The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1884-12-04
The Merchants Test.
AY A. H. BALDWIN

baggage with the station master
ssuntered leisurely up the dust,
road.
He had engaged summer lodgings
by letter, and was now seeking hi
destination.
Straight ahead until you come
to it."
This was the station masters iii
rection, so straight ahead Lucien
Gaylord proceeded, till he paused
TO look at a tableau vivant framed
in Towering vines.
A girl was seated upon shady
porch shelling peas.
Her broad hat was pushed back
leaving exposed face purely oval
delicate-featured, creamy of com
plexion, with brown eyes AMI gold
en- hair drawn simply back in wav
ing bands, TO fall in clustering curls
around the slender throat.
Most unlike rustic beauty were
the high bred face, the slender
white hands, the self. possessed pose,
but yet the dress was a quiet brown
calico, With white apron, ruflles and
cuffs.
While Lucien Gaylord looked at
her, she lifted her eyes and SAD him.
He raised his hat, asking:
"Can you direct me to Miss
Strongest
at is here" was the answer.
And opening the gate, Lucien en-
tered, mentally concluding that the
silvery sweet voice was as delicious
ly refined as the face.
''I am Lucien Gaylord" he said,
by way of introduction.
"My Aunt Maria's new lodger.
You had better rest in the porch
before I call her. 1t is a very tire
some, sunny walk from the station" :"
Perfectly easy with just sufficient
cordiality in the tone for welcome,
Lucien accepted the invitation, and
started conversation, watching the
dainty fingers shelling peas, with a
touch that was light though firm.
Miss Strong appeared presently,
and took her new lodger to his
room, asking her niece to carry her
pan to the kitchen.
For we will give you an early
dinner after your long walk" she
said, Hospitality bustling about to
bring cool water and fresh towels
"You sent your trunk? 1 will
have it brought up as soon as it
comes"
May" she told her niece, she is
a gentleman every inch of him and
handsome as a picture"
81 like his manner" May an
swered, washing her peas at the
sink. '-Shall make a custard,
auntie?''
eff you will, dear. Oh, dear, to
think of Cynthia taking this day Of
all others to act so.'
For Cynthia, the only servant,
had been detected in the act of pass
ing spoons from the kitchen to a
Misunderstanding tramp, and the
pair had been handed over to the
village constable.
Which accounted for the fact
that May was installed assistant
cook nntil such time as Cynthia
could be replaced.
"And nobody knows when that
will be-" said Miss Strong, ''for ser
wants at Norton are scarcer than
old gold"
None appearing to replace the
thievish Cynthia, MAY was often
found in the kitchen, not very eff
cient but willing, and succeeding in
many culinary Jriumphs simply by
obeying orders.
"Pll make a good cook of you
yet" her aunt often told her, and
she laughed merrily at the words.
But LIlcien Gaylord enjoying
brief summer holiday often wished
heartily that he might be permitted
to live upon bread and milk, if by so
doing he could keep May out of the
kitchen.
Whenever she was free she found
him waiting for her; and they sat
in the porch, or walked in shady
lanes, chatting pleasantly, gradual
ly going beyond surface talk, mutu
ally Interested and pleased to find
so much sympathy of thought and
feeling that time sped only too swift
ly when they were together.
1t puzzled Lucien often TO find
absolutely nothing of rustic awk
wardness in this lovely girl, who
was self-possessed and graceful as
if bred in the highest society.
She was reticent about herself,
but very frank about her duties as
assistant and cook in the house.
Having nothing to hide, Lucien
soon unfolded his own life to her,
won by her gentle sympathy and ev-
ident interest.
He told her of his boyhood with
q wealthy father, r,who died suddenly,
leaving nothing of once handsome
fortune; of mother who soon sank
under the pressure of sorrow and
poverty; of his own position as a
clerk in wholesale house, upon a
small salary.
Often he told her of the dreams
HIS ldGuGI , OGdbn 0StNA SCaJlSESQ,OuG
hope of being a great lawyer, or an
author, moving the world by his
pen.
Yet he was bravely cheerful,
hoping to conquer fortune by per-
severance and energy.
Not until they were fast friends
did he tell her all this, and a little
later he told her of new dream,
new hope, love death only could
destroy.
''Will you let me take back to my
drudgery the hope that if 1 can con
quer fortune, you will come to share
it?" he asked. "Will you be my
wife, love, in that future, when I
hope to gather about me at least
comfort for a homer
He had wooed her in a straight
forward, manly fashion, and she
was not surprised.
She mt her hand in bic Y1rO,,,ic