The Opelousas courier., 1886-05-29
'.Doan you fret, Miss Dawthy; I'll guar

49, eA
ing, and told ghost stories that made
little Abel's fiaxen hair stand on end,
between the pipe-lightings.
can old man of seventy and a child of
%seven!" jeered Silas Green. "We1l see
what sort of farming that tsp
Dorothy turned short around upon him.
Il believe" said she, with glittering eyes,
''that you would be pleased, Silas-yes,
actually pleased-if l was to fail in this
enterprise of mine"
"Wen, | calculate it would teach you
a pretty good lesson," said he, disagree.
ably.
But as time went on, the young chick
ems grew as fat as if they had been in
Dorothy's confidence, and were secretly
preparing themselvA for the gridiron
and the spit; the ripening strawberries
crimsoned all the field; the young grape
roots stretched their green tendrils sun
ward, and the tobacco waved its monster
leaves, as if it fancied itself in old Vir-
ginia instead of growing on a rocky
Rhode Island farm.
Dorothy Mallard worked late and early.
She herself took her crops into town with
a borrowed wagon and the old blind pony,
which, having been turned out into the
world to die by a heartless clam-vender,
had been led home and fell ON juicy
grass by Abel and Chatty, and who had
actually developed into a sort of Indian
summer of usefulness under the unwonted
stimulus of plenty of food and bedding
and kind treatment.
And the tobacco field won such renown
| &hroY,rha,,f A. oo.ohIo,hoaI 4nn+ n ,rop
tieman from Providence-a famous cigar
manufacturer-drove up, n afternoon,
to look at it.
''Pretty nice hacker, sah,n chuckled
old Jubal, who, in his ragged working
suit, was working in the little plantation,
with an occasional pull at a clay pipe.
"a fine crop" said Mr.. Mayhem.
"Your own raising, my MANI"
eMe an Miss Dawthy," said old Jubal.
"Ef dar's anything we understan,' it is to-
backer."
"What will you take for it, said Mr..
Mayhem, stas it stands2"
"Mus' ask Miss Dawthy," said the old
man, slowly shaking his head. "Miss
Dawthy's de boss. Ole Jubal dunno
muffin"
sSWhere is this Miss Dawthy of yours2"
"She done took a load oh eggs an
poultry into town. said Jubal. "Massa
mus watt
sWho owns the farm2" Mr.. Mayhem
asked.
miss Dawthy," said Jubal.
"Who works its"
stMiss Dawthy."
stShe must be a smart woman" OBJ
served Mr.. Mayhem, carelessly.
esDat she jes' isl" said old Jubal. "As
smart as de best steel-trap in Provi-
dence."
Mr.. MAYHEM naturally prepared him
self to behold a raw-boned, elderly fe-
male, with a hide-and- leather complex
ion, and elbows as sharp as the angle of
a Virginia fence. His surprise at the APP
pearance of pretty Dorothy Mallard can
easily be imagined.
AT the end of the season Dorothy bal
anced her accounts.
"WelI.n said Silas Green, who had
strolled up in the frosty starlight, with
the inevitable burnt match in his mouth,
show much have you lost?o
II don't know that it's any of your
business, y said she, with some spirit:
81 only asked as a friend" remarked
Silas, somewhat discounted.
.sOh, is that it? I thought it sounded
exactly as if you were asking as an en-
emy," dryly observed Dorothy. "WeH,
of course, If that is the case, / don't OBJ
ject to answering. / haven't lost any
thing
tsJust made matters meet, ehg"
ssPlus n hundred dollarsi" trium-
phantly responded Dorothy.
seGreat Scott y shouted Silas. sThere
amt many farmers in Glengowe hey
| made more money than that this year.
I suppose it's the tobacco crops"
taThat, and other things" said Doro-
thy. 1.-THE strawberries have done splen-
! didly, and I could have sold twice as
many spring broilers and fresh eggs if I
had had them. But Idon't deny that
the tobacco crop has been very fortunate
very fortunate, indeedi" she added,
with a far-away glitter in her gray-blue
eyes.
Il swan to goodness, I'm glad of it!s
said s1las Green, with an effort. eyes /
be. You've done Almost as well as If
you'd been a man, Dorothy. AndI don't
mind tellin' you I've made up my mind
to let bygones be bygones, and marry you
after alI.''
ssMarry me?'' said Dorothy.
Silas Green nodded his head benevo-
Iently.
"oh, no, I don't think you will, " said
she.
sIive decided to let you take care of
the children Just as you please said
Silas. Though / still think it would be
better to bind 'em out to trades. For
there's no denying that you're q smart
girl. Dorothy, and / somehow can't get
you out of my head. II
Don't go on, pleaset' faltered Doro-
thy. 81 mustn't listen to it, Silas. I am
ever SO much obliged to you, but \ am
engaged to another manp
nHal-loln said Silas.
He took up his hat and went precipi-
lately home.
~ wonder who it can be- said he to
himself. There amt q man in GleDgoWe
half good enough for Dorothy Mallardf'
But the next Sunday, with all the roads
covered with the first pearl-white sno
of the season, a cutter dashed by him as
he plodded along toward the old stone
church.
.It's Dorothyl'' said he, stopping to
stare after it. aAnd that's Mr.. MayheW,
The cigar manufacturer from Providence
that bought III her tobacco crop. | see
III all nowl I-see-it-alli.
As for old Jnbal, he reioiced greatly.
G--=JS --[