The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1884-10-10
VAST FLIRTING.

living. Angeline was so handsome that
no stranger ever saw her without ex-
pressing admiration, and did not weary
with the face after years of familiarity
with it. She was well bread, accom-
plished and a great heiress. I had req
son to believe that she was very fond
of me. No mar could be more content
than / was, as I leaned back in the
first-class carriage, which took me
from Glasgow into the country to the
Vale of Cruix, where I was to preach a
few Sabbaths. The pulpit was vacant,
and I was going to try my wings. With
my pecuniary prospects I scarcely
thought / should care to accept a call
to the Vale of Cruix. but l had no OBJ
lection to filling it's pulpit for a few
weeks, especially as Angelina had gone
to the west coast. and Glasgow was
warm and stuffy and stupid.
Casual r~emembrances of elegant par
sonages built in Queen Anne's style, of
a study where the footballs were soft
ened by Persian rugs, and the doors
draped in portieres of v~elvets; chairs
and a desk, carved richly as some old
confessional, fitted through my mind.
And ] thought also of a table spread
with silver and rare china, with a lady
at its head who resembled q queen.
And breathed a luxurious sigh as 1
awakened from my day dream to q
knowledge that the words "Vale of
Cruix" were being shouted on the plat
form, and that the train was coming to
a standstill.
I siezed my travelling bag from the
rack overhead and hurried out of the
carriage. The porters had just pulled
four or five trunks on the platform.
Two old wagons stood in the road, one
driven by an old woman, in a sun bon
net, the other by a red haired boy
with bare feet, and a queer knock kneed
horse. attached to- queerer old gig, was
standing at a little distance. A young
man IN a light summer suit and a city
family bent on rural happiness were my
companions on the platform. The
former put his trunks on the first wag-
on, kissed the cid woman in the sun
bonet, took the reins and drove away.
He was evidently the son Of the family,
come home to spend his vacation. The
rest of the trunks and the city family
mother, father, little boy, nursemaid
and baby-were put in the wagon and
driven off by the boy.
When the train moved away I was
left alone OF the platform-alone but for
the stationmaster, who sat upon bench
smoking a clay pipe. In a moment
more the official, without looking at
me, made the remark: deacon Ste
venson, has come for the new minister.
He's over in the hotel, and will be back
in - minute"
"Thank you" said l..
The stationmaster took no notice OF
me, but having climbed up on a stool
and made some changes in a timeregis-
ter on the wall of the station, locked
the door, put the key in his pocket and
sauntered away down the railroad. I
took his place upon the bench and
waited. In a few minutes a prim lit
tie old gentleman appeared upon the
top Of the hill, carrying in one hand a
tin can, in the other a tin pail, and IN
der either arm a brown paper parcel. 1
knew at a glance that it was Stevenson.
Are you Mr.. Mactaggert9" he in
quired mildly, as he approached. III
want to know. I hadn't any expecta-
ton of being kept so long but, you see,
it saves the women folks trouble to fetch
things when I drive to town. Step in,
won't you? I'll just hang this paraiine
lie on behind. Some dislike the smell
maybe you do. The sugar loaf tea
and coffee can go under the seat as we'll
as not. How's your health, sir, and
how do you like Vale Of CruiS?"
1 answered that my health was good,
and that l had not, as yet, seen much of
the Vale Of Cruix.
"No, you haven't" said the old gen
tleman. "Well we'll drive through it
now.
And he shook the reins and the old
horse began to stumble along. And on
we drove past certain rows of brick
with the same flowers in their front gar
dens, until, having passed the church,
we came to one happily set about by old
oak trees, before the gate of which we
drew up.
A girl stood at the gate-a fair girl
in a blue muslin dress and white
apron.
"Take the sugar, Mary, before it gets
upset" said the deacon. "This is Mr..
M%actaggert, that's going to preach for
us. Mr.. Mactaggert, this is my daugh-
ter Mary"
Weboth bowed, and she vanished with
the parcels.
what a lovely %creature!" said I to
myself. Nothing like Angelina, but so
pretty!" And I found myself thinking
of her as I washed and brushed my hair
in the blue walled bedroom on the Sec
ond floor, with white-fringed counter
panea and curtains, and two black sill
houettes overthe mnntel piece, on either
side of the china vases of roses. Il
There were only four of us at the
table-the deacon, his wife "a stout
lady who never said more than she
could help, Mary and myself. Mary
had spent the last winter at Glasgow,
and we talked about all she had seen.
She was self-possessed without being
forward, and oh, so pretty! Now, An
gelina was splendid and queenly; SO
this was mild praise that she could not
have objected to, only / said it very
often. ] preached on the next Sunday.
1t was settled that I should spend the
summer there. I wrote this to Angeli-
pa:
"Since you connot be with me it does
not matter where / am-this stupid
place as we'll as any other. Address to
the care of Deacon Stevenson. 1 shall
remain with HIM while / preach here
It was %apleasant summer, despite the
dizziness Of the place. How good the
quaint old deacon was, when one really
knew him! How motherly was Mrs.
Stevenson! As for Mary, she grew
sweeter every day, I often won
dered what Angelina would have said