The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1885-08-27
Hkg SSERS.

Kg$SEE~.
\ late March twilight, with a bitter
frost in the arr the new moon Just Dap
ping It's golden horn behind the mauc
swamp III the west, and the ground
sounding crispv under foot. We had
lust come in from fodlering the cattle
eve" sounds rather singnlarly, when you
reflect that it meant Kitty and me, two
girls of seventeen and nineteen; but Y,u
see there wasn't any one else TO q" 1t.
Father had been hcdrildvn ever sil &C
that last attack OF pa'al sis, and We could
afford to hire no one to take his place
about the farm.
was in great spirits, playing with
pussy, who came to meet Us with hcr
plumy tail erect but Kitty leaned sally
against the wooden uantcl and looked
into the fire with mourntul eyes.
Kitty" cried !, at last, what docs
make You So dull ::
"To-morrow i the third Of March,
said she, gravcly.
"Wnat OF that :" | demanded
Don't vou remember: The interest
on mortgage comes due to-morrow
So it doe,,'' SAID |, my radiant fte:.
falling faster than thermomttrr on a
freezing day. Thirty five dollars
And We have nothing to pay it with,
except the 80 Laura osg""l paid for the
old melodeon."
Perhaps Willis Avery would wait"
suggested Kitty.
drew myself up slightly.
II don't choose to ask him to wait"
said ].
Now it happened that Willis Avery,
who held the mortgage on our home
stead, was the son OF a nciyhhor, and a
playfellow and boybcau OF my own, who
had gone to the prosperous young city a
few miles north of us and@commensrd
business OH his own account, and had
particular aversion to asking aid or hel =
of him in any way. might be poor, hu,
| was also proud, and Kitty was synrpa
thetic enough to understand me.
But then, what are we to do p SAID
Kitty
sat down on the hearth rug, with nv
chin in my hands, and stared earnestly at
the big cracking black log. Pussy crtpt
away and nestled down in the corner, as
if she knew by instinct that there Wa
change of temperature.
Look here, Kitty" said suddenly !;
"those ruSset apples ~
awe can sell them. There are eight
barrels at the least Eight barrels at two
dollars and fifty cents a barrel-'
"Mv dear Addv, no one will buy them
at onetifth the price. Apples are drag
in the market"
"IIere, | grant you; but not in She
city. will take them to Mapetou and
sell them"
You will, Aldy:''
"And why not: Squire Dyson would
charge at least 20 per cent. commission,
and make a favor of it at that. | cant
afford either the price or the patronage
Don't say anything about it to father
He would only fret and raise ohjectioas.
What must be done must be-, and pm
the girl to do it,
i" But, Addy, how? All this seems 81
perfectly wild and visionary to me"
We'll, it needn't; for, believe me, i's
the most practical thing in the world.
| All we have to do is to sort the apples
out in barrels, nice and sound can
easily do it by lantern light to-nig ght-and
tomorrow morning we'll rise early, har.
ness old Dobbin to the lumber wagon
| -"
" But how are we to get the heavy bar
rels up into the wagon 2"
"Goosie - cried |, laughing, "can't |
put the barrels into the wagon While
they're empty and fill them up at my
leisure? And III have them sold a, Ma
pleton before you've got the pork and cab
bage boiling for dinner"
But where will you go 2" asked
Kitty
80, | know of lots of places went
once to town with Obadiah Fairweather
when he sold lot OF cheese | have a
pretty good idea of the locality Of the
commission stores, can tell you"
"After all, Addy," hesitated my con
servative little sister, it isn't a woman's
work"
"Why isn't it, | should like to know
so long as a woman can do it? At all
events, woman must pay her debts--so,
if you'll hurry up the tea, I'll be off to
the barn."
"And what shall we tell papa"
"Oh, he'll think Eve gone to singing
school with the Dyson girls, and dom,
think it's a Christian duty to unleceive
him." answered l.
But not twithstanding the brave face
put upon affairs, my heart quivered IT.
tie the next day as | drove off toward
Mapleton, with the scarlet stain of sunrise
dyeing all the east, and my own check,
flushed with the keen morning air.
But it wasn't SO bad, after ALL With