The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1885-07-11

charming manlpulator OF Dutter seen OUT
side of fairyland2 She had not many
words to speak, for she was only there as
foil to set off the heroine, resplendent in
silks and lace, who had come to the dairy
on the sly to meet the hero, the farmers
son.
But Phoebe, in her neat pink dress, with
sleeves rolled up, displaying the plumpest
of arms and the dimpliest of elbows, deftly
patting the butter, and trotting about her
work as though she had been brought up
inside dairy all her life, had all Joe's
eyes, and he saw nothing of the thrilling
loye-scene that was being enacted by the
Respondent lady and her suitor in the
foreground.
The dairymaid was not tall by any means;
if Joe had had his arm round her waist,
and she had been looking up in Joe's face,
her chin might have been the level of Joe's
heart, and Joe was FIVE feet ten, so you
may guess her height from that. The
chin in question was round, and had
most bewitching dimple; her lips were red
and pouting. Her nose was just the least
little bit ''tip-tilted;" but her eyes-oh I!
we can't describe her eyes, for they were
large and brown and liquid; and they could
be cold and repelling, or languishing and
attractive, or merry and sparkling, just as
fitted the mood in which the fair Phoebe
might be when she looked at you. Fur
thermore, she was plump, but jimp in the
waist withal-not of the jimpness engen-
dered by corsets and sueh-like devices, but
of nature; and the pink gown in which she
was dressed was not too long to hide a pair
of the smallest feet and most delicately
turned ankles that ever supported daugh-
ter of Eve. And to crown all, she walked
about her stage-dairy modestiy as nun,
and apparently utterly unconscious of the
lookers-on.
When she left the stage, Joe found time
to examine his playbill to ascertain the
name of this charming creature, whom he
found to be therein described as
Phoebe, dairymaid- PHYLLIS MAY.
All Joe's interest in the drama was now
centred in the entrances and exits of Miss
Phyllis May He began to call her by that
name to himself, dismissing "Phebe,
dairymaid, as being myth Now and
again he felt sure she was looking straight
at him, when he blushed, and suddenly be-
came very much interested in the doings
of the other actors, until he gathered cour-
age to steal another glance at the charming
Phoebe
Now, as Joe was not by nature partic-
ulariy bashful fellow, it may be fairly in
ferred from all this that he had fallen
in love with the pretty actress. At any
rate, when the curtain fell he had very
faint idea of what the play had all been
about, and he had imprinted on his mental
retiua the picture of bewitching sylph in
a pink gown, which miniature, if not war
ranted to be indelible, promised to take
some time to efface. On consulting his
watch, he found that he had just time, by
running all the way to the Lion, to get
Blossom harnessed and reach the station
soon enough to meet his sisters train. He
could scarcely have done this had it been
up to time, but fortunately for him it was
a few minutes late, and he was waiting on
the platform when it arrived. Ruth was
looking out for him, and he soon had her
seated in the dogcart, well wrapped up in
the shawls wI&ch her mother had provided
to protect her from the night air, and was
driving homeward good deal faster than
he had come, for Blossom needed no re-
minder from the whip that there was
feed of corn and a cosy stable waiting for
him at his journeys end.
After the first mutual inquiries about
friends, Ruth had all the talk to herself,
for Joe seemed too preoccupied to originate
conversation; and as she was doing her best
to open the way for telling him most i'm
portant secret, closely touching herself, she
found his silence rather tantalizing. She
lapsed into silence herself for short while,
but that made things no bettery SO at last
she drew long breath and went straight
to the point.
"Dick is coming on Saturday, Joe, she
began. Gle would have come to-day, only
they are SO busy; and it is so rough travel
ing on Saturdays that aunt thought / had
better not wait till then.
"Oh!" calculated Joe, only half follow
ing what she said; and thereupon followed
another interval of silence.
"Joe," whispered Ruth at last nesting
closer to her brother, and laying her head
against his arm-"Joe, Dick wants me to
marry him, and-and-I love him very
much; and that is what is bringing him on
Saturday, to talk to mother and you about
it. You like him, Joe; 7 know you do "
This reused Joe FROM his reverie, and
slipping his arm around his sisters waist,
he kissed her and said ado you want to
leave us, Ruthie? We can't part with you
yet bit, lassie. What would we do with
out you?"
80 Joe, no! don't want to leave
you" replied his sister; "but-but- but
I love Dick so much, and-and-
"Well well, Ruthie, rejoined Joe, 'we
cant keep you always; and better fellow
than Dick I couldn't wish you for hus-
band. So | suppose it will have to be
Yes But what will the mother say
about parting with you, Ruthic p
"Well, but I've something else to tell
you, Joe," said Ruth. "You know their
lease is up at Candlemas, and Dalehead is
not big enough for Dick and Tom, so Tom
is going to take it on again by himself, and
Dick is going to try to get Riggfeld. So,
if he does, it won't be like going away at
all. hardly; will it, Joe?"
As Riggfeld was only about a quarter
of mile from KnoweeFoft, Joe had to ac
knowledge that there was saving clause
in this arrangement; and as he was on in
innate terms with its proprietor, he thought
there were good hopes Of Dicks being able
to secure it.
By this time Blossom had brought them
close to their own gate, where Mrs. Mar
tindale, who had heard the sound of
wheels, was waiting to receive them, having
been in a fidget for hours at their non-ar
rival. And before they went to bed the
matter of Ruth's engagement was broached
to her mother, and sufficiently advanced to
leave little doubt that when Dick came on
Saturday his answer would not be "No,"
CHAPTER III.
All next day, while Joe was going about
his work in the harvest field, the vision of
a plump and pretty dairymaid, attired in
pink, haunted his brain, and pertinaeiously
L L.