San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1882-02-09
THE RED EAR.
The STORY ~ Il iiu-king Frolic.

1t was October when | came to Tho
Sumac farm red, rare October, witt
the maple trees all dyed in scarlet, the
woodland streams choked with dead
leaves, and the nuts ripening on the
chestnut boughs and can well remem
her the thrill which went through al
nv veins ut the sight OF the glorious
landscape, as the stage.driver set me
down on the door step, with my trunb
and carpet-bag, just as the sunset
bursting through shield of lowering
cloud, bl4zed across the old house
painting it's caves with ange light
and turning the small window panes tc
uuivering tablets Of gold.
For had been born and brought uI
in the city, and all this wide, wild land
scape, colored with autumn forests and
scented with dead leaves, was new and
marvellous in my sight. A
"Do You like 1t, cousin Olga?
Coouettish little Barbara Blake asked
the question, as she fitted to and fro
apparently intent upon the arrangement
of the supper. table, while all the while
she kept u bright eye on Walter Mild
may, who sat by the light. mending d
defective spot in the harness.
"Very much" said, quietly.
Walter did not look up, but could
feel his quiet eye on me all thetime. l
wondered what he thought, .uneasily, OF
my dusty dress, my disheveled hair, the
stiff, unbecoming linen collar which l
had chosen to wear, instead OF the lace
frill which best suited my face Not
that wanted him to admire me; but
every woman likes to appear to the
best advantage, and l was not whit
different, in that respect, from the rest
of my sex.
1 was Philadelphia shop girl. There
was no glamour of romance about my
life. | worked for my living, like
many another, lived quietly in scant
and forlorn lodgings, and felt, sadly
enough, that my lot III life was to be a
chrys,dis' rather than a butterhy's-
until Fayal & Co. failed, and, hearing
that was out of employment, my UNI
known cousins of Sumac farm wrote to
me to come and spend the winter with
them.
They welcomed me kindly after their
fashion. Uncle Blake gave me Xxi IS
and remarked, obviously, that Il didn't
favor any Of the Diakes that ever he
knew of.
Barbara, his daughter, wondered why
I looked SO pale. Jonas brought his
pretty young wife-who had been a
Mildmay 10 greet me ; and her brother
Walter, who was boarding there, also
shook hands politely with me, and
ahoped should like the country" in
an indifferent way.
The fire of huge logs blazed and
cracked i'll tina deep, smoke blackened
chimney place, and the leaves rustIcd
against the door step on the outside,
and cricket chirped shrllly under the
hearth, and it was all SO stran9e-so
strange, yet SO restfui.
After supper, they left me alone.
Mrs. Jonas Blake went out to skim the
milk. My cousin and his father van
ished to attend "deestrict school
meeting" somewhere. Walter and Bar
bara had been invisible for some time,
and after sitting dreamily for awhile
before the fire, rose and went out into
the kitchen beyond, vaguely DESTROYS
of some companionship besides my
ow-.
No one was there, but | heard the
sound Of voices i'll the shed at the rear,
where Barbara was holding the light
for Waiter Mildmay to sharpen some
edged tool on the grindstone. Unwit-
tingly advanced toward the door just
in time to hear these words:
"A stiff, ugly old maid" indiffer-
emily. a little higher, Barbara, please. !
II that is the sort of girls they turn out
in Philadelphia, prefer the country
specimens"
/ stood rooted to the spot, feeling
myself grow hot all over. They went
on talking and laughing, but 1 did not
hear a word they said.
Noiselessly l crept back into the /
house, up To my own room, lighted the .
candle. and looked into the little, mus
lin draped glass that hung above the
made dressing table.
Stiff, ugly. and an old maid. The
latter certainly was not, at four-and-
twenty. Stiff might be-who could
avoid that, in the presence Of utter
strangers, surrounded by domestic at
mosphere that WAS entirely novel to
met And ugly-vas that2 / looked
into the glass, to see hair banded
straight back from q pale, oval face,