The Washington critic., 1886-02-02
A TRIANGULAR TRAGEDY,

for
a.
IT'D Bits.
ONE OF THE FAMILY.
Farmer Kimball was in his straw
berry patch pulling up the weeds when
Lucy Keene came down the road that
beautiful July morning, and he was
just about TO throw an armful Of them
over the fence as she came around the
corner.
The bonnet she wore was eX-
actly like one he remembered to have
seen her mother wear twenty-five years
ago; and he remembered, too, as he
looked at this one, and the fresh, rosy
face under it, how that one had made
his heart flutter the first time he saw
1t, and how he was so bcwitchcd by 1t,
or the face under it, that he had walked
home with Hester Mason, and had
had hard work to keep from proposing
TO her.
lie wondered now, and he had Won
dered many times in the twenty-five
years that had gone by since then, why
he never did propose to her.
He had meant to marry her some
time, and he was sure she liked him in
the old days; but something had come
between them, and she had married
Robert Keene, and he had married his
cousin Mary.
As he had looked at ITestcr's daugh.
ter, this summer morning, the old fire
stirred under the dust and ashes of
twenty-five years, and he felt little
flame spring up In his heart
Good morning, Lucy he said,
leaning over the fence.
"Oh" exclaimed Lucy, with little
jump. II didn't see you, and you
came near soaring me-. Isn't il
pleasant?"
"Yes, II is pleasant, answered the
farmer, looking straight at her pretty
face. Flows your mother?"
pretty we'll" answered Lucy.
"Your strawberries are doing splen-
didly, aren't they? We're so pro-
vokcd about ours, The hens got into
the garden, and mother says she don't
think we'll have a pailful of berries in
ALL
II want to knowl' exclaimed the
farmer. Now tell your mother that
she's welcome to all she wants out of
my patch. She can have EN- Just as
well as not. There's going to be a
sight morn well want, and I'd rather
have 'em used than wasted.
II will tell her." answered Lucy; 81
know she'll be delighted at the chance.
You know what hand she is to make
strawberry preserves.
"Ges, do" answered the farmer,
thinking of old times. Il remember
she beat all the old housekeepers at
that. They used TO say that she had a
knack Of making strawberry jam, that
nobody else could get hold OF"
"She hasn't lost 1t yet" said Lucy.
"She'll be pleased to have YOU come to
tea sometime and try some she made
last year. She had unusually good
| luck"
'I'll do it," he replied. "Let me
see-to.day's Wednesday. Tell her I'll
come over on Saturday, If it's agree
able; and reckon the berries'll be
ripe, so can pick a pailful by that
time. If they be, I'll bring some over.
Thank you," said Lucy. 'lf you
do, We'll have short.cake. I'll tell
her to expect you to tea on Saturday,
| then"
YES" answered the farmer; "Ill
be round If nothing happens. Oh,
heard from Charley yesterday. He'll
be home in n day or two to stay"
"That'll be pleasant for you" said
Lucy, STOPPING down to pick up 4
daisy.
He could not see how rosy the face
under the bewitchipg sun.bonnct grew
all at once. II he had it might have
set him to thinking.
"Ycs il WILL" said the farmer
"Charley's good boy"
81 think I'll have to be going" said
Lucy. 1--WE shall expect you to tea
Saturday, remember"
IL won't disappoint you," said the
farmer; and then Lucy went on, and
he went back to pulling weeds.
IL s'pose it's foolish to think of such
thing" he said TO himself, "but
don't know rs it's anybody's business
but ours. If see fit TO marry Lucy
and she's willin', I'm going TO do it. =
From which you will see that the
farmers old fancy for the mother hat
suddenly been transferred to tho
daughter.
| Charley came home the next day.
| 81 s'posc I'll have to tell him wha
I've been thinking about" thought thu
farmer. I'D bout as soon take ;
horscwhipping, / declare. But thcr,
aint any use in dreading 1t, and put
ting IL Off. as ! know Of. :"
in the porch, after supper, the farme
began;
"rve been thinking of getting a new
housekoeper, he announced.
Wont Aunt Sarah stay 2" aske,
Charley.
Ill mean q housekcepcr of anothe
kind" he said, wiping his face vigor
ously.
Charley gave whistle of surprise
aud stared hard at his father.
Who is Il 10 be, If | may ask such
question: he said.
Down the road. a" said the father
Jerking his thumb over his shoulder i
the direction of the Widow Keenc's.
lie couldn't muster up courage I
say Il was Lucy.
'Aha! that 5 the way the wind blows
is ity" laughed Charley. Pm gla
To hear It. You couldn't do better"
"l'm glad TO hear you say so, sal
Mr.. Kimball, much relieved. II fe'
sure you'd like TO have Lucy as
member Of the family"
II haven't any objections, If sh
hasn't"
$50 that's over" said the farmer
rs Charley srollod down the road |
the early evening. 81 wonder he nevc