The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1884-07-17
THE SQUIRE'S MISTAKE.

0YuATo Duuloy was III LIS SnIuoA,
pulling weeds in his patch Of tame
strawberries, on the morning when he
took fancy for Ruth Lees pretty face.
She came down the road, looking fresh
as new blown rose in her plain calico
dress and straw hat. Her brown hair,
cut quite short, blew all about her face
in little ringlets and her blue eyes and
bright cheeks made her as pretty pic
ture as one often secs. Squire Dudley
saw her just as she came opposite the
strawberry patch. and called out
"Good morning!" in his, CHEEKY way.
"Oh, good morning!" she answered.
"You almost scared me, Squire Dudley.
I didn't see you until you spoke"
pleasant morning, isn't it ?" said the
Squire, coming up to the fence. Ruth
had halted in the road.
cts beautiful weather." answered
Ruth. II told mother it was too pleas
ant to stay in doors, and started off on
q visit"
care your strawberries ripe yet?"
said the Squire, wondering that he new
er had noticed what a fresh, charming
face Widow Lees daughter h ad before.
"Our strawberries laughed Ruth,
we haven't got one. Our old rooster
got in one day, about week ago, and
picked all he could eat, and then coaxed
the hens in, and between them they
ruined our strawberry CROP"
"Too bad!" exclaimed the sympathetic
squire.
"Have some of these, Ruth. They're
Just ripe enough to be good"
He picked some great clusters of ripe
berries and handed them over the fence
to her.
THANK you," said Ruth, smiling
"How good they are. Mother was
making great calculations on her straw
berry jam. She was terribly vexed
when she found out what the hens had
DONE"
1--WE got lots to spare" said the
squire. I'll send some over to your
mother"
"She'd be much obliged to you" said
Ruth ;" if you nave more than you want. "
PLENTY of them," answered the
squire. Plenty of them. Can have
them just as well as not"
81 must be going" said Ruth. "Good
morning."
Good morning." returned the
SQUIRE, looking after her as she went
down the road. II declare there amt
a prettier girl in town than Ruth Lee,
I wonder none of the young fellows
haven't got her away from the widow.
If was young now"
Squire Dudley stopped suddenly. An
idea had flashed across his brain.
II am now fifty" he said at last, after
thinking quite busily for some minutes
II am fifty" but don't look it. I
don't see why shouldn't try my luck
after all. Girls as young as Ruth mar
nv men older than am. I'm sure she'd
make any man a good wife. Her moth
er is one of the finest women in the
state, and she's brought her daughter
up to know how to work and be saving
and prudent. And we need house
keeper. Mrs. Brown she's old and
fussy and crooked, and this way Of iy-
ing isn't half living. I do believe I'll
marry her if she'll have me. May be
Charley will say it is foolish, but can't
help that"
The squire fell to wedding out his
strawberries again diligently, and kept
thinking about Ruth all the while. Long
before dinner was ready he had fully
made up his mind to propose marriage
to Ruth, and bring her home new
housekeeper and mistress to the great
house whose mistress had been dead
for ten years or more; provided, of
course, that Ruth didn't say no, and the
squire thought there wasn't much dan
ger of that, though why he should be so
sure, cant say.
Don't you think we need a house
keeper" he said to his son Charles,
that afternoon as they sat on the veran-
dah.. The squire evidently saw some
new feature in the landscape, for he
kept his face turned from Charley as he
spoke.
"A housekeeper?" asked Charley,
''We have got one. What do we want
of more I should like to know?"
Eyes, know" assented the squire,
turning red in the face, and beginning
to get little uneasy; "but Mrs. Brown
is not such woman as we need. She
does not take such an interest in the
work as-as a woman who-who had
more interest in it,"
After which extremely logical argu-
ment the Squire got more fidgety than
YER.
II understand that" answered Char
ley. eff she had personal interest in
the place and in being prudent, and
keeping things up, she'd do better than
she does now. Now she gets her pay
for her work, and that's all she cares
for. It's all we can expect of her."
"Just So" said the Squire, glad to see
Charley agreed with him so far Give
been thinking this morning that the
best thing that can do would be to
get some one who would take a personal
interest in matters. I don't see as you
intend to get married, and if you won't,
I don't know but I'd better"
The Squire breathed easier. The
worst part was over with.
"You get married ?" exclaimed Char
ley, in intense surprise. "Why, I didn't
know that you ever thought of it."
"And haven't till this morning." ex-
claimed the Squire. II got to thinking
about it this morning, and the more l
thought about it the more I thought it
q good plan. You have not any objec-
tions?"
s'Of course not" answered Charley
"You can do as you think best If
you deem it advisable to get wife, I
have nothing to say further than to hope
that you will get some one who will make
you happy"
"She WILL" said the Squire, very de-
cided1y, "she will am sure"
"May I ask who tits to be?" inquired
Charley.
'I-haven't asked her yet," an
swered the squire, as red as rose. I'd
rather wait until I'm sure of her be-
fore I tell who it is. She might say
no, you see, and should feel rather
cheap"
Prudent Squire Dudley. That after
noon he picked of his finest Strawberries"
r l. -