Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1888-10-13

1IUtNiCf NilHIll tlHlSCii5 UuSu Nv l
have been a man!''
The English language. as til
Squire Interpreted it. had no higl
or form of praise than this. Til
Squire believed implicitly in hi
own sex. And when he said tina
Maria Poole. ''onght TO have heel
man," lie did homage to her CD
pariiy.
Squire Dockley was on his VA.
to lle pcstof1ice. He liked to e.
in the early morning, before tn
thermometer had mounted TO 10,
high II degree, and while The dew
yet sparIslet! upon the close,..shor
grass along the road.
OLD Mr.. Poole had been post
masterat SassafrasGap for 12years
hnthis5daughter Maria performed
allstlle duties of. the position, II.
lima was bcdsfialels.2dea.
dslIelI less; ria s::IIs ossMo Elsef
ae:iI
faced RE- HIfafTe ARK ffsafTss Ned
Elias Smith, who came for hal
wages or acconnt.Ot l;mp-ih 0nt
leg; and she kept boarders in SUN
mer.
There's The clothes al out on
the line, and it amt eight O'CLOCK,
yet" said the Squire. And not q
weed in the garden, and nobody to
raise finger about the place: but
Maria! I declare that woman ought
to have been manr' Close be-
side him WAS the well, Swallowed
with Il canopy OF blue cupped
morning elories which had not yet
folded their slken tents away from
he sun.
Tile squire stopped TO- get adrink
cf water, when suddenly linlnan
head popped MP before him like a
jack in the box.
"JrruSalsm!n calculated the
squire, starting back. "Why, it's
you. ain't it, Miss PoolefD
Eyes, it's me,' said Maria.-
"I've been down the well to clean
it. A tin trumpet, two doll ba
bies, - spelling book, cocoannt
shell and fourteen apple cores,
that's what the boarders' children
have dropped down since this day
week. | some time think" giving
herselfa shake. and sending the
surplus moisture of the well flying
in all directions, "lllat King Herod
wasn't so far wrong as folks pre-
tend to think. If yon want u drink,
Squire D0ckley you'd better go
down TO The spring house. The
wells sort o; stirred mp"
The squire meekly followed
Maria Poole down to the cool, sweet
smelling spring house where u liv-
ing stream flowed beneath the
shelves, all laden with pans ofmilk
and a glittering spring dubbed up
in the corner like magniGed
diamond.
"Made much butter this yearfn
the squire inquired as he slaked
his thirst.
Two hundred ard n,ne pounds,
packed down Already" was Mar
las response.
"Well, l declared admiringly
gummented the squire, as he laid
Govt the gonrd shell. "You'd ought
to have been man, Miss Maria;
and so I've said ag'in and ag'in."
"Humph," observed Maria. "lf
i couldn't amade IL smarter man
than some l know of, | would give
up. Well, squire. | don't want to
hurry you, but it's most time to
open the postofIice and see about
tile morning mail.n
81 was thinking about callingfor
my letters ana papers," said Squire
Dockley, wipng his mouth with
red bandana pocket handkerchief.
"Can't nobody get into The post
office, not if they had a letter for
the President himself, afore eight
O'clock" said Miss Maria, curtIy.
''BuSineSs hours is business hours!'
eyes, know, l know!" apollo
gized the Squire, as be followed
Miss Poole up the winding path;
"but ! WAS calculatin' to speak TO
You, Marid.n
"Well. what is itY Don't keep.
me long!'
The squire shifted from one foot
10 the other. Was ever lover ex
red:led like this before?
IL was atllinkin', Maria" said he
''that it wasn't in place for IL wo
man to be kecpin' postoflice." .
"Ob, that's your game, is itg"
letortrd Maria "You would like
to get The office away from father.
would you? Aud you're gettin' up
Il petition to edge some friend o.
yonr'n in7 Well, it wont go down
Squire Dockley. All The folks
Lureabouts know father well, aud
you WON'T get no signatures to.
your papers. Aud | should think
you'd be ashamed Of lonrself.;o go
and"
''Hold oil, Maria, hold on!" gasp
ed Mr. Dockley, instinctlvely step
ping back a pace or two. IL mis-
trust you don't quite apprelend
me. It's quite another tack as Pm
on. I'm IA well 10 do man, Malta,
without no incnbrance but my son
Leonidas, and I've reason to think
he's plannin' to get settled in life
pretty soou. And lately it's been
borne in upon me that I'd sorter
have Il second partner. The Scrip