Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1886-08-05

III wa. only Attle spot south OF the
house. but yIolets biossomed sooner there
Than anywhere else. snd grea, bursting
pinks made the air spicy while other peo-
pies were only in bud. There were daao-
dis IN the grassy border and blue bells, and
blue spder-lihes. There were two rose
bushes, one cinnamon snd one damask, while
double sweet gIllyhouers sowed themselves
and came Up every wear along with migno-
nrtie and santhemums. II was sweet.
fragrant, oid-fashloned little garden, which
Rhe,ta's neither had tended and taken
pleasure IN. and now It was Rhe,ias. There
She worked oil her spare half-hours, sowing
and watering, wedding and transplsnting,
t!I her little hands were brown, and h. r
cheeks Ike her own cinnamon roses, Aun,
Dorcas, n the kitchen. used TO wondsr
''how on airth that child could lie SO con-
tent all alone out in her posy bed :"
But Rhetta was not SO often alone of late
since they had taken boarder. Ralph
Calender found that the plea.antes, path to
the house lay through the little aower-gar-
den. and when his jobs OF copying failed to
occupy his time, what could De more natural
than 10 use his leisure helping the blushing
gardener Ii was he eho carried away all
the weeds, divided the white peony roots
and reset them, and dug more thoroughly
than Rhetta ever could around the dear old
rose-bushes. Over their work they fell
taking, as young people will, and already
Rhetta's father began TO watch them q little
anxlously above his spectacles as he ss, on
the porch while one of the neighbors had
remarked privately TO Aunt Dorcas that it
was pity Young Calender was not man
Of fortune as well as Of family.
In truth, riches had taken unto them
selves wings and flown away from the Cal
lenders year before, so that Ralph, instead
OF becoming junior partner in an old and
prosperous business. saw nothing before him
but what his two hands could earn, and be-
ing totally unprepared for such prospect,
he had TO take little time 10 get used to it,
and TO ind out which way 10 turn. Mean
while he had drfied to this suburban town,
and while waiting TO find situation as
clerk or accountant, did copying TO support
himself, and boarded at Rheua's
Ii was the day they had been transplant
ing touch-me-nots. and Ralph had thrown
himself down under the plum-tree for a
respite, while Rhe,ta pulled the faded bios
SONS from primrose. He might have been
if he had chosen, for the last line OF
copying lay upon his table finished. with not
so much as hin; of an order for any more.
Worse than that, clerks place he had
been hoping for had that very morning been
given to another. If be had got it, he could
have spoken to Rhetta at once.
His glance followed her as she bent over
her p lan:s, her garden bonnet dropping
back from her bright brown hair, and his
fingers sought instinctively little ring tha,
hid in his vest pocket. The old Calender
pride had come TO this, that he only waited
for the barest chance of being able to earn
a living before he offered heart and hand to
pretty little Rhetta Wood, whose bonny face
was all her dowry.
But he could not help letting love color
his words little when be said, presently. to
Rhetta, as he watched her, when make
my fortune, you shall have greenhouses and
hot-beds, and gardens laid out on terraces
Like Colonel Porter's ?" laughed Rhetta
blushing over her trowel. "Oh. hare YOU
ever seen his place, Mr.. CallenderP It.,
over on the west side
a think have passed it," answered the
young man, indifferently. big trees, three
terraces, ribbon beds. and peacock on the
lawn; is that the place.
"Yes; isn't it splendid !" exclaimed
Rhetta. 81 always go tina, way when take
walk by myself; and oh how l do long
sometimes for things see the gardener
throwing away-slips and cuttings ant
roots that he shins out! Perfectly lovely
things"
why don't you ask him for them?'
ASK him ?" and Rhetta caught be-
breath at the very idea of her doing so au
dacious thing. "Why, l wouldn't dare"
| Don't you know them ?-the family.
mean"
"No; how could l +? Rose Porter and
went TO the same school. and when she ride
BY and sees me she bows and smiles: hu
that isn't being acquainted. She Is 3
beautiful as princess. 1t is time for her /,
be at home now she has been in Washing
ton all the spring."
Ralph Calender made no answer. n,
was busy weaving q true-loye knot of gras
blades, and when it was done be gave it I,
Rhetta. She blushed again over it, an,
went on talking about flowers.
| 81 wish could get some slips of Colone
Porter's geraniums," she said; "he has o