Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1882-01-12
THE SQUlRE'S WO0ING.
Boston Transcript

Keene came down the road that beauti-
full July morning, and he was just about
to throw an armiul of them over the
fence as she came around the corner.
The sunbonnet she wore was exactly
like one he remembered to have seen
her mother wear twenty-five years ago;
and no remembered, too, as he looked
at this one, and tho fresh, rosy face
under it, how that one hal made his
heart futter the first time he saw it,
and how he was so bewitched by it, or
the face under il, that he had walked
home with Hester Mason and had bard
work to keep from proposing to her.
he wondered now, and he had won
dered many times in the twenty-five
years that had gone by since then, why
he never did propose to her. He had
meant to marry her some time, and he
was sure she liked him in the old days;
but-and he had sighed 10 himself more
than once when he thought of it
something had come between them, and
she had married Robert Keene, and he
had married his Cousin Mary. Fate
must have had something to do with it,
he concluded.
As he looked at Hester's daughter
this summer morning the old fire
stirred under the dust and ashes of
twenty-five years, and he felt q little
flame spring up in his heart.
"Good-morning, Lucy" no said,
leaning over the fence.
"OhI" exclaimed Lucy, with a little
jump, 81 didn't see you, and You came
near soaring me. Isn't ii pleasant p
Yes il is pleasant" answered the
squire, looking straight at her pretty
face. "Hows your motherY'
Pretty well, answered Lucy. "Your
strawberries are doing splendidly, aren't
they? We're 30 provoked about ours
The hens got into the garden, and
mother says she don't think well have
pAlnul Ol DeTTleS IN III.
want to know T. exclaimed the
squire. "Now. you tell your mother
that she's welcome to all she wants ont
of my patch. She can have 'em Just as
well IS not. There's going obe sight
m ore'n we'll want, and I'd rather have
'em used than wasted"
"I will tell her, I" answered Lucy; "I
know she'll be delighted at the chance.
You know what hand she Is to make
strawberry preserves"
Yes, do" answered the squire,
thinking Of old times. "Iremember she
beat all the old housekeepers at that.
They used to say that she had knack
of making strawberry jam that nobody
else could get hold Of"
"She hAsn't lost it YET" said Lucy.
She'll be pleased to have you come to
tea some time, and try some she made
last year. She had unusually good
luck"
"I'll do it," said the squire. lie me
see-to-dAy's Wednesday. Tell her I'll
come over Saturday, IL it's agreeable,
and guess the berries IL be ripe so /
can pick pailful by that time. II
they be, I'll bring some over"
Thank your said Lucy. eff you
do we'll have q shortcake. I'll tell her
to expect you to tea on Saturday,
then"
yes" answered the squire; "Tll be
round IL nothing happens. Oh I
heard from Charley yesterday. He'll
be home in day or two TO stay"
"That'll be pleasant for you," said
Lncy. STOPPING down to pick up daisy.
The squire could not see how rosy
the face under the bewitching sunbon-
net grew all at once. II he had II
might have set him thinking.
'sYes It WILL" said the squire
''Chariey's good boy"
'sI guess I'll have to be going" said
Lucy. I'VE shall expect you to tea
Saturday, remember"
II won't disappoint you," said the
squire; and then Lucy went on, and no
went back to pulling weeds.
Il s'pose It's foolish to think Of such
a thing" he said 10 himself, ''but I
don't know its anybody's business but
ours. II see fit to marry Lucy, an
she's willin', I'm going to do t."
From which Jon will see that the
gquire'a fancy for tho mother had sud
denly been transferred to the daughter.
Charley came home the next day.
dispose III have TO tell him what
I've been thinking about" thought the
squire. "Td bout as soon take q
horse-whippiHs. ! declare. But there