Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1885-11-19

AQUAINT PROPOSAL.

i.sns ,indow Of Willow Brook Farms
sainscotted parlor nodded gracefully
ata as a tiny zephyr swept gayly by, watt
.sas mo far and near it's incense of new
nown hay. In it's wake luttered a
! purple and golden butterfly, to poise
moment upon the windows ledge,
tssa then to soar boldly forward until it lit
M mon a curious old vase beside an
organ, whose yellowed keys cleaned
h. .oftly in the half-darkened room. The
b~utterfiy and the vase mirrored them
selves in the polished oak floor, and
4 the range had been right they could
have repeated the picture in the shining
surface of each article offurniture.
!. younggirl was the sole occupant of
the room, with the exception, ofcourse,
of the butterfly, who had winged his
way to n small oval mirror and was
busily making his toilet, as his CON.
panion, humming a merry tune, busted
carefully n squatty teapot, whose fat
M little spout and comic o Il ensemble
ut once inspired a longing for tea
brewed in such novel quarters. At
that moment a voice calling "Marthyl
Marthyl" echoed through the house,
y followed by "Run-quick; old Tins in
the cornfield, and my hands are all
over dough-"
Hastily replacing the ancient heir
loom on a spindle legged table, the
young girl darted from the Groom, while
the butterfly, startled at its toilet,
spread it's wings and fioated swiftly
\ out into the sunshine again. Snatch
III ing q snowy s%un-bonnet from its peg
in the hall, Martha flew down the gar
den path across to an adjacent
meadow. In her hurry she failed to
notice a gentleman slowly advancing
in her direction, until two masculine
hands stayed her progress.
With an exclamation of surprise,
Martha raised her pretty blue eyes
and met q pair ofdecidedly good look
ing brown ones, gazing with evident
appreciation at the dimpied, blushing
lace, from off which the s%un-bonnet
had slipped, disclosing a crop OF red
dish golden rings lying close to the
finely shaped head.
II beg your pardon" murmured
Martha, the bushes and dimples wax
ng deeper, but | didn't see you, |
was in such a hurry"
Don't mention it. Wouldn't have
missed the-the pleasure for anything,
IL like to be run into" averred the
gentleman with considerable empha-
sis.
Such a ripping laugh as dubbed
over the lips of Martha at this speech!
which she hastily apologized for with:
II didn't mean to, really; but what
you said sounded so odd"
"You couldn't do it again, could
you? assure You | never appreciat-
ed being a-odd until to-day. /"
"Oh, the cow" exclaimed Martha,
suddenly recollecting her errand. 81
forgot all about him." and away she
sped, the gentleman hurrying after,
repeating:
"Cow! Himl Let me help you. /
Ireally am very clever with cows. In
fact | would like to make them a
study"
However ,..when the field was reached
no cog was to be seen, and remarking
that doubtless some of the hands had
ousted old Tim, Martha turned her
steps toward the house, thinking the
gentleman would proceed on his way.
To her astonishment. however, he
kept along by her side, observing:
Are you acquainted with Willow
Brook FARM"
why, yes; its my home. was
born there" answered Martha, sur
prisedly.
Happy farr / mean-a-it must
bea lovely pI You see, the fact is
that is, 1 have a note for Mrs. Dun,
can of Willow Brook Farm"
MY motherl" calculated Martha,
opening wide her blue eyes. Whereup-
on the gentleman scanned with newly
awakened interest a square envelope
he had extracted from his breast peck
ct, as he added.
~ am an old should say M moth
er il an old friend of Mrs. D~uncan's,"
making n rough calculation OF the
length of time it might take, all things
favorable, to place him on equally as
good footing with the daughter, while
Martha's thought ran very much IN
this wise.
Would be nice looking II he wasn't
so sallow. Wonder il mother will ask
him to make us % visit. | never heard
her speak OF an old friend that had a
son.
BY this time they were p~roceedingup
the path that led to the farms pretty
rose garlanded porch, and having ush-
erSd the gentleman into tlis parlor we
have 2llready been o,WlIh
q demure little courtesy and the words
II will send mother" Martha left him,
In q few moments a comeIy. rosy
checked woman came hurrying into
the parlor with:
Good afternoon, sir, Marthy tells
me you have a letter for me from an
old friend"
Eyes, from my mother" and the
gentleman held toward her the letter.
Having read it through, interrupted
with examinations such rs BLESS mel
"Who'dhavs thought itY' Mrs. Dun
can, her pleasant face deepening into
smile ejaculated.
$50 you are little Paul Dorsey. My!
how time flies. When last saw you,
you were only a little shaver. 1t must
he nigh onto fifteen years ago. And
to think of Lucipdy's remembering me
all these years and sending her son to
see me. Not that T. have forgotten
her-not o bit. Only with oSs thing
and another one hasn't time to tblbf
much Of old days. You see your ma
and | vent to the samc academy,
and we thought a sfIlt OF each other;
only somehow after both OF us
married we sort OF drifted apart.
Your ma she married a wealthy eity
man, while ! got married to a weii-to
do farmer, and so gradually we each
went our own way. Not to forget each
other though, as you see. and now,my
dear, excuse tie liberty. but it comes
natural hike, being your Lucindy's son,
Ih - Nhl