Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1881-01-05

broad brimmed hat was also decorated
with leaves, berries and dried blossoms.
The picture was worth seeing, but the
schoolmaster evidently had not an art
lists eye.
At the first glance he said to himself,
'pity that girl doesn't know how to
spend her time in more profitable way
than to trim up COW in all that non
sense.
The girl colored to the deepest crimson
when she discovered the strangers eye
upon her, and she disappeared into the
barn with her COW as quickly as possible.
The woman in the doorway disposed of
her dish of corn, felt of her back hair
and made haste to decorate her plain
matronly features with bright, hospit-
able smile.
'The new schoolmaster, [ s'pose, :"
said she, holding out her hand.
CT don't know, F." replied he, gazing
after the retreating figure of the young
girl in dazed sort of way.
"What!'' came i'll tone of extreme
establishment from the woman, who re-
garded him with sudden suspicion.
go excuse me, the fact is, [ am the
new schoolmaster. I wasn't thinking.
Or, rather, l was thinking about some
thing else
She smiled, and catching the merry
twinkle in her eye he laughed aloud, but
Ii was yexed, embarrassed laugh, ut
terly destitute OF mirth.
''She'n find me different sort of a
chap from what she imagines, 1 rather
guess. It's the first time I ever forgot
myself because a girl had pretty face,
n mean it shall be the last, he said to
himself
&c Walk in, Mr.. Watkins, l KEEP sup
per waitin' fur you. [ reckon yo're
pretty hungry travehn' so fur, or did you
ride instead of travel ?''
&C You're right, marin, [ am hungry.
All the dinner had was a dish of bread
and milk at Grindalrs.' -
miss Grindall don't pervide fur stage
passengers ez l should think she would.
She's gettin' dretful kind of shihess
lately. Eff you'll jest wait minute on
tew, I'll stir up the fire a little. The
teas got mite cold
go, yes, L can wait a few minutes
when there is such lively prospect of
having something to eat before me"
year around, Mr.. Watkins?''
mo marin, do a little tin peddling
IN the summer time The women folks
down below as well as up here have to
have their turn at teaching then. .
Tin peddlin' is a dreadful pawn
business, I've heard tell
"Well it is tolerable. faint quite SO
genteel as school-keeping, but I'm for
getting on in the world. I've most paid
for a snug little farm already and and
my mother manage to live pretty COM
Portable.
''This amt SO bad" thought the
widow. "He's forehanded enough for
so young a man, and he's orful took with
Phebe. [ never see anything like the
way he looked at her. 1 did lot on her
marryin preacher, but folks SO high up
In the world haint so dretful common,
especially single ones. But there, cts
no use, she's so bashful she won't speak
tew nobody, won't let nobody git ac-
quainted with her all [ ken say or dew.
'Phebe, she called, stepping to the
door, 6 wish you'd hurry i'll n pour
the new schoolmaster's tea for him
whilst | go daown sullar n work over
nv butter. Els got tew be done afore
dark, yeou kneow.'
Phebe appeared with look of dire
distress on her lovely countenance and
did as she was hidden, but she did not
once lift her eyes during the whole time
she remained in the room.
'EThis bread is first-rate, full as good
as NY mother makes, if not better. [
shouldn't wonder if you made it your
self, now,'' said he, attempting to speak
with his usual jaTnty, self-importssnt
air. But for some reason or other he
felt strange embarrassment, and was
surprised at himself "What is there
about this pesky girl that makes such a
fool OF me ?" he thought, angrily.
The distress on Phebe's face deepened
to actual despair as she gasped hardly
audible Eyes. She wished with all her
heart that the bread was as heavy as it
had been yesterday, then perhaps he
might have kept silence. "You're a
going to be one of my scholars, [ hope"
he proceeded with glance of open adj
miration, though given with a rather
shame-faced air. He did it to assure
himself that he dared to do it, feeling
unhappily like tie old woman who did
not know whether she was herself OF no.
Phebe stammered something, which
sounded like 81 don't know" and
moved as far away from the table as
possible @
''Bashful as partridge, " he thought.
''Well, SO much the better; don't like
forward women. She amt used to see
ing anybody but lumbermen, and river
drivers and that sort of clodhoppers, I
s'pose, and is kinder frustrated at SEEM
me. But what do / care about her any
how, I've got such start in the world
that L ought to marry rich woman.
Rich widows are plenty every now and
then ] don't imagine her mother has
much of any property
As soon as he had finished his meal
Phebe hastily removed the dishes from
the table and escaped into the kitchen,
and he saw nothing more of heruntil the
next morning. She appeared then in
celestial blue, which harmonized Won
derfuUy with the rich sr1nburn on her