Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1886-02-19
"ONE OF THE FAMILY"


Farmer Kimball was In his strawberry
patch, pulling up weeds, when Lucy
Keene came down the road that beauti-
full July morning, and he was just about
to throw an armful of them over the
fence, as she came round the corner.
The sun-bonnet she wore was exactly
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 1t,
how that one had made his heart flu tier
the first time he saw it, and how he was
so bewitched by II, or the face under 1t,
that he had walked home with Hester
Mason, and had had hard work to keep
from proposing to her.
He 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 looked at Hester's daughter,
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, lean
Ing over the fence.
"Ohw exclaimed Lucy with little
jump, II didn't see you, and you came
near soaring me- Isn't 1t PLEASANT"
Yes, 1t Is pleasant" answered the
farmer, looking straight at her pretty
face. "HOw's your mother?"
Pretty WE'LL" answered Lucy. "Your
Strawberries are doing splendidly. aren't
they3 We're SO provoked about ours.
The hens got into the garden, and mother
says she don't think we'll have pailful
Of berries in ALL"
II want to know!" exclaimed the
farmer. Now you tell your mother that
she's welcome to all she wants out Of my
patch. She can have em just as well as
not. There's going to be sight moren
we'll want, and I'd rather have em used
than wasted"
IL will tell her." answered Lucy; IL
know she'll be delighted at the chance.
You know what a hand she is to make
strawberry preserves"
"Yes, l do" answered the farmer.
| thinking OF old times. ~ remember she
beat all the old housekeepers at that.
They used to say that she had knack of
making strawberry jam, that nobody else
could get hold Of"
''she hasn't lost 1t yet" said Lucy.
Dio IL Dc pleuSou W HdNC yOu Coiic W
tea, some time, and try some she made
last year. She had unusually good luck
"Ill do it, he replied. Let me SEQ
| to-day's Wednesday. Tell her I'll come
over on Saturday, II It's agreeable; and
/ reckon the berries'll be ripe, so caIl
pick pailful by that time. II they be,
| I'll bring some over"
Thank you," said Lucy. If you do,
we'll have short-cake. I'll tell her to
expect you to tea on Saturday, then"
YES" answered tho farmer; "pll be
round II nothing happens. Oh, 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 tho face
Under the bewitching sun-bonnet grew
all at once. If he had, 1t might have set
him thinking.
Yes, It WILL" said tho farmer
"Charley's good boy"
| II think I'll have to be going" said
Lucy 1--WE shall expect you to tea,
Saturday, remember"
| At won't disappoint you" said the