Daily Republican., 1885-08-03
KROwNIE's srRAwBERRIKs.
BY BERTHA BERTUN,

BY BERTHA BERToN.
You will have to give up . silk i
dress, Brownie, for the money cannotl
be spared" Mrs. Arthur said to al
slender, dark eyed girl who was IRON
ing at the large table in the kitchen.
Very appropriate seemed the name,
for the girl was brunette, with brown
eyes fringed with long silken lashes
brown hair, abundant and glossy, rip
pied, unconfned about her neck and |
shoulders with careless grace. There !
was vivid dash of carmine In the
rounded cheeks, the pearly teeth were
fau.tless, and an arch expression about
the curving mouth made II, all in all, |
most bewitching countenance, yet
Brownie often wit hsd, as she gazed in |
slowed upon her fairer skin.
She WAS Farmer Arthur's only daugh-
ter, aud she had been brought up with
sensible and practical views Of life,
after the manner of country girls.
SelEreliant was Brownie Arthur, and
not given to much fashionable dissipa-
tion, but she had been promised . silk
dress by her fond mother, and like most
girls, she had enjoyed the anticipation,
now it seemed that circ umstances rend-
cred the rsaliz alton of her desire mex
pedient or impossible. and the bright
young face was suddenly overclouded
with disappointment.
Only . half mile ont OF town they
lived, and Farmer Arthur's early vege-
tables generally brought him In . good
sum; but misfortune bad befallen the
hard working man, which rendered re-
renchment OF all needless expenses
Imperative.
Old Charlie, the chestnut horse, on
| which he depended for the carting of
his garden produce, had died, thus
hindering business, and necessitating
the purchase of another Immediately
Mrs. Arthur had thought at once OF
the promised silk, that was to have
been purchased with some of the pro-
ceeds of the garden, and of her dar ling 3
disappointment; 90, with desire to
have the unpleasant affair over, she
had broached the subject at once.
Over her mother sinformation Brown
ie Arthur shed no tears; she was alto
Rether too sensible girl to indulge in
such weakness, but her fertile brain
began to device some way out of the
difficulty without having to surrender
her long-cherished project Of q silk
dress.
The fat iron moved swiftly over
the large, damask linen tab.ecloth, the
one especially appTo priated to extra
occasions, and when 1t was folded and
hung upon the white wood frame neal
the stove, and the fa.-iron replaced In
the bester, the girl sat down in tbt
chair by the table, where Mrs. Arthur
| rnll N n ont niQ Cr1let
!. Mother" she asked, in a tone tina
: bstokened much interest, 6 what will
become of the straw berries ?"
Why, child, they'll have to go To
waste. They are just coming on finely
and we can't use half of them, bu
there's no way to take them off, nov
old Charlile's gone," and new sens
of loss made Mrs. Arthur look NOR
despondent than ever.
"I was thinking" Brownie went on
that perhaps could sell them, ant
II father will lot mo have part Of th'
money, 1 can have the dress yet"
Sell straw berries, Brownie Arthur
l should like to know how" Mrs
Arthur responded, and her tone impli
ed complete doubt of her daughter
ability for that particular line of bust
ness.
"Why nos?" Brownie asked, as sh,
looked up in the pleasant matronl.
face of her mother. You know, a
the great house on the hill they will bs
likely to want them all through th
saast IA, and can 60 and see about II
Perhaps they II take them regularly
tten can sell some In the village. II
talk with father" and out into tn
garden went Brownie.
ItwAs with . good deal Of surpris
y that farmer Arthur looked up At hi
pretty daughter, and listened to he
D proposition, while he stood and fanne
y his sun Drowned face with his broad
rimme straw hat, but he finally cor
: sented, and told her laughin2ly tina
:, she might have half the money sh
ss earned to help buy her silk gown.
With his consent gained, Browni
Dl ran back to tell her mother of her SUI
8. ces,, and the next morning she WAS u
Hong before sunrise, and out among tt
: strawberry vines.
r She gathered q fine quantity OF tt
Z. luscious fruit, and after breakfast al
N arrayed herself in q cambric suit th'
: was made in becoming style. It's fain
A. rose. colored tint hsrmoniZsd with Il
Mt brown, piquaht, gypsy face, and dar
bright eyes.
Her jaunty straw hat with it's curliI
plumes set off to advantage the gloss
silken treeses, and with her basket
ripe, red straw wberries on her Arm 81
started up the shady, country road
pretty picture Brownie made a. 9
walked with buoyant step beneath &
ovarhanging branches.
al There was novelty at least in her u
dertaking, and she had always want
to go to the great house on the hill.
The extensive grounds. the loft
trees, the rare efrabs aid flowers b;
enohantment 10 them at u distance; s
longed for nearer Wow and on q
went.
" The largo gates stood invitingly ope
q ID up the graveled walk between roy
lotRrand old elms and naples we
i. Brownie Arthur, with her basket
%, b ,rries intent on business.
r.. She WAS . novice In selling berrit
else she would have gone to the kitch
S, en- trance as the more proper place
;, offsr them, instead Of going rs she d
Il. straight up the granite stepsand rim
ing the bell.
A moment she stood there, her brea
coming acick, for the morning W
warm, and sine had walked fast, b
heart throbbinR wildly with I
hope of making sale, and the dc
. opened, and instead of seeing ne q
expected q woman, she raised her 3
brown eyes to the face of man, o
that man = young and handsome one
Blue eyes, a florid face, brown ha
OF clustering about the broad, high 70
head, q tawny mustaehe half-con ceall
pleasant, manly mouth; that v
what met the gaze of Brownie Arth
and for just one moment she forgot