The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1888-02-11
A WINTER VACATION.

"a" "iutCt fdCdtiOu III d EeCk1eoSly uIp-
lpant mood. and deliberately intend
Ilng to have good time, whether
lsor no.
They're an awful backwoodsy set,
You KNOW" he had said to his friend.
Ernest Wilson, u dignified young
|toctor. whom he took with him,
|fOh. 1 don't mind saying it-Aunt
Sally's only step great-aunt, any,
how. Oh, yes, they're the real article.
she and Uncle 'Rastus-cowhide boots
and calico dresses, and rag carpets
and pumpkin pie. and all that sort of
thing. Well have lots of fun -
i2s.sg don't propose to have fun at
the expense of your relatives, Bron-
son, and l trust you DON'T" the doc
tor had rejoined, reprovingly at
which Tom had merely laughed.
The doctor need not have concern
ed himself. Toms ironical mood
lasted about half an hour after their
arrival in East Wheelerville, and
vanished for good.
Unele 'Rastus met them at the
station with lumber wagon and a
cordial"How be you ?" and twenty
minutes later they were sitting,
washed and hungry, at Aunt SalIy's
supper-table, with Uncle 'Rastus
dishing ham and eggs, and Aunt
Sally. stout and benevolently BEAM
ing, turning tin of biscuits in the
oven.
Tom called the attention of his
friend, in subdued tones, to the pic
ture of George Washington on the
wall, and the yellow almanac under
it, and to the tip teapot and the mug
of teaspoons, and the absence of but
templates.
"They don't have dining-rooms in
East Wheelerville, you KNOW" he
murmured, with chuckle. "Tney
eat in the kitchen year in and year"
"Susy," called Aunt tSally, as she
put the hot, brown biscuits on the
table, "you can bring the strained
honey, too mebbe they'll like some
o. that"
There was a rustic in the pantry.
its half-shut door swung back, and
through it, bearing in one hand an
|amber-hued bottle. and in the other
blue plate and trickliug slice of
honeycomb, came a girl in long
gingham apron-a dark-eved, yellow
haired, fair-faced, startlingly pretty
girl.
Tom dropped his fork. and stared
with open eyes and mouth. Wilson
with greater presence of mind, only
looked admiringly over the milk
pitcher.
"This is Susy Harkness," said
Aunt Sally, with brisk cordiality and
straightforward Ihrasing. "Susy,
this is my nephew. Tom Bronson !;
and this is Doctor Wilson, friend o.
his he's brought"
The young men rose and bowed !;
and Susy sat down, and deftly and
gracefully dished the honey, and
smilingly passed it.
Tom sat staring, with daZzled eyes;
and continued to stare during the
three-quarters of an hour of supper
time.
He was distinctly aware of nothing
save the astonishingly pretty face
opposite.
He could not have been more daz-
ed and confused had a heavenly be-
ing dropped through the ceiling.
A stunning girl in East Wheeler
vile, and at Aunt Sally's! Who
was she?
Tom looked at the gingham apron.
1t was hard to believe )" but the fact
seemed indisputabIe. He knew that
servants always ate with the family
in the country. But he remembered
Aunt Sally's last "help''-a sleepy,
dough-faced girl. with shoes down at
the heel.
Where had this-this angel come
from? Whew but how pretty she
was
Tom did not know whether he was
eating or not but he thought he was
probably making passable pretense,
since nobody was observing him par
ticularly.
They were talking-Uncle 'Ratus,
Aunt Sally, Wilson and she. How
sweet she looked wnen she talked
And the doctor was conyersing with
her quite calmly and nationally.
Tom was dimly amazed at his cold
bloodedness. He rose from the table
slowly, since the rest were doing so,
and submitted to being led into the
sitting-room, with his head Screwed
back ward to get last glimpse Of
Aunt Sally's charming hired-girl
who was swiftly clearing the table.
swell !" he burst forth, sinking
into a chair by the glowing stove