The Baltimore County union., 1883-01-20


, She was about to walk on again when
Adam came quickly down the garden
path and spoke to her.
"Stop a moment" he said, as he
broke of the roses in great clusters. -
'You are welcome to all the flowers you
can carry"
She took them from him with little
sigh Of delight.
"You know board at Mrs. Docks" /"
She said, "and she don't believe in flow-
Prs. She says pea and bean vines arc
norc profitable than honeysuckles and
foses. don't agree with her. III had
home should have it just like this
lowers everywhere.
"Then you think flowers profitable ?"
ssaid Adam.
"Anything is profitable that gives in
Inocent pleasure, she answered. "Why
were roses given US If it was intended
that our lives should be entirely devo
ted to peas and bcansl Let us have
tpetry to read as well as prose-"
xiaai laughed, and she nodded gay
good-by to him, and walked on, bend.
Ing her face again and again to inhale
the fragrance of the roses in her hands.
And Adam stood by the little wooden
gate watching her until she was out Of
sight.
"My life has been all prose-" he NUT
tered. alt is time | had little poetry,
/ think"
Laura Darrow's sweet face haunted
him after he went into the house again.
He wondered how she could look so
bright and young when she had so hard
a life. He knew by experience what
the teaching Of district school was
He had taught one himself for two win
tiers previous TO his unclc's death. And
Laura Darrow had no happy home in
which TO find relief for heart and mind.
She was an orphan, dependent on her
own exertions for her daily bread.
a couple Of months later Mrs. Cor
don crossed the road one evening, and
entered her sons house to find him sit
ting in the darkened parlor, so
bhried in thought that he was uncon-
scious Of her presence until she spoke.
Then he sprang up, gave her his chair,
and threw open the blinds.
al don't just like sitting in the parlor
so Free" began the old lady, as she
drew her knitting from her pocket
"Selina always kept it so choice. And
speakin' Of that, Adam, don't you think
it's bout time you were gcttin' married
againa"
A dark, red flush suffused Adam Cor
don's face. He turned his head quick.
ly aside, and did not reply.
"You're awful lonesome here" went
on Mrs. Gordon, "and there's no sense
in grievin' forever over what can't be
helped. Things in this house'll go to
rack and ruin soon il you don't put
some woman in charge Of 'em. | saw
that big blue tub as Selma set such store
by, settin' in the hot sun yesterday
Every hoop'll be off it. sure's fate. And
the moths'll eat these worsted curtains
il they amt seen to. You'd save by
lsi;i.in' married again, Adam. And think
how much Selma made every year out
O. the eggs an butter an honey"
Adam made a depreca,ing motion
with his right hand.
"l don't soaafto think OF it," he said.
The old lady surveyed him wonder.
ingly over her spectacles a moment, as
if doubling whether she had heard
Alright.
"Therc's Mary Sharpley," she con-
tinued. "You couldn't do better than
to get her. She's thirty-five If she's
day, know, hut you wouldn't mind
that. She's master.worker."
a bitter little smile curled Adams
lips.
"She wouldn't suit me-" he said,
briefly.
"Wouldn't !" in tone of great sur.
prise. "Wcll, then, there's Hattie
Davis. She's several years younger'n
Mary, and if she aia'f 60, any good
looks to spare, she's the best worker
know, next to Mary. Last year she put
up two hundred cans of tomatoes, dried
six bushels of sweet corn, quilted four
teen spreads, and preserved ten"
"Don't proceed with the catalogue Of
her accomplishments" interrupted her
son as he rose and went to the window,
where he stood looking out, with his
hands in his pockets. alt is entirely
unnecessary. Hattie Davis will never
be my wife"
"Pcrhaps you have settled on some
one already" said Mrs. Gordon, 4 lit
tie neitled by her sons tone. 81 must
say you've been mighty secret about it,"
al suppose ! might as well tell you
now as at any other time, mother" said
Adam, while sudden glow lighted up
his dark eyes, "that am to marry Miss
Darrow in September.
"Miss Darrow |" almost screamed
Mrs. Gordon, dropping her knitting in
amazcment. "Why, she don't know
no,hin'. She amt no fit wife for
farmer, with her fine clothes and fool
ish curls, and you'll rue"
"Don't say anything more, please"
-ihterrupted Adam quickly. al won't
listen to it," and he walked out Of the
room, closing the door behind him.
Ofcourse Mrs. Gordon did say great
deal more, though not to her son, and
the whole neighborhood was soon in.
formed Of the folly which Adam Gordon
was about to commit.
But in spite OF all opposition Adam
followed his own pleasure, and in Sep
tember Laura Darow became his wife,
and was installed in the old farmhouse
as its mistress.
For time Adams mother refused to
have anything TO do with her new daugh.
ter-in.law, but curiosity, whetted by va.
rious reports brought her by outsiders,
induced her at last to extend the olive
branch, which Laura willingly accepted.