springinS into her eyes, IF
they were the famous seven-league
ones / wonld not go back an inch
for the last one. Henctforth all
woodland charms are gone for me.
In everything ] shall See that ugly
monster"