Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1888-10-25
Miss Ewald's Protege.

CdNtihNJ
eHe is handsome, hespeaks correct
". and there is a kind of superb IN
dependence about him that admire.
What a pity he is only q farmerl'
Miss Ewald unused, looking g the
fence at the reapers in the wheat neid'
and singing out Brian Jeffreys
straight, well knit figure, in its cool
blue cotton overalls and blouse.
How easily and lightly he swung
the scything cradle around, the yell
low grain falling before the glltter-
ing blade.
Miss Ewald had been at Grass
lands a week. She was twenty-slx
and thoroughly Disguised with the
world. or so she imagined when she
was elected to spend the summer IN
the country, instead OF going with
her friends on the usual round OF
gayety at the watering places.
II am tired of folly and fashion, OF
society-ofeverything," she hadsaid,
and packing her trunks went away
to the loneliness, the cool, deep,
shades, and the simple, primitive life
of Grasslands, bewildering Farmer
Jason and his comely wife with her
beauty and grace and city toilets,
and making acquaintance with Brian
Jeffrey, the fathers nephew.
"He is probably as old as | am,
but with as little worldly knowledge
as | had at SIXTEEN" shifting her
white linen parasoI little, her eyes
still fixed on the blue clad figure ii
the field.
A brilliant idea had shaped itself
in her mind during the week. She
would help the young man to a
higher plane of life-point into the
intellectual world.
"Whynot?" she had reasoned. "Of
curse my friends" with a slight
curl of her lip, "would deride the
plan; butt see no harm in it. He is
here, shut off from the world with
no examples to stimulate ambition
or make him desire culture"
The morning that she stood by
the fence, looking into the wheat
field, she decided to speak to him
about it-uf1er, with tact and deli
cacy, to loan him books and papers,
and her aid in turning his thoughts
into higher channels.
That evening, as she stood on the
veranda, gathering a bunch ofcreamy
roses for the bosom of her light blue
gown, he came and leaned against
the column near her.
The fading daylight seemed to
gather about her golden head and
lovely purely-colored face, and the
young farmers dark gray eyes were
fixed steadily on her. 1t was n good
time and place tounfold herpurpose.
His face flushed, and he looked
down at his shapely, sunburnt hands,
while she gently explained that all
her books and magazines we're at his
service, and that she would DE pleased
to have him read with her sometimes.
He seemed to catch instantly at
her full meaning, and the light in his
gray eyes almost startled her
would you indeed be so kind to
al ignorant, poor wreteh?" he muir
INJURED.
Her face flushed.
1T is no great act of kindness, Mr..
Jeffrey. understand the limitations
of your surroundings, and if you viii
accept"
81 do, most gladly, gratefully" he
quickly interrupted. In "a country
neighborhood, where all, or nearly all,
are on the same level-where an
almanac and a Bible constitute q
library-there in not much hope for
literary advancement"
1t was a strange summer to Rosa
mond Ewald-one utterly out of the
line of conventional experiences.
Never had teacher so apt a pupil,
and the lines of study took a much
wider range than she had imagined.
Favorite authors were invested with
new interest, and she found all her
own mental faculties stimulated and
quickened. She had ever been weary
of life.
1t was delightful to have such an
intelligent, sympathetic protege.
Il never knew before that such a
simple act OF kindness could give one
so much pleasure. / felt like a differ
ent creature from the languid, en-
nuied woman who came up here"
One evening she was surprised and
delighted at the sound of a fine tenor
voice singing "My Queen" with an
eloquence of expression unexpected.
She stepped to the parlordoor and
say Brian Jeffrey sitting before the
small, almost tuneless old piano,
playing and singing.
He stopped instantly at sight OF
her.
81 did not know you could sing.
Mr.. Jeffrey" advancing into the
dimly lighted room.
"Only a little, Miss Ewald," he
said, hastily, looking as guilty as if
he had been detected in a crime.
you sing extremely well, and with
wonderful expression"
Her frank, arr praise overmas-
tered the self control he had been
putting upon himself for days.
He looked at her, a passionate fire
lonnino In his oroy ayns
Il ought to sing that song well,
with you always in my thoughts"
he said, in a low, quick tone.
HeT startled eyes met his; she
turned away, but he caught her
hand.
Il know what presumption, what
madness it is, but / love you. Miss
Ewald-Rosamond, my queenl"
She flushed and paied.
1T may e "a poor return for all
your goodness to give you MY heart,
but it is an honest heart and"
All the naughty Ewald blood fam.
ed up. She snatched her hand from
his grasp.
Sir, you surely forget your sta.
toni You presume unpardonablv
upon my favor. Let me pass"
He grew white as death. bowed.