Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-12-11
1li,. Lulu Be,den seems inclined to =. ~.

I'm, peiore she was well seated. 81 knoy
Mr. tonnes mas been %dreadfullv lionel,
since Geo-Mr. Maxwell left, though viii
him" "t'SAoh Iron
That Geo" rankled in my mind, and
em AFRAID that | did not respond as cor
9lal!y as Knight have done. However. Mis-.
Belden seems a bright, innocent little BODY
ana, after all, it is natural enough that sRt
should call him George, as she did afte,
self. D0
"Did George tell you why he leftln she
asked, at last. 'A'
"N9thing definite" 1 said, shortly, vexed
"Now that was nice of him, especially as
ne has no idea that I know" cried Miss
Lulu. George is a good fellow. / think
must tell you though, for I have made q
guess which may be right or not"
Don't" l cried, putting my fingers into
my ears: II don't want to know anything
only make things harder for me.n
Perhaps you are right" said Miss Lulu,
after meditating q moment.
1 DON'T iii calling him George-ot
course that would be too absurd-but I do
think it high time that l began to call him
WI; maxwell. 1t is quite enough for one
She seems to know all about me, and about
Mr. Maxwelps and my childish intimacy.
l answered all her questions about him as
well as l could, and she left at last, after
making me promise to come and see her
very soon.
Uncle Simon brought another visitor
home to tea with him, a Mr.. Arthur Parker
rather a good-looking young fellow, tall
n fair, with nice honest ewes and n franl,
smile. Somehow, though, I fancied that
ne wished himself anywhere else, for a cat
IN a strange garnet would have been at
ease compared to him. AS for me, 1 was
am afraid !! was rather stupid and absent
minded. kwas Mortified, at last. to catch
myself in the midst of a tremendous yawn.
just as l recovered myself, in dismay and
perturbation, l caught Mr.. Parker's eve.
mere was a sympathetic twinkle in it
mn ill., insteao OF embarrassing, quite re-
assured me, and we burst out laughing
simultaneously. was afraid that Uncle
Simon would be vexed, but he smiled and
beamed as l had never seen him do he
fore. When MI. Parker had left, Uncle
Simon expressed his appreciation in modi-
ut isn't generally well to yawn in com.
pany, Maddie, but this time it was, per-
ihaPs, the best thing you could do, as it
broke the ice completely. Parker is an un-
commonly fine fellow, and I was glad to see
that you / ade a good impression.0
Before l went to bed I scrubbed a short
note to Geo-Mr. Maxwell, as 1 had prom
mentioning the visits of our two neighbors.
OF both spoke in terms of unbounded
praise. Why? I wonder. Perhaps Mr..
Maxwell will know, but I don't,
November u.
I think I am beginning to understand
why people consider Uncle Simon difficult
to live with 1t began the day after I came,
but it began temporarily, out of Difference
20 my a II as a stranger. It was spiced,
too, with compliments.
"Niece, you walk well-very we'll; but if
you would put doWn your feet a little more
firmly, the effect would be better.D
"Niece, you lave a very smooth, pretty
complexion, but it is a trifle dark for blue.
Red, now, would be much more becoming.
Take my advice, and always wear red"
Uncle Simon has placed a horse at my
disposal. l always supposed that I rode
t%olerably well, but after my first ride with
most 'sawful duffer" at it.
"Hands lower, body firmer. That's bet
ter, but-ah, well, keep on trying. Whip
a little higher. Don't be discouraged.
Wen make q horsewoman of you yet.
You have been dreadfully taught, but
that's not our fault"
It was an immense relief when Uncle
Simon suddenly shot from my side toward
a man who was laying a stone fence. The
man no sooner saw Uncle Simon, however,
than he fairly took to his heels, and bolted
across the fields. Uncle Simon returned
to my side with q crest-fallen air.
sit is the most extraordinary thing" he
said. 81 have been trying to give Ben
Grimes some idea of the proper way of
laying fences. I thought he was getting
quite a fair idea of it, but lately 1 have
never been able to get speech Of HIM"
"But, Uncle Simon," l said, "isn't fence
laying his trader"
"Eh?-oh, certainly" said Uncle Simon,
looking puzzled. "But what of that? Do
you suppose half the men in the world
understand their own trades? Lockers
on see most of the game, you know"
1t was singular to see how every man
we approached suddenly found it necessary
If Uncle Simon and I had been lepers, they
could not lave fled faster nor more persist
emily. just one stood his ground-a stur-
dy, red-faced countryman, who awaited
us d~oggedly.
"Look a-here, squire, /" he burst out, be-
fore Uncle Simon could speak, "if you've
got any advice to give me, you might as
well save your breath. | took it once
more fool land what did it do for me?
You remember my new ~wagon-brand
spick-and-span new, and cost two hundred
dollars? And you remember my bay horse
that l was going to sell because he baked?
Don't sell him. says you; take my adj
vice;' and 1 did. Next time he wouldn't
go 1 took your advice and built a fire under
him, and what did that horse do? Just
stood stock-still till the fire began to scorch;
then he gave a jump-just one-and not
another step would he bulge. There he
stood, stiff as a post, and that wagon burn
ing to cinders at his tail. Jumped just far
enough to bring it over the fire, he did. We
had to cut the traces and let her burn at
last. That's all, squire; and if ever you
get me to take another bit Of your advice,
you'n nave to pay me for that wagon first
off,"
The man turned on his heel and walked
away contemptuously.
"People are SO pig-headed !" was Uncle
Simon's only comment; and l responded,
devoutly: "They are-they are, indeed"
Uncle Simon admires Miss Lulu very
much. He is fifty at least, but I can not
mistake his frequent hints that some time
this home will, he hopes, be her home.
From the manner in which his brow clouds
over whenever Geo-Mr. Maxwelps and her
names happen to occur in the same SEN
tence, l have begun to form a shrewd idea
of the cause of the rupture. IT is lmposs1-
BILE that Lulu can return Uncle Simon ad-
miration; it is quite possible That she
should return that of-some n else'
Hence Jealous complications, resulting IN a
final rupture. "He who runs nay read"
I wonder whether she ever hears from
MI, Maxwell? l thought he would have
answered my note before this, especially
after begging me SO to write.