The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1881-03-10
"BUTTERNUT,."

The Indian summer was in its glow and
prime. The hilltops were wreathed in
amber mist; the widowed murmured
softly through its willow-fringed shores;
the woods, all rihed of their leafy hon
ors, were like cathedral aisles, carpeted
with gold and russell and crimson layers,
and the butternut crop had never been so
good up in Wrex's woods.
Squirrels, school-boys, picnic PARTIES
and tramps all had their pick and choice
of the huge brown-jacketed nuts, and
yet, with every midnight frost and sun
rise gale, the ground was strewn afresh
with them, and any adventurous stick,
thrown up into the branches, would
bring down q shower of new treasures.
But why don't they bring butternuts
into MARKET" cried Lii. Why don't we
have them in New York"
"Ain't enough Of EN-" said Enoch
Hawley, as he shoveled them steadily
into his fathers box wagon. besides,
they amt what you'd call a fancy nut. 1t
takes people long time to find out how
good 1utternut Isl"
Just then Mr.. Maurande, the hand.
some young lawyer came up and held
out his hand to Lii, with smile.
II am glad to see you here, said he.
''And am so glad to be here" said
Lii, enthusiastically.
How do you like the boarding place
l recommended" he asked.
'Oh, so much?" cried Lii. maple
Farm is delightful, and Mr.. and Mrs.
Griggs are like two antiquities, out of
curiosity. shop. And mamma would
- I 4. E. hat <hax,
use-extravagant creatures-on the table
every day! l could have cried outright
last night, when Betsey dropped cup
and broke it. And we have open wood
fires on huge hearths, and"
And little Betsey?" said Mr.. Maui
rande, smiling--"doesn't she strike you
as curiosity, also?"
Lii laughed.
''The bound girl?" said she. "Do you
know I scarcely looked at Betsey? 1
like pretty people and pretty things, and
that child is such figure around the
house,
She spoke carelessly, quite unaware
and verv possibly she would not have
cared had she known it-that Betsey Boil
ton was picking up butternuts in the
sunken glade Just below, where the yell
low sunshine quivered. and a noisy little
ivulet leaped over messy stones on its
way to the river.
Betsey was blg-eyed and solemn, with
face and hands almost as brown as the
nuts she was piling into Farmer Griggs'
basket, and hair that waved and crinkled
all over head.
Mr.. Maurande had always had pleas
ant word and a smile for her; Miss Lii
was the realistic of her ideas of an angel
and now they were laughing about her.
Betsey stood minute with her great
eyes trimming over, her lower lip tightly
clasped by pearl-white teeth.
''Enoch, said she, at last, my basket
is full. Put it on your wagon, please. l
guess I'll 60 home
What, Already p cried Enoch. "Why,
the rest is all goin up the hill, to see the
sunset from Falcons Rock"
II don't care for the sunset, said Bet
sey. i've seen it lots of times. Maybe
Mrs. Griggs wants me. I'd better 60"
Mrs Griggs cutting q piece of gold
clear honey in the comb, out of glass
box, was astonished at the breathless APP
partition of her little maid, flying head
long down the steep grade Of the apple
orchard.
''Bless me, childr' said Mrs. Griggs.
Didn't 1 tell you you could stay till
sundown?"
Il didn't want to, said Betsey.
And she rushed up stairs to her room,
and cried until she could cry no longer.
Miss Thorpe liked pretty people and
pretty things" and she Betsy was
such igure!''
She had not known it before. She had
not known it before. She had thought
her red calico dress, with the black stars
upon it. was beautiful and she had in
nocently rejoiced in the brown ribbon
bow for her neck that had been Farmer
Griggs' own present.
And then Betsey looked in the little
six-inch glass, and realized how brown,
and unkempt, and gypsy-ike she was
how dissimilar was her dress from Miss
Thorpe's soft laces and floating ribbon
loops. And Mr.. Maurande, in whose
Bible class she was
81 wish 1 was deadr' sobbed poor Bet
sey. mo, ma'am, please" to Mrs.
Griggs kindly call. Il don'twant tea"
mo teal" said Mrs. Griggs, in amaze
ment. Child, does your head ache?"
YES" said Betsey, who had never
known what it was to suffer an ache or
pain any more than the wild deer on
Whiteface M0untain-''yesl please-let
hx,a oil