National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1884-08-16
HIS LITTLE RUSTIC.
BY ELLA WHEELER.

BY ELLA WHEELER.
The situation was romantic.
He was leaning over rail fence, WHIP
ing his warm brow with somewhat soiled
but very handsome handkerchief, when
he discovered her.
She was kneeling in the grass little
way off hunting for wild strawberries,
which she dropped into partially filled
tin pail.
Her sun bonnet had fallen back, and
now revealed very flushed face and
tumbled mass of brown hair.
He thought her profile very pretty, and
her writ, as 1t was disclosed below her
print sleeve, shapely and white. He
wished she would look up, as he was
growing curious concerning the color
of her eyes. He felt sure they were
brown
Just at this moment a whirr of wings
caused him to turn his eyes in another
direction, and he saw covey of wild
prairie hens Just settling upon an angle
of the fence in near range. He lifted his
gun quickly to his shoulder, took aim,
and fired.
The birds all flow away unframed. But
the girl in the grass gave little shrek,
and sprang up SO hastily she tipped her
pail of berries over, and they all disap-
peared in the long. tangled grass.
"Oh, how provoking!" she cried, in q
tone of real vexation, as she looked down
ct her empty pail.
ALLOW me to help you to pick them
up" said our hero, calamity, as he sprsng
pvor the fence with an easy bound, and
kAsx 90 hi ...kA L. 49,
always picked berries from tangled grass
for a livelihood, instead of attending to
the foreign business of one Of the largest
commercial houses in tho world. He
picked away In silence for fully i've min
utes without looking up.
1t was now the young lady's oppor-
tunity for inspection. She saw medium
sized, strongly built figure, clothed in o
hunting-suit, evidently new; head of
closely cropped hair, suspiciously near
badness upon tho crown; peculiarly
pallid complexion, very handsome mus
tache, we'll waxed and glossy, and, as he
4. lifted them, just then two very liquid
and languid blue eyes.
tally, as he met her glance. Aloud II
think your pail is quito as full as it was
before, mademoiselle. 1 shall take pleas
ure in assisting you to completely fill it
If you will allow"
And his smile and glance, and the
perfect meditation OF his voice, was as
delightful to Lisle Ashley as it had been
to a score-nay to undred-women
before her.
81 think you," she stammered; "but
i have enough for tea now, and 1t is late,
and must CO."
But you have not enough for tea If /
take tea with YOU" said our hero, with q
respectful demesnor, which was one of
Richard Westbrooks most taking quail
ties with the ladies.
If "a mans manner, glance, and tone are
only respectful and deferential, nothing
pleasos woman more than a certain
amount of boldness in words and actions.
"You see," he continued, in answer to
her look of surprise, II ON lost. left
party Of friends this forenoon, and wan
dered through the woods in search of
game, until am completely bewildered.
They have the lunch basket. You are
the first human being / have seen in
hours, and l have dined on few berries.
! must have supper soon or perish. l
have no idea how far am from Benton
station, where was to join my friends
ut o'clock. And now IL is 5.
"Oh," said Lisle, looking very sympa-
are five miles from Benton station, and
you must be hungry, / know. Well,
now, you may 60 homo with mot is
just half mile from here. Aunt Ruth
will have supper ready. | know, and you
will be welcome. And the hired man is
going to Benton Falls this evening. You
can ride with him."
But my train goes at T."
"Well, there is another at 8. And Joel
may 20 early enough to get up there for
the o'clock train. / will help him with
the COWS SO he can get off,"
Richard glanced down at the slender
hands and wrists.
"You milk cows2 Impossiblo2" he
said.
'.Oh, do not make business of it,"
Lisle answered calmly "but 1 can do it
when occasion requires. | would not be
o thoroughly genuine country girl If
could not. Now here 10 fence to climb.
Will you please 60 first and then help me
over?"
II thought country girls always leaped
the fence" said Richard, US he sprang
lightly over and gave her his hand.
They can do it but they do not always
display their agllity on ovory OCCASION"
Lsle retorted, us sho stepped TO the
ground at his side. "rhero is Uncle
WllnamS nOuse-that red one over yon-
der. And the white cloth is hanging out
of the attic window to tell tho mon in the
bayfield, that supper will be ready as soon
as they can get down to tho house."
How delightfully."- primitive life is out
hereW unused Richard. IL feel rs if was
in another world from the one left this
morning"
You are from Lake Resort, supposed"
YES. l have been there q week. my
home is in Albany, Now York. / was
induced to come 10 Lake Resort on
account Of the FISH and game in neighbour
ing localities But l came out hero this
morning and have tramped all day and
never shot bird"
"You tried, though" said Lisle. mis-
chievously. "But here we are now; please
take n seat on the veranda in tho shade
while tell Aunt Ruth wo have company
to tea and help her pick over tho berries"
what charming, fresh, unspoiled
child of nature she u.s." thought Richard,
AZ she disappeared. ,Sweet eyes and
mouth and pretty figure, and so simple
and unaffected. An that is what attracts
man after he is worn out with the arti-
fees OF the world and disgusted with the
shalns Of society. What IN ideal life one