The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1886-05-27
STORY.
NOT so EASILY WON.

OH seem comfortably sure Ol
her, Tom" "WelI, why not, my
dear Jack. when I've only got to ask,
and the little lady's mine? I'm i'm
mensely taken with her, but I've
hung off about
The dip of advancing oars drowned
the rest of the sentence, but Miss
Daisy Campbell in her hamm ock be-
hind the elders had heard enough to
destroy her peace. Fearful OF be-
lraying her presence by the move
ment Of a finger, the girl lay rigid as
marble, watching with strained eyes
two fragrant blue wreaths of sm oke
gliding past her retreat, till through
IN opening IN the bushes farther up
the brook she caught a glimpse of
birck canoe beneath the smoke, and
Of the smokers. two gay sunburned
Youths with guns and fishing.rods.
Tom Raymond sat in the stern, tall,
handsome Tom, who had but now
roasted of his easy conquest Of her
self. In that moment of wounded
pride and fierce indignation Miss
Daisy thought that she could have
cheerfully seen him drown.
ooh, she's daisy" lummed Jack
McKeon; and as the mocking tenor
-mote her ear the quivering listener
thought she could have seen Jack
drown teo-the saucy. idle tell tale &!
Why need he proclaim to the birds
Of the air and the fishes of the water
that the lady in question, Toms lit
de lady to be had for the asking, was
no other than herself, Mrs. Blunt's
city niece, little Daisy Campbell?
How indelicate, outrageous!
And yet the song hurt her far less
than Toms words. Tom, Tom Ray
mond. could speak so lightly of her,
why might not Jack sing what he
pleased, and all Oakland listen? So
that was the way Tom was in tho
habit of talking about her! She had
heard before that young men by
themselves were excessively free in
discussing their lady friends. and
now she had proof OF the fact. Un-
mannerly, detestable creatures, es-
pecially Tom!
"I've only to ask and the little
lady's mine,' these were his very
words" moaned kapless little Daisy ),
hi ling her hot face among the hams
mock cushions in an agony CT humili-
alton. She had always felt that if
Tom had fault it was self-eonceit,
but she wouldn't have believed he
coald he so conceited as this. What
had she said or done to warrant his
boastful assertionP She would chal-
lenge aunt Abby, she would chal-'
lenge Toms sister, to say that she
had ever been silly with Tom. If
there had been on her side, unless
truthful Daisy WINGED at the recol~
lection unless - well, perhaps she
did let Tom hold her hand an instant
longer than necessary the day he
helped her over the fence, and she
wished she had not chung to him in
the thunderstorm. But at eighteen
what girl likes to be proud? Though
for that matter, had she not more
than once during their summers &C.
quaintance snubbed Tom for trying
to make love to her? Still he'd only to
ask, and the little lady was his. That
was his version Of the story, and he
had gloated over it to Jack. Daisy
lifted her tousled brown head defiant
ly, and sat bolt -upright.
Il won't be crushed-I will notl !"
she cried alo I'd, dashing her tears
right and left. "I'll 90 to Pinafore
to- night just as if I'd overheard moth
ing, and if he chooses to ask for a
little lady, why, he may. She's sure
of her own mind at last. She'll
have her answer ready
Springing from her hammock, Miss
Daisy walked with martial tread
through the garden into the kitchen
to help aunt Abby shell peas for din
ner.
You must have been lying in the
sun. child" said the lady, glancing
up from the pan in her lap. sits
bad for your eyes and bad for your
complexion. Idon't believe that's a
good place for the hammock
Its horrid place." responded
Daisy. falling sayagely to work. Ppm
goirg to ask Abran to hang it where
it was BEFORE
Abram was the intermittent helf
of the Blunt establishment, who
carried on the farm and came night
and morning to milk the cow. From