Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-06-30
large. old-fashioned peak-roofel barn,

fuSJ DcNOnu Wn1cn SCOOu Il low, UiOlQ
comfortable-looking farm house.
'.That's our house and our barn; anC
there's Phil feedin' the chickens" sait
Mouse, in the sprightliest tones [ haC
ever heard from him; and turning t.
: glance at the youth '.Phil' who wa:
feeding the chickens, | saw the pretties'
girl l had everseen, standing in the wide
doorway of the barn. On her head she
wore a bewitching mob-cap made o.
dotted cambria, beneath the frill OF
which an intensely auburn wavy bang
fell almost to her auburn eyebrows
Her dress was made of the same mate.
rial as the cap, the sleeves being rolled
up nearly to the shoulders, displaying a
pair of beautifully rounded arms, and
She held the corners of a large white
apron in one hand, while from it she
dispensed the supper Of the fowls with
the other. "By Jovc!" thought /. sit
was worth the journey from New York
to see this lovely, truly rural picture
alone" And then | said in an inquir-
ing manner to Mouse, ''Phil?"
eyes, sir, Philippa. She's my only
sister"
And Philippa. seeing us at this mo-
ment, did not utter a shrek and fly. as
many q damsel l wot of would have
done, but flung the remainder of the
corn from her apron, and came smil-
ingly toward us, walking with an easy
grace that told plainly that she had
never undergone the martyrdom OF
tight. high-heeled shoes.
This is Mr.. Lovejoy, Phil" said
Roderick. 'Come to see if motherll
take him to board for a MONTH"
"You are very welcome" said she.
at the same time offering me q small
brown hand to which some of the corn
flour still chung, and looking at me with
q pair Of clear hazel eyes. ''Roderick
has often told us of your kindness to
him."
And no sooner had she ceased speak
ing than l began to think that [ had
found the very place of all in which to
spend my vacation, and | was sure of it
after | had seen her father and mother
he an honest, out-spoken, CHEEKY
faced old fellow, and she an attractive.
still young-looking woman, with eyes
exactly like those she had bestowed upon
her daughter-and the neat, prettily
furnished room they offered me, facing
the grand old wood filled with nut trees
that gave the place its name, and look
ing out at the side on aiolly little brook
on whose sparkling waters some bril-
liantly plumaged ducks were proudly
sailing. They wouldn't hear of my re-
turning to the city that night, as l had
proposed to do, but insistedupon my re-
naming until Monday morning.
SIT won't discommode us in the
least" said Mrs. Dayton.
"And by that time you will be better
able to tell whether you like the place
or not" added her husband.
"Like the place!!" [ made up my
mind about that before 1 slept that
night. 1t was heavenly, after the
dust and noise and crowding and jost-
ling of the city. And as for the eggs
and milk, and chicken fried in cream,
and light and airy mullins that we had
for supper, they were heavenly, too.
"Phil cooked the chicken and made the
mullins, whispered Roderick, who had.
as l soon discovered-a fact that raised
him greatly in my estimation-a most
intense admiration for his only sister.
Sunday passed like a delightful dream,
and early Monday morning l left, with
a promise to return the following
Wednesday, that being the day on
which my leave of absence was to begin,
"Well, how did you like Nutwood?''
asked Lon, as soon as WI met.
Its q very quiet, pretty place.
"And the Mouse's description wasn't
as highly colored as the advertise
ments?" he continued.
'.It wasn't highly colored in the
least [ replied. 81 found there all he
promised and''-"much more" 1 was
about to add, but checked myself.
"Then what do you say to speaking q
word in my favor when you leave?0 ]
might spend n of my holiday weeks
there, anyhow. The other I've got tc
spend with the old folks"
"Oh," said I, emphatically, 'Nut,
wood would never do for you. You'd
get the worst kind of blues there in nc
time. It's SO exceedingly-well, dull,
you'd call it. You want to be where
there's some fun going on. AS for me.
give me a pipe and book, and I'm all
right, you know"
Wednesday saw me installed in the
cozy ROOM, with the wood on side
and the brook on the other, and a week
or less from that day saw me as wholly
in love with Philippe as ever was city
youth with bonny country maid. She
was such.a dear, frank, bright, unaf-
fected girl, with no faults that l could
see-and l watched her closely-unless
a strong tendency to superstition could
be called one. That spilled salt must
be Immediately thrown over the left
shoulder of the spiller, lest he or she
should quarrel with his or her next
neighbor; that no journey or important
undertaking should be begun on u Fri
day; that an umbrella or parasol opened
under a roof betokened a great disap-
pointment; that a crow crossing your
path BODIED i'll news; that the finding Of
a four-leaved clover brought good luck:
all these, with a hundred other things
of like nature, did pretty Philippa be.
lieve with the whole of her honest heart.
| used to laugh at her at first, but soon
learned to humor the harmless weak.
ness, and threw spilled salt over my
shoulder, went down on hands and
knees-being rather near-sighted-tc