Little Falls transcript., 1886-07-23
ONE OF TILE. 4 MIL

'sAAS-sA AAASy IA AcCA4C CSelAl0 uOW ~ VAAO AS0A
that beautiful July morning, and he
was just about to throw an armful ol
them over the fence when she came
round the corner. 49,. n:
The sunbonnet she wore WAS exact.
ly 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 huttor the first time
he saw it, and how he was so bewitch-
ed by it, or the face under it, that he
had walked home with Hester Mason,
and had hard work to keep from pro-
posing to her.
He wondered now, and had wonder
cd 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 Keeae, and he had married
his cousin Mary.
As he had loked at Hester's daugh-
ter this summer morning, tn cold fire
stirred under the dust and ashes OF
twenty-five years, and he felt a little
flame spring up in his heart.
"Good morning, Lucy" he said,
leaning over the fence.
"Oh!" exclaimed Lucy, with a little
jump, II didn't see you, and you came
near soaring me. Isn't it pleasant?
Eyes, it is pleasant" answered the
farmer, looking straight at her pretty
face. *How is your mother?"
"Pretty well," answered Lucy.
Your strawberries are doing splen-
didly, aren't they? We are so pro-
voked 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 know" exclaimed the
farmer. "Now tell your mother that
she's welcome to all she wants out of
my patch. She can have 'em just as
we'll as not. There's; going to be a
sight more'n We'll want, and I'd rath-
er have them used than wasted
II will tell her." answered Lucy; II
know. she'll be delighted at the chance.
You know what g. hand she is to make
strawberry preserves
eyes, I do" answered the farmer
thinking of old times. II 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 it yet," said Lucy.
"she'll be pleased to have you come
to tea sometime and try some she
made last year,
"1'll do it," he replied. 'Let me see
to-day is Wednesday. Tell her I'll
come over Saturday, il it's agreeable;
and | reckon the berries II be ripe, so
I can pick a pailful by that time. Ii
they be I'll bring some over"
THANK you," said Lucy. "If you
do we will have short cake. I'll tell
her to expect you to tea on Saturday
then"
eyes," answered the farmer; "I'll be
round if nothing happens. On. heard
from Charley yesterday. He'll be
home in day or two, to stay
'"That'll be pleasant for you," SAID
Lucy, STOPPING down to pick up q
daisy.
He could not see how rosy the face
under the bewitching sun-bonnet grew
at once: II he had, it might have set
w "Yes, ss ':it''11if it wiIfi," said the farmer.
"Cbarleys a good boy"
II think I'll have to be going" said
Lucy. ave shall expect you to tea
Saturday, remember
II won't disappoint you," said the
farmer; and then Lucy went on, and
the farmer went back to pulling weeds.
II s'pose it's foolish to think OF such
Q thing" he said to himself, ''but
don't know as it's anybody business
but ours. If I see fit to marry Lucy
and she's willin', Pm going to do it. !"
From which you will see that the
farmers old fancy for the mother had
suddedly been transferred to the
daughter.
Charley came home the next day.
II s'pose I'll have to tell him what
I've been thinking about" thought
the farmer. 'Td bout as soon take
q horsewhipping, Ideclare. But there
amt no use in dreading it, and put
ting it off, as I know Of
Accordingly, when they were sitting
in the porch after supper, the farmer
began:
housekeeper, he announced.
"Won't Aunt Sarah stay?" asked
Charley.
II mean g. housekeeper of another
kind,' he said, wiplng his face vigor-
ously.
Charley gave g. whistle of surprise,
and stared hard at his. father.
"Who is it to be, if 1 may ask such
q question:" he said.
'Down the road" said the farmer,
jerking his thumb over his shoulder in
the direction of the Widow Keene's.
He couldn't muster up courage to
say it was Lucy.
'Aha! that's the way the wind blows,
is it?" laughed Charley. "I'm glad to
hear it. You couldn't do better"
"Pm glad to hear you say so" said
Mr.. Kimball, much relieved. II felt
sure you'd like to have Lucy as-a
member of the family"
4