The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1884-06-21

| WIIS' Eva was HOG UleTe TO laugh and
chatter, and Billy took his glass of milk
from Mrs. Fuller's masculine hand instead
of Eva's, which was not masculine by any
means. When the fresh plate of snowy
biscuit, demanded by the hearty appetites
OF Billy and Farmer Fuller, was brought
IN from the kitchen, it was that hard-work-
| ing womamS tall frame and auStere viSage
that Billy saw in the door, and not Eva's
neatly aproned figure and laughing eyes
the usual vision that greeted him at this
point in the evening meal.
Billy helped himself to another biscuit.
| Nv here is EvaW he asked, at last, of the
old farmer, his desire to know what had
become of her mastering his determination
to appear Indifferent.
young Phillips took her out buggy
ridin', this afterno on, answered Fuller,
| sugaring his second cup of coffee.
"He seems to enjoy trottin' his bays
over the PRAIRIE" observed Billy, by way
of starting a discussion of Phillips. 81
| should think he would want to get over
that eighty-acre corn-field again. It's
mighty weedy piece, and this hot weather
| is liftin' it right out o. the ground almost.
It'll soon be too high to plow."
Corn is just climbin' right along this
| weather-thats fact" and the honest
| Fuller smiled in anticipation of full cribs;
'but Phillips has hired another man, and
has put him to work on the eightyacre
| piece"
| ''Humph! he might as well let the weeds
take it as to pay it out in wages. Why
don't he have his son do it? He's a big'
strappin' fellow enough"
| ny on must remember" strucI IN ~ MIS-
Fuller "that Mr.. Phillips ISL ssss, 20
have A hjfSesiQn w9Glka unlsSfss enjoy himself
on pleasant evening, and take Eva for a
buggy ride, it's nobody's business"
mo, no, MOTHER" and her husband shook
. his head; ga man that won't work oughtn't
to eat, | say. Not but what Pm willin' for
, young fellers to have their pleasure, and
all that; but if had the fortune of Lazarus
l should bring up my sons to work"
: "Well, if other people think different, it's
nobody'S business, as | said"
"Of course, so far as the work goes Pm
not meddlin' with other peoples business.
/ If they want to let their children go to bed
; without bein' sleepy and sit down to the
table without bein' hungry that's their
: lookout; and, as you say, if Bob Phillips
wants to galivant all over the country just
as corn weather is COMM on the strongest,
and the barley's ready to cut, and the oats
r pretty near ripe, and the wheat turnin',
why, it's none o. my business. But when
but when, | say" and Fuller laid down
his knife and fork to give added emphasis
1 to his words and mark the deliberation
with which they were uttered-''when you
7 go further'n that and say it's nobody's
f business when he takes Eva out buggy
+ ridin' you go too far"
5 swell, it's uobody's but hers" retorted
4 Mrs. Fuller, decidedly; land if she didn't
3 choose to go she wouldn't. But she's tickled
3 enough to go, poor girl, after wor<in' in the
: kitchen all day." and the gray eyes looked
1 right through Billy at Tige, who was pa
$ tiently waiting behind his masters chair
: for his supper-time to come. Mrs. Fuller
was not sorry to get in back-hander, as
Billy mentally designated this speech, at
, her daughters lover. He WINGED momen-
l tarily, but frightened up and nodded his
5 appreciation energetically when the old
= farmer continued his protest.
Now you don't go far enough, mother
: that's always the way with you; you either
, go too far or you don't go far enough" In
1 spite of his slow, measured way of speak
} ing there was a sound of Impotence in
l his voice which his wife knew better
S than to provoke further. So she silently
l. busted herself over her plate while he con-
5 tinued: Here's Billy, now, has been with
US for two years and more. He quit
t the herder'S business mot that l approve
2 of the wild sort of life they carry on, but
| he was used to it and liked it), he quit it,
! L say, and came to work for me-and a
z good hand he's been, no one can deny-be-
L cause he happened to take fancy to Eva's
I, pretty face; and he was about right there,
l too; and he has stayed with us through two
: harvests, and been a faithful hand. He has
saved his wages and pre-empted as good a
quarter-section of land as there is in the
t him and we've told 'em God bless 'em,
and for him to lose her now through your
2 worldly and unconsiderate notions about
Z this Phillips chap-just as if he was better
l than other people because he's been away
5 to school a few months, and his fathers
2 got three or four sections of land and few
S more head o. stock than the balance of us
< why, | say itwould be just like presentin'
7 him with the cup % Crosus"-
5 Cup of Tantalus, pa" interrupted a
l merry voice behind Billy's chair, that made
= his ears Jingle with pleasure. He hoped
that Eva had not caught the drift
3 of the conversation, however, and was Just
3 going to run round and feast his eyes with
7 the sight of her, and let her see the Joy in
t them, when he heard her ask some one to
5 come in and have some supper; SO he
speared another potato and almost scalded
himself with hot coffee instead.
/ "Billy, will you go out aud drive Mr..
Phillips horses around to the stablep'
5 asked the young lady carelessly, as she
laid aside her smart bonnet with the bright
| pink ribbons.
= Billy muttered something very low, but
: was pushing back his chair when the old
} farmer began:
| "You'll do no such thing, Billy; you Just
3 sit where you are and eat your supper.
3 Tell the fine young gentleman, Eva, that
l If his fiery steeds won't stand hitched to
the hitchin'-post he can drive 'em round
W oU"DtS3 anu puU gill III OLlO SLlpVy
r stall"-
l "Why, Rufusv' exclaimed his wife.
r land that he'll have to excuse Billy
| and me-" went on Rufus; ''for we're eatin'
| our suppers, and it's ruinous to the diges-
| ton to be disturbed at meal-time."
Eva was somewhat surprised at this,
? for her father was usually very scrupu-
9 lous on points of hospitality; but she de-
1 livered his message, choosing he-' own way
9 of expressing the matter. Mr.. Phillips,
7 however, had already decided not to &C.
3 cept the hospitality of the Fullers, and
l after brief conversation with Eva, of
which the others could hear, now and
3 them little silvery laugh accompanied by
a great outlaw, he drove off.
! Finally, when she came in and took her
place at the table, Billy ventured to look
r at her. She did not deign to offer him
greeting, but broke into an enthusiastic
} description of her ride, addressing herself
7 in general way to her father and
mother. OF course Billy could listen
= he was sitting opposite her and
? could not well help hearing her
Z lively chatter without leaving the table,
1 and this he had no intention of doing until
S he had satisfied his appetite. He tried in
. vain to keep down his rising indignation
and wrath at her and young Phillips, and
t the persistency with which she avoided
5 meeting his eyes brought him several times
, to the verge of choking He soon came to
the conclusion that she had heard and was