Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1883-06-07
AN AUBURN TRESS.


girls had ever met, and / had met
quite number, having. although sister.
less, seven cousins of the fairer sex
each of whom was constantly discover.
ing some charming friend or friends
to whom ''Cousin Tom really INNS
be introduced. But by only two oil
three of these charmers had cousin
Tom been enslayed, and then his
chains were of the lightest, and broken
easily after short captivity. And so
my fiye-and-twentieth birthday found
me still heart-whole, and being heart
whole, with no despotic she to
decide for me, wondering where should
spend my summer vacation. 1t was to
be longer one than usual. for Uncle
John, in whose publishing house / was
employed, had kindly placed the whole
month of August at my disposal, in re-
turn, as he was pleased to say, for my
close attention to business since the be-
ginning of the year. / didn't want to
go to one of the fashionable resorts, for
was not (altheugh my cousins had
done all they could toward making me
one) a fashionable man. And then,
again-which was perhaps more inn
portant reason couldn't afford ii.
81 wish | knew of some pleasant
farmhouse" said to my office chum,
Lon Fordyce, ''where there would be
no other boarders taken where the
nearest neighbor lived at least mile
away; where there were plenty of old
trees about; where afellow might swing
in hammock from morn till dewy eve
if he chose, and read and smoke and
dream the time away to his heart s
content; and where new, unskimmed
milk, fresh eggs, crisp vegetables, ripe
fruit, and tender chicken were reali-
ties, not myths. But where, oh, where
can such Arcadian bliss be found? Eve
read of it in stories and newspaper
advertisements, but | never knew any
body who had met it or anything like it
in their search for summer board and
lodging, | mean. Quite the contrary
has been my own experience; in fact,
disgustingly the contrary"
All the time / had been speaking,
Mouse had been listening attentively
(Mouse was twelve-year-old boy be-
longing to our department, his real
name being Roderick; but that had
been almost entirely forgotten since
Lon and | rechristened him; and the
new title had been conferred upon him
on account of his noiseless way of
moving around, his small, bright, dark
eyes, and his general, as we thought,
mousy appearance), and as finished |
turned suddenly upon him and asked:
''What are you standing there for,
Mouse? Have you nothing to do?"
''Plenty, sir" he answered.; ''but |
was a-thinkin' our folks might take you.
They've got a nice farm, and big trees,
and new chickens, and eggs, and fruit,
and vegetables, and cows milk, and
everything you said you wanted 'cept
an accordion, and | guess they could
get that"
"An accordion!' repeated (, in great
establishment. 'What in the world do
you mean?"
Accordion bliss whispered Lon,
and we both burst out laughing; but
Mouse kept his ground, and regarded
me grayely until began talking again.
"Your folks?" said |, and it struck
me that | had never thought of the
quiet little chap in connection with
folks before. "Why, don't your folks
live in the cityP"
mo, sir. They live at Nutwood. Il
stay here with Aunt Hannah, cause
I'm to be business man. Tim-he's
nine-he's to be u farmer. And there
isn't any house 'cept the Larrups' shan
ty fore more'n mile. And I've told
'em how good you are to me, and I'm
most sure they'd let you come and stay
as long as you wanted to. And there's
ducks
''Doyou know, Lon, this sounds very
promisingP" said |.
MAY be as deceptive as the adver-
tisements, for all that" said Lon.
mot Intentionally SO, of course, but
Mouse being a boy, and the farmhouse
the home of his childhood
Nothing easier than for me to find
out all about it" interrupted /. "I'n
take run down there tomorrow"
(Which happened to be Saturday,
"afternoon. And, Mouse, if you like,
you may go with me-"
THANK you, SIR said Mouse, his
bright eyes sparkling with pleasure; and
then he silently disappeared, while Lon
and'l fell to work as though our very
lives depended upon getting certain
amount done in n certain length of
time.
The next afternoon found Mouse and
myself on board of an express train
speeding away to Nutwood. 1t was
after five o'clock when we arrived at
the small station, for | had not been
able to start as early as intended, and
nearly six when we came in sight of
large old-fashioned peak-roofed barn,
just beyond which stood a low, broad,
comfortable-looking farmhouse,
That's our house and our barn; and
there's Phil feedin' the Chickens said
Mouse, in the sprightliest tones had
ever heard from him; and turning to
glance at the youth "Phil' who was
feeding the chickens, saw the prettiest
girl | had ever seen, standing in the
wide doorway of the barn. On her
head she wore a bewitching mob-cap
made of dotted cambria, beneath the
frill of which an intensely auburn wavy
bang fell almost to her auburn eye
brows. Her diess was made of the
same material as the cap, the sleeves
being rolled up even to the shoulders,
displaying pair of beautifully rounded
arms, and she held the corners of n large
white apron in one hand, while from it
she dispensed the supper of the fowls
with the other. "By Jover' thought |,
''it was worth the. journey from New
York to see this lovely truly rural pic
ture alone And then | said in an in
quiring manner to Mouse, PHILIP
Yes, sir, Philippa. She's my only
sister,
And Philippa, seeing us at this mo-
ment. did not utter n shrek and fly, as
many damsel | 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
neverundergone the martyrdom of tight,
high heeled shoes.
'This is MIR. Loveioy, Phil, said
Roderick. Come to see If mother IL
take him to hoard for month"
you are very welcome said she,
at the same time offering me a small
brown hand to which some of the corn
flour still chung, and looking at me with
pair of clear hazel eyes. Frederick
has often told us of your kindness TO
him.
Aud no sooner had she ceased speak
ing than began to think that | had
found the very place of all in which T.
spend my vacation, and was sure OF II
after had seen her father and mother
he an honest, out-spoken, cherry
faced old fellow and she an attractive,