The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1884-09-11
His LITTLE RUSTIC.
DY ELLA WHEELER,

=. DY ELLA WHEELER
The situation was romantic. -
brow with somewhat soiled but very hand
some handkerchief, when he discovered her:
She was kneeling in the grass little way
of, hunting for wild Strawberries, which she
dropped into apartially filed tin pail
Her bonnet had fallen back, and now
royealed-a very flushed face and a tumbled
mass of brown hair =;
He thought her profile very pretty, and her
b wrist, as it 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 whirr of wings caused
him to turn his eyes in another direction, : and
he saw a covey of wild prairie hens just set
Ting upon an anglesof the fence in near range
He lifted his gun quickly to his shoulder, took
aim and fired ! :.
Tho birds all few away unframed: But
the girl in the grass gave a little SHREK and
sprang up so hastily she tipped her pail of
berries over, and they all disappeared in tho
long, tangled grass
':Oh, how provoking!" she cried, in a tono
of real vexation, as she looked down at her
empty pail
"Allow me to help you pick them up" said
our hero, CALAMITY, as no sprang over the
fence with an easy bound, and bent to his task
as lightly as if he had always picked berries
from tangled grass for a livelihood, instead of
attending to the foreign business of one of the
largest commercial houses in the world He
picked away in silence for fully five minutes
without looking up.
1t was now the young lady's opportunity for
inspection. She saw medium sized, strong
ly built figure, clothed in hunting suit, evil
IDENTIFY new; head of closely cropped hair,
suspiciously near badness upon the crown; q
peculiarly pallid complexion, very handsome
moustache, well-waxod and glossy, and, as he
lifted them, just then two very liquid and Ian
guild blue eyes.
eyes, they are brown" he said, mentally,
az he met her glance. Aloud: 81 think your
pail is quite as full as it was before
mademoiselle I shall take pleasure in assist
ing you to completely fill it if you will al
low"
And his glance and smile, and the perfect
meditation Of his voice, was as delightful to
Lislc Ashley as it had been to a score-nay, to a
hundred-women before her.
'I-I thank you," she stammered; "but I
have enough for tea now, and it is late, and
must CO."
''But you have not enough for tea If take
tea with you," said our hero, with respect
full demeanor, which was ono of Richard
Wcstbrook's most taking qualities with the
ladies. ~,. 'iz"
Ii mans manner, glance and tone are only
respectful and dcferontlal, nothing -pleases a
woman more than certain amount OF bofdness
in his words and actions
'sYou scc," he continued, in answer to lNr
look of surprise, II am lost l left party of
friends this forenoon, and wandered through
pletey bcwildered They have the lunch bas-
ket You are the first human being have seen
in houns, and have dined on few berries l
must have supper soon or perish 1 nave no
idea how far am from Benton station, where
was to join my friends at o'clock And now it
is 81
"Oh, said Lisle, looking. very. sympathetic
indeed, ''you are to be pitied. You are five
miles from Benton station, and you must be
hungry know. We'll, WELL you may go home
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."
+ ''Wol,s there is another at g. And Jeol may
go early enough to get up thore for the o'clock
train. will help him with the COWS so he can
get off"
Richard glanced down ct the slender hands
and wrists
''You milk cows? Impossible!" he said.
'Oh 1 do not make a business of it," Lisle
answered calmly; ''but can do 1t when oc-
casion requires. would not be a-thoroughly
genuine country girl if could not Now here
is a fence to climb Will you please 60 first
and then help me over?'
II thought country girls always leaped the
fence said Richard, as he sprang lightly over
and gave her his hand.
'Ihcy can do it but they do not always dis
play their agility on every OCCASION" Lisle re-
torted, as she stepped to the ground at his side.
''Thcre is Uncle Williams house-that red one
ont Of the attic window to tell the men in the
bayfield, that supper will be ready as soon as
they can get down to the house"
GLOW DELIGHTFULLY."- primitiye lifeis out here!'
world from the one left this morning."
ssYou arc from Lake Resort, suppose9
Eyes I have been there a week; my home
is in Albany, New York. was induced to come
to Lake Resort on account Of the fish and game
IN neighboring localities. But came out here
this morning, and have tramped all day and
never shot a bird"
s'You have tried though" said Islc, mis-
chievously. "But here we are now; please
take seat on the veranda in the shade while
l tell Aunt Ruth We have company to tea and
help her pick over the berries"
"What a charming fresh, unspoiled child of
nature she ISL thought Richard as she disap-
peared 'Sweet eyes and mouth and a pretty
figure, and so simple and unaffected. All!
that is what attracts a man after he is Worn
out with the articles Of the world and DISCUS
ted with the sl,ams of society. What an ideal
life one could lead here with such a companion
as that, far from all the din and turmoil and
strife of the world"
Tea is ready sir" a very sweet voice an
nounced; walk this way if you please. [ sup
pose you would like to wash your face and
room at the left here"
How pretty aud restful and homelike the
rooms were; how dreamily the sound of the
mowers came in through the open window !;
how metherly Aunt Ruth appeared in her big
ity, touched with slight awe of his city ORR
gin; how charming the table appeared to his
hungry eyes, witt, its healthy country fare!
"You had better sit right down--you and
Lisle" said Aunt Ruth "Joel will be gettin'
off to town now, about 6, he says, if it'll &C
few minutes 80 it'll be pleasanter for you to
have your tea bcforo they come"
And Richard sat down to tete-a-teto tea
with Lsle, in her print gown and with her
slightly sunburned face, guiltless of powder,
and enjoyed it more than any stately dinner
which he over yattended, where ladies lured
him with beautiful faces and surnptuous Co.'S
tunes and glittcring jewels.
Then ia came Uncle William with his loud
voice and his b,1rly frame, to break the spell,
and half dozen red-faced and perspiring farm
hands with him.
said ''Guess my hay'll catch it, but I've only
half-dav's moving down. All the rest up in
snug stacks at noon. Neighbor Brown has three
acres lying yet I'm lucky for once. Whew!
there comes tho thunder! A regular night of
it, l guess We'll have"
So it proved Joel could not 20 to s'town," as
the little station five miles distant was designat-
ed, and the night set in stormins furiously.
Richard, not at all reluctantly. accepted the
cordial invitation to remain until morning. A
train went to Lake Resort at 6, but as at that
hour it still rained, he turned over upon his
comfortable couch and concluded to wait until
evening.
He was in no haste to. leave Lsle Ashley's
sweet presence.
b He ilcdaway the day in delicious fashion
Llsle sat overea great basket mending, while he
read loud, ortalked to her IN ms rich, thrilling
voice of foreieFh nd,s apd people.
scss that accomplishment, too,' he thought,
and he found she had road a great deal, and
been several years at.scllOolin distant city.
When he went away that evening he asked
her if ho might send her some nice books to
read
81 have stacks of them" he said, (which, it
seems selfish in mo to keep in trunks now /
have read them. You might al we'll enjoy
them, and would feel then that l was doing