The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1881-10-13
PATTY.

PATTY.
| "Aunt Cindy II growing wosse and
worse every day." soliloqui1ed Squire
Berrian, drawing his eyebrows to-
gether In pefplexed fFOWn. Unjust
really write to Sister Jane and see n
she can not spare one Of the girls to
come out and keep house for me. The
very idea! It's . wonder have never
thought OF that before. The girls must
be al grown by this time, and mar.
hars, some of them. Even little Pat
| ty, the youngest Of all, Is . woman
grIwn, and q good housekeeper, I'll
he bound, or she would be no daughter
Of James Al for hiring . hOusekeeper
I've had enough Of that-going or
without q moments warning, and
leaving me tn the tender mercies Of
old Aunt Cindy. However, must
write to Jane at once, for I shall GER
tainly commit suicide, or 60 demented,
IL this state Of anarchy continues
much longer.
Phronie, the eldest girl, was mar
ried," she wrote and Cyrena, the
second, is engaged, and was making
| preparations for her own wedding.
Roxie had been sick, and could not
leave home at present; but Patty. the
youngest, might go and keep house for
her uncle. And Patty u the best
hOusekeeper Of the lot," continued
Sister Jane
I'm glad it's Patty, after ALL"
Dsused the Squire, as he drove down to
station TO bring her out, e Though /
haven't seen her since she was nine
years old. That's twelve years ago
Bless me, how time flies! Ii IL p0assi-
bic l shall be forty on my next birth
day."
1t was possible, certainly, for it was
fact but nevertheless the forty years
must have dealt kindly with the
Squire, for his Lrm, erect figure, his
raven hair and clear, piercing, gray-
black eyes, might have belonged to .
much younger man. - I'll
"And 80 this II little Patty, J" be said,
casting . pleased glance at the tall,
slender girl who stood before him, in
her pretty traveling-suit, her fair,
rounded cheeks dimpling with smiles
and bushes. "And you are going to
be my little ,h0usekeeper, and order
Aunt Cindy around, and take care Of
your old uncle generally, Patty 7"said
the Squire, a. they drove home over
the grassy road behind pair Of sleek,
"Yes, uncle, /" said Patty, demurely,
dropping her golden eye-lashes over q
pair Of the bluest eyes Squire Berrian
had ever seen. d. u .H.
How bashful she isl" he thought.
Not at all like Sister Jane. I never
knew her to be bashful in my life."
Bashful or not, Patty proved an ex-
| cellent hOusekeeper, and her uncle
never ceased cOngratulating himself
on obtaining such q treasure.
| 1 don't know what l should do
without you now, Patty, he said. II
am just beginning to know what .
home should be. hope you won't be
getting married and going 70 keep
house for some other fellow, he added,
half in Jest. -.u.
"Oh, no-indeed !" promised Patty,
blushing at the very thought.
1.-THE child Is as timid as o wood
thrush" thought the Squire.
They were seated in the vine-wreath-
ed porch, on the shady side Of the
brown old farmhouse. The Squire
sat tilted back in his easy, split-bOt-
toned chair, lazily tanning himself
with his broad brimmed hat while
Patty, with q stray CLEAN of sunshine
fiecking her golden braids, rocked back
and forth In low sewing-chair, some
bits of scarlet needle-wOrk in her lap.
| GOOD evening, Squire Berrian. !
didn't s'pose you'd be home this time
o. day.
Patty WINGED ut the shrill, sharp
tones of Miss Prudence KetchunI,
whose angular figure suddenly doomed
upon the porch before them.
Miss Prudence cast a sharp, scrutin-
iziny glance Mt Patty, then turned,
with melting smile, toward the
Squire;
Patty Champion, was a-keeping house
for you," she explained; $50 l made
bold to run over and see her this after
noon. I've been a-visiting ut my sis
ter's, over on Muddy, and just got back
to-day, and heard Patty was here.
The dear child must he home sick, SO
far away from her folks"
"She must speak for herself" said
the Squire, placing chair for Miss
Prudence.
"But where is she? ?" demanded the
visitor.
"Why here" said the Squire. al
thought you were acquainted, as she is
your cousin, you say"
"That ?" The very ruffies on Miss
Ketchum's lilac sun-bonnet shook
with severity and righteous indigna-
ton a. she cast a whitening glance at
Patty. esquire Ber-ian, that's no
more Patty Crampt. 9 than you are.
You've been imposed on, squire"
"Then who Is she ?" demanded the
Squire, looking pushed. ag
Miss Ketchum tossed up her head
and united her rufiied bOnnet-strings,
n her excitement. h- --E
"WhO Is she? An impostor, of
course! Who else could she be?"
"Miss Prudence" said the Squire,
sternly, "there Is q mystery here
which I will unravel II you will give
me the opportunity. Whatever Pat
TVS motive was, it was good one, l
am sure" ....
"Oh, indeed !" snapped Miss Pru-
dence. "It's very easy for some folks
to be imposed on by q dOll-baby face
and lot of yellow hair! But thank
my stars l never imposed on anybody
in my life ~
~ don't doubt It," said the squire,
grimly, while Miss Prudence, morally
offended, whisked out Of the gate, shut
ting Il behind her with sharp click,
like the sound of q steel trap.
"NOw, Patty, explain everything to
me. You can do 80, l am sure" said
Squire Berrian, In q kind voice.
Eyes," said the supposed Patty. with
trimming eyes and blushing cheeks,
II can explain it. I am a-an impOs-
ter, as she said / was at Mrs. Cramp-
TOMS" she went on, checking back .
sob, when they got your ietter-snd
it seemed a. IL none Of the girls could
go, to keep house for you, and want.
ed q situatiOn very much indeed hut
Of course / could not come only as
as"
"As my niece" said the squire.
gravely: "Of course"
1T was Mrs. Champion herself who
first thought of il, and she said It
would be no harm at all and looked
a little like your niece, and So"
"And SO they persuaded you TO per-
senate Patty, aud lie my little house.
keeper" said the Squire Very good,
indeed, am quite satisfied"
"But can't stay any longer, !" sobbed
Patty. "And I don't know what To
do. I can't do anything but keep
house."
"And cannot possibly give up my