The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1886-09-16
IN RHETTA'S GARDEN.
Why She and Ralph Would Dig
by Moonlight.

Why She and Ralph Would Dig
by Moonlight.
1t was only little spot south of the
house, but violets blossomed sooner
there than any where else, and great
bursting pinks made the air spicy while
other peoples were only in bud. There
were daffodils in the grassy border. and
blue-bells. and blue spider-iflies. There
were two rose-bushes. one cinnamon
and one damask. while double sweet
gillyfowers sCwed themselves and came
up every year along with mignonette
and chrysanthemums. 1t was sweet,
fragant, old-fashioned little garden,
which Rhetta's mother had tended and
taken pleasure in, and now It was Rhet-
ta's. There she worked all her spare
half-hours, sowing and watering, weed
ing and traNsplantlng,. till her little
hands were brown, and her cheeks like
her own cinnamon roses. Aunt Dor
cas-, in the kitchen, used to wonder
chow ON airth that child could be so
cortent all alone out in her posy bed.".
But Rhetta was not so often alone of
late, since they had taken a .boarder,
Ralph Calender found that the pleas
antest path to the house lay through
the little fiower-garden, and when his
jobs of copying failed to occupy his
time, what could be more natural than
to use his leisure helping the blushing
sr,rdopor9 II xuac h a M ho onrriad ua y
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 talking, as young
people will, and already Rhetta' father
began to watch them q little anxiously
above his spectacles as he sat on the
porch, while one of the neighbors had
remarked privately to Aunt Dorcas that
it was a pity young Calender was not
a man of fortune as well as of family.
In truth, riches had taken unto them
selves wings and flown away from the
Callenders a wear 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 being totally
unprepared for such prospect, he had
to take a little time to getusedt to it. and
to find out which way to turn. Mean
while he had drifted to this suburban
town, and while waiting to find situa-
ton as clerk or accountant, did copying
to support himself. and boarded at
Rhetta's.
Il was the day they had been trans.
planting touch-me-nots, and Ralph had
thrown himself down under the plum
tree for a respite, while Rhetta pulled
the faded blossoms from primrose.
He might have been misanthropic
enough at that moment it he had
chosen, for the last line of copying lay
upon his table finished, with not SO
much as q hint of an order for any
more. Worse than, that, clerks
place he had been hoping for had tina,
very morning been give to another. II
he had got it, he could have spoke te
Rhetta at once. His glance followed
her as she bent over her plants, heI
garden bonnet dropping back from her
bright brown hair, and his fingers
sought instinctively little ring thai
hid in his vest pocket. The old Callen
der pride had come to this, that he only
waited for the barest chance of being
able to earn living before he Offered
heart and hand to pretty little Rhetts
Wood, whose bonny face was all her
dowry.
But he could not help letting low
color his words little when he said
presently, to Rhetta, as he watches
her: when make my fortune. yor
shall have greenhouses and hot-beds
and gardens laid out on terraces.
Like Colonel Porter'sp" laughet
Rhetta. blushing over her trowel. "Oh
have you ever seen his place, Mr.. Cal
lenderp It's over on the west side. "
II think have passed it, +" answere'
the young man, indifferently. 'Bii
trees, three terraces, ribbon beds, ant
a peacock ON the lawn; is that tn
place?''
''Yes; isn't its plendid?" exclaime'
Rhetta. Il always go that way whel
l take q walk by myself: and oh! how
do long sometimes for things / see tn
gardener throwing away-slips ant
cuttings and roots that he thins out
Perfectly lovely things!''
why don't you ask him for them?'
ASK him?" and Rhetta caught he
breath at the very idea of her doing 81
sudacious thing. "Why, I.wouldn'
Don't you know them the family
mean.
No; how could /? Rose Porter an
went to the same school. and whe
she rides by aud sees me she bows an
smiles; bat that isn't being acquainted
one Is as beautiful as princess. 1t
ulne Tor her to be thome now; she hs
peen 70 Washington all the spring"
Mipa Calender made no ansHs1