The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1880-03-27
THE 'snUIRE'S WO0ING.


Squire Kimsall the widower, was
in his strawberry-bed pulling up weeds,
when Lucy Keene came down the road,
that beautiful June morning; and he
was just throwing an armful over the
fence, when he caught sight of her, as
she turned the corner. The sun-bon
net she wore was exactly like the one
he remembered to have seen her mother
wear five-and-twenty years ago; and he
remembered, too, as he looked at this
one, and the fresh, rosy face under it,
how that one made his heart futter,
the first time he saw it, and how he
was so bewitched by it or the face un-
der 1.-THE hardly knew which, for sun
bonnet and wearer were equally be-
witching, it seemed to him-that he
had walked home with Hester Mason,
and had hard work to keep from pro-
posing to her. q,
He wondered now, and he had Won
dered many times in the five-and-twen-
ty years gone by, why he had never
proposed to her. He had meant to
marry her, and he was sure she liked
him in the old days, but-and he al
ways thought of it with sigh-some-
thing had come between them. and she
had married Robert Keene, and he
had married his cousin Mary. Fate
must have had something to do with it
he concluded. AS he looked at Hester s
daughter, the old fire stirred under the
dust and ashes of the dead years and
he felt little fame springing up in his
heart.
"Good-morning, Lucy, he said, Jean
ing across the fence.
SOY? exclaimed Lucy, with little
start. II didn't think any one was
near. And you almost scared me. Isn't
it PLEASANT | told mother it was so
nice out of doors that l couldn't stay in
the house,
Eyes, it is pleasant" answered the
Squire, looking straight into her pref
ty face. " How is your mother, Lucyp"
go, she's well," answered Lucy.
"What splendid strawberries you are
going to have! The meddlesome hens
got into our garden, and mother says
she don't think we'll have pailful of
berries"
81 want to knowT' exclaimed the
Squire. Now you just tell your
mother she's welcome to all she wants
out of my patch. She can have 'em
just as well us not. There's goin' to be
a sight more'n we want, and l don't
like to have 'em wasted"
"Pl tell her, and | know she'll be
delighted with the chance" answered
Lucy. You know she's such hand
to make strawberry preservesr'
eyes, do," said the Squire, think
ing of old times. "And l remember
that she used to beat all the old house
keepers, too. They used to say she had
a knack of making strawberry jam,
that they couldn't get hold Of ="
"She hasn't lost it yet," laughed
Lucy. She'll be glad to have you
come to tea, sometime, and try some
she made last year."
Twill" said the Squire. "Le'mme
see! To-day's Wednesday. Tell her
I'll come over Saturday, if it's agree
able; and | guess the berries'll be
ripe, so | can pick pailful by that
time. If they are, I'll bring over
some"
"Thank you," said Lucy. Gwen
expect you to tea, Saturday, then"
Yes" answered the Squire, feeling
very much as he used to when her
mother smiled at him. 81 had letter
from Charley, yesterday. He's coming
home in q day or two, to stay"
"That'n be pleasant-for you," said
Lucy, STOPPING down to pick daisy.
How could he see the blush behind the
sun-bonnetP If he had, it might have
set him thinking.
eyes, it will, " responded the Squire.
"Charley's a good boy, and | get
pretty lonesome without him. l wish
he'd take it into his head TO settle
down"
81 must be going" said Lucy.
"Don't disappoint us, now"
81 WON'T" answered the Squire, and
then she went on, and he went back to
pulling weeds.
81 suppose it's foolish to think of
such a thing" he said to himself, by
and by, "but folks do such foolish
things as that would be. 1 don't know
as it's anybody's business but ours. If
see fit to marry Lucy, and she's will
lin, M goingt to do it," and the Squire
looked about defantly, as if he half ex-
pected somebody to object to it.
Charley came home that afternoon.
81 suppose l. IL have to tell him what
I've been thinking about" thought the
Squire. "I declare, l hate to! I'd
sooner take horse-whipping, but there
is no use of dreading it and putting it
off, as know of. The sooner it's done
with, the better"
Accordingly when they were sitting
on the piazza, after tea, he began to
break the news:
"I-Rye been thinking some lately,
Of getting a housekeeper, he stammer-
ed, growing very red in the face.
doesn't aunt Sarah want to stay"
asked Charley, unsuspectingly.