The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1883-01-04
"We used to be good friends. didu't
wa RO oO 0-I. y

Immovable grimness on tho part OF
the bonnet.
"I say, there ?" persisted Mr.. Lark
spur.
Still no response from tho bonnet.
"Eua," desperately, "speak-say
something, can't you? if it's only to
scold /"
No effect whatever on the bonnet.
"A wagon camo rumbling up tho lane.
I'llnot stay here like D fo, no longerl'
vowed Mr.. Larkspnr. "Goou-by, Miss
Ro-and it's for good |"
With one glance at the bonnet, whlcl,
ho thought nodded slightly, he hurried
away.
"Ef she wants to stay mud now, she
kin stay mad, he declared. eve did
all kim"
"You amt got nary grain of sperrit,
Rowena Davis u asserted Mrs. Levi
Davis, q stumpy little woman with q
frcckled race ard shrill voice. "Why
don't you take Captain Skaggs and be
done with 1t, hey ?"
"Well, said Miss Rowena, deliberate
~, II don't for severI reasons, ono
beln' that he aint asked NO."
"Shucks !" said Mrs. Levi, vigorously
plunging her darning-ncedle into gray
yarn sock belonging to her iege. "You
know hits only a queshun of time
might as we'll make up your mind; you
know you liko him.
eyes" admitted Rowena. with little
sigh, II like him we'll enough, but"
III believe you're a-pinin' for that
owdacious Larkspur, observed her
sistcr-in-law. sharply. II knowed 1t
Il sayed you hedn't no sperrit Won't
90 you no good noway. He won't meyer
como round. Ef he wanted to make
up, why didn't ho mako up when he
he'd q chance ?"
Miss Rowena turned TO the window
with scarlet cheeks. Why did he not,
indced?.
"He Jest showed, Sunday, he didn't
keer cent whether he seen you or not.
The color deepened in Rowena's
checks. Notwithstanding her sister-in-
laws assertion, she did have spirit-too
much when it got the better OF her
principle md heart as it would now
and then; and Mrs. Low was purposely
taking the surest course to excite 1t to
n high pitch.
"You're jest fixin' to be an old maid
all your life, continued the little wo-
man. ''The captain amt agoin' to stick
to you always, neither, of you don't let
him think QUILL hev him. He'll marry
jimmy T"ohet yet, ef you amt keerful.
Shes wlllln' enough. reckon Lark
spur must DO goin' to see that gal that's
a-stayin' Mt Deacon Cottonwood's s: that.
why he went home with Airs. Cotton
wood from church. Anyhow, he couldn't
help seein' how you waited for him, an
as longs he didn't try to make it up
chen, when do you reckon he will
Never That's what L say, an you'll be
left. Captain Skaggs, he thinks heap
Of you now, but ef--''
CON-" cried Rowena, desperately,
edo stop, Sophy If Captain Skaggs
should nsl1 mo to marry him before Mr.
Larhhap;;r speaks to me-
"Wo,lld you hev him |" asked Mrs.
Davis, eagerly.
CT almost bolleve would, "falter-
ed R,wcna.
"Goose if you didn't p said Mrs Levi,
torsely.
Mr., Larkspur stood beside his meadow
bars, sentlmentally out Of temper. Miss
10 1ena's snubs of the day before had
filled him with anger and SORROW. lie
frowned and sighed alternately. Raising
his eyes to tho chocolate drop cottage
beyond the lane, he saw Miss Rowena
among the hollyhocks in the back yard,
feeding her chickens, with bluo voii
tied over her head ; and he knew just
how tho little tlax-brown waves of her
hair rippled up under Its rim in their
own sweet, odd fashion, until her face
seemed set in bluc-and-gold frame.
The next moment he scowled. The
swinging form of Captain Skaggs was
coming rapidly up the lane. He did
not appear to see Miss Rowcna his
eyes were fixed on the black berry patch,
and he was making directly toward it.
Mr.. Larkspur's eyes involuntarily fol-
lowed, and then he gave sudden lump,
and rubbed them. and then Ire climbed
upon bar to scrutiniz5 the bcrry-patc
more closely.
There was Miss Rowcna's pink bonnet
still, the cape fluttering in the morning
air; there was her linen sacquc, and be-
side her the tin bucket rejecting the
sun i'll IL cleaning white ring from its
edGe-nll just as it had been yesterday.
He looked across at tho figure among
the hollyhocks. That was Miss Row
ena, beyond O. doubt. "A sudden i'm
pulse, and an equally sudden spring,
sent Mr.. Larkspur over the bars, and
across the lane, and mp tho O'Clock
bordered walk through Miss Sowena's
yard.
1t wos Rowena among the hollynocks;
her gentle, wondering brown eyes were
turned directly toward him, while the
rose-color crept into the face in tho blue
nnd-gold frame.
'Ena," cried Mr.. Larkspur, "itwasn't
you in the blackberries yesterday that
snubbed and sulked at me, was it ?"
Rowena turned her eyes toward the
pink bonnet, for whose benefit Captain
Skaggs appeared to be indulging in
much eloquence Of speech and gesture,
while the provoking thing nodded and
dropped as it had when Mr.. Larkspur
talked to 1t, turned them back toward
Mr.. Larkspur, and ripple of laughter
startled the bees III The holiyhocks.
'1t's only my bonnet and sacquo I"
she said. ''Sophy fixed them up there
yesterday, to look like me, 80 tho boys
Wouldn't get alI the berries while we
were away, and I suppose she forgot to
take them away this morning. She set
tho bucket OF berries alongside rs an
extra bit of strategy. That's all"
Captain Ska9gs soon discovered his