The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1880-04-28
THE SQUIRE'S WOOING.

THE SQUARES WOOING.
Squire Kimball, 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 oyer the fence,
when he caught sight OF her, as she turn
ed the corner. The un-bonnet 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 bv
1t or the face under it-he hardly knew
which, for sunbonnet and wearer were
equally bewitching, it seemed to him
that he walked home with Hester Mason,
and had hard work to keep from propes-
ing to her. ..'. -.
He wondered now, and he had wonder
ed many times IN the fve-and-twenty
years gone by, why he had never propos-
ed to her. He had meant to marry her.
and he was sure she liked him in the old
days, but-and he always thought of it
with sigh-she had married Robert
Keene, and he had married 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 flame springing
up in his heart
Woodworking, Lucy" he said, lean
ing across the fence.
"O!' exclaimed Lucy, with little
start. I'll didn't think any one was near
and you almost scared me. Isn't It pleas
ant? told mother it was so nice out of
doors that could not stay in the house,
eyes, it is pleasant answered the
Squire, looking into the pretty face.
@"How is your mother, Lucy9"
4 Y, she's well, answered Lucy. "What
f'plendld strawberries you are going to
\ nave! The meddlesome hens got into
our garden, and mother says she don t
think we'll have pailful of berries
II want to knowp' exclaimed the
Squire. "Now you just tell your moth
er she's welcome to all she wants out of
my patch. She can have 'em just as we'll
as not. There's goin'' be sigh, more'n
we want, and I don't like to see 'em
wasted.' .... 1885,. .S
'pll tell her, and know she'll be de-
J lighted with the chance answered Lucy.
You know she's such hand to make
strawberry preserves!'' ..s..
Eyes, do" said the Squire, thinking
OF old times. "And l remember that
she used to beat all the old housekeepers.
too. They used to say she had knack
OF making strawberry jam, that they
couldn't get hold Of"
''She hasn't lost it YETI laughed Lucy.
"She'l be glad to have you come to tea.
sometimes, and try some that she made
last year." -. ...,s
& ~ will,' said the Squire. "Lemme
see! To-day is Wednesday. Tell her
I'LL come over Saturday, if it's agreeable;
land | guess the berries will be ripe so
can pick pailful by that time, if they
are III bring over some"
! Thank you," said Lucy. 'Well ex-
\ pect you to tea Saturday, then"
Eyes" answered the Squire, feeling
very much as he used to when her moth
,er smiled at him. II had letter from
Charley yesterday, he's coming home in
q day or two, to stay
THAT will be pleasant you" SAID
Lucy, stopping down to pick daisy.
How could he see the blush behind the
sunbonnet9 If he had, it might have set
him thinking.
eyes, it will" responded the SQUIRE.
Charley's good boy, and I get pretty
lonesome without him. I wish that he
| would take it into his head to marry and
settle down." ..-
81 must he pOinp - said Tucv uDor,+
disappoint us now.'
IA II WON'T" answered the Squire, and
] she went on, and he went back to pulling
I weeds.
81 suppose it's foolish to think of such
/ q thing" he said to himself, by-and-bv.
shut folks do such foolish things as that
would be. don't know as it's anybody's
business but ours. 1t see fit to marry
Lucy, and she's willing, I'm going to do
it," and the Squire looked about de.
family, as If he had expected somebody
to object to it.
Charley came home that afternoon.
II suppose I'll have to tell hin what
I've been thinking about'' thought the
Squire. II declare, hate to! ia SOON
er take horse-whlpping, but there's no
use of dreading it and putting it of, as
know of. The sooner it's done with. the
oetter''
Accordingly when they were sitting on
The piazza, after tea, he began to break
i The news:
Give been thinking some lately, of
getting a housekeeper!'' he stammered,
/ rowing very red in the face.
Doesn't aunt Sarah want to staya''
sked Charley, unsuspectingly.
L ST meant ahem la housekeeper
sfii-of another kindl'' explained the
4 Squire, explosively, wiping his face very
THEORETICALLY, after the completion of the
Y ifhcult sentence.