Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1885-01-31
NOT SO EASILY WON.

I" Well, why not, my dear Jack. when
I've only to ask, and the little lady's
mine2 I'm immensely taken with her.
but I've hung off about"
The dip of advancing oars drowned
the rest OF the sentence, but Miss Daisy
Campbell in her hampock behind the
alders had heard enough to destroy her
peace. Fearful of betraying her pres
ence by the movement Of a finger, the
girl lay rigid as marble, watching with
strained ewes two fragrant blue wreaths
OF smoke gliding past her retreat, till
through an opening in the bushes fur
ther up the brook she caught fleeing
glimpse of birch canoe beneath the
smoke, and of the smokers, too gay sun
burned youths with guns and fishing
rods Tom Raymond sat in the stern,
tall, handsome Tom, who had but now
boosted of his easy conquest of herself.
In that moment of wounded pride and
fierce indignation Miss Daisy thought
that she could have cheerfully seen him
drown.
'''Oh, she's a daisy hummed Jack
McKeen; and as the hooking tenor smote
her ear the quivering listener thought
she could have seen Jack drown, too
the saucy, idle tell-tale Why need he
proclaim to the birds of the air and the
fishes of the water that the lady in ques-
ton, Toms little lady to be had for the
asking was no other than herself, Mrs.
Blunt's city niece. little Daisy Campbell9
How indelicate, outrageous!
And yet the song hurt her far less than
Toms words. If Tom, Tom Raymond,
could speak SO lightly of her. why might
not Jack sing what he pleased, and all
Oakland listen2' So that was the way
Tom was in the habit of talking about
her! She had heard before that young
men by themselves were excessively free
In discussing their lady friends, and now
she had proof of the fact. Unmanncrly,
detestable creatures, especially Tom!
I've only to ask, and the little lady's
mine, those were his very words. !"
moaned hapless little Daisy, hiding her
hot face among the hammock cushions
In an agony of humiliation. She had
always felt that if Tom had a fault it was
self-conceit, but she wouldn't have be-
lieved he could be so conceited as this.
What had she said or done to warrant
his boastful assertion9 She would chal-
lenge Aunt Abby, she would challenge
Toms sister, to say that she had ever
been silly with Tom. If there had been
any Stiffness, it had been on her side, UNI
less truthful Daisy WINGED at the recoI-
lection-unless-well, perhaps she did
let Tom hold her hand an instant longer
than necessary the day he helped her
over the fence, and she wished she had
not chung to him in the thunderstorm.
But at eighteen what girl likes to be a.
prude2 Though, for that matter, had
she not more than once during their
summers acquaintance snubDed Tom for
trying to make love to her? Still, he'd
only to ask, and the little lady was his.
That was his version of the story, and he
had gloated over it to Jack. Daisy lifted
her tousled brown head defiantly, and
sat bolt-upright
II won't be crushed-T will notl'' she
cried aloud, dashing her tears right and
left. s'I'll go to Pinafore tonight Just
as If I'd overheard nothing, and if he
chooses to ask for the little lady, why,
- may. She's sure of her own mind at
last. She'll have her answer ready"
q Springing from the hammock, Miss
Daisy walked with martial tread through
the garden into the kitchen to help Aunt
Abby shell the peas for dinner.
s'You must have been lying in the sun,
child, y said that lady, glancing up from
the pan in her lap. ''It's bad for your
eyes and bad for your complexion. /
don't believe that's good place for the
hammock.
tits horrid place, " responded Daisy,
falling savagely to work. ssI'm going
to ask Abram to hang it where it was
before.
Abram was the intermittent help of
the Blunt establishment, who carried on
the farm and came night and morning to
milk the COW. From the day she became
q visitor in the household he had been
Miss Daisy's wiling slave, and now that
Dir. Blunt was temporarily absent, the
honest servitor took it upon himself to
look in at odd hours ito see If Miss
Blunt and that posy faced little niece of
hern needed doing for
maybe fresh bllttermilk will help that
sunburn. pursued Mrs. Blunt, still mis-
interpreting the cause of Miss Daisy's
heightened color. I'D try it. You'll
hate to 60 to the falls as red as hol v
>0ckv
81 hate to leave you alone so late in
the evening, auntie," said DAISY, throw
inj handful of empty pods at the chick
ems by the door-stone. I'm afraid
you'll be nervous about the tramp that
called this morning.
Nonsense, my dear; I'm not one Of
the nervous sort. always stay bv nv
sclf nights when your uncle goes to his
lodge meetings. Il get tired and sleepy.
1x.r.lr The mas q I'd -. -. IL = =