The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1881-07-22

ing the summer IN common latln-
house, with Doors for associates"
"Cordelia the fresh, young voice
rang out in indignant reproof-"you
ought to be ashamed of yourselfl If
it is common farmhouse, it was good
enough for papa, and oughtt to surely be
good enough for us. Doors l just
wish some of your languid nonentities
from the Esthetic Club were half such
thorough gentlemen-that's all !"
"Bravo, Bert You're your fathers
daughter, every inch of you" cried
Caleb Worthington's voice, in ringing
approval. "1fs the iolliest old place
under the sun, if it is common farm
house, and I'll take you down there this
June. See if / don'tp
And, surprised into forgetting his
pomposity, he caught his favorite in his
arms and gave her a sounding kiss.
"Will you? Do you mean it?"
"Mean it? Blest if don't But l
say, Bert, as the others upliftedly left
the room, "what made you take up the
cudgels for the Griggstown boysP Was
it," quizzically pinching warm, velvet
cheek-"was it because of the lad in
troduced to you down in my Office last
September? A deuced fine fellow, eh ?
Were you thinking of him, Miss Diplo-
macy"
But, blushing furiously, Bert shook
her head with suspiciously emphatic
decision, and slipping from her fathers
arm, ran out of the room.
So, when city Sristocrats were crowd
ing to the green gloom of forest soli-
tudes, or the crush and glitter Of a
fashionable watering-place, the names
of Mrs. and Miss Worthington appeared
upon the hotel register of the Ocean
House, Newport.
And, the same day, Caleb Worthing-
ton took long, glorious holiday, and
carried BERTHE off to his native town-a
struggling, world-forgotten little place,
among the hills.
And in the long, scented summer days
that followed, the girl grew to love
everything animate and inanimate round
Poppy Farm.
One evening, she loitered in the great
sloping gardens before the verandahed,
-shuttered house. Such gardens !
Not the painfully regular Dutch dia.
grams we city folks boast-prim, con.
else, box -hedged-hut whole sheets of
color, fragrant, luxuriant, bloomful.
A gentleman passing, young, good
looking, gray clad, paused suddenly out
side the low, rustic fence. A moment
more, and he had vaulted over and was
standing bareheaded, at Berties side.
"Miss Worthington, may I hope am
not forgotten p
"Mr. Carlyn !"
She held out little, tanned hand, a
hot glow kindling under the big straw
gardening-hat.
/ have been absent from Griggstown
some time" he said, looking quizzically
ut the bright, changeful face under the
shadowy hat; "but Mrs. Dent and 1
are very old friends. SO, being ter
ribly behindhand in my visits to Poppy
Farm, l intend now to take advantage
of the weather and atone for my neglect, "
Somehow, BERTHE fell to thinking that
night, as she sat in the shadow of the
rosy chintz curtains, of Cordelia's last
scornful wolds:
81 suppose you'll have some country
admirers in that almost mythical
Griggstown, but don't lose your heart,
BERTHE. They're all the same, these
rustic beaux.--awkward, blushing,
stupid"
And then she thought of Reuben
Carlyn's easy, courteous manner, his
quiet, gentlemanly grace.
"And if Mr., Carlyn is a common
country farmer, Mr.. Moon," said BERTHE
coolly, apostrophizing the placid, smil
ing face in the sky above her, 'I-well,
l don't really dislike common country
farmers, that's all ~
And, three days later, she wrote Cor
della q long, recrossed letter. saying she
was going to marry Griggstown bo,
and live in Griggstown forever.
And Cordelia replied frigidly tha
they had always known she (Bertie
would disgrace the family.
"You don't mind being farmer
wife pet ?" Reuben questioned, eagerly
"Mind2 OF course / mind, sir$ Bu
when there is no other way of satisfying
troublesome boy-By-the-way, whel
shall see the farm ?"
"Soon, my darling"
Caleb Worthington chuokled IN,
laughed as he read Cordelia's letter.
"Pack up, BERTHE we must be HON
as soon as mamma. Our pleasant holi
day is over. Don't look 80 forlorn, littl
one 80 -Carlyn's coming up, too"
/. II was evening when the trio reache
the city. The carriage rolled throug