Wichita eagle., 1888-02-15
LITTLE MRS. HAYNES.


our old brown house to a young portrait
painter, who was about becoming resident
in our village during few weeks of the sum
mer. Never before had an event so stirring
and exciting in its tendency broken over the
monotony of my existence Never before had
my childish imagination been furnished with
SO wide field of action, or my little heart
throbbed and palpitated with such strange
mixture of wShder and delight. A portrait
painter under our own roof, within the walls
of our own home-what a rare chance for my
inquisitive ewes TO draw in new fund OF
knowledge! What an object Of envy should
be to nv little mates, and how daintily would
] mete out to them what learned from day
to day of the wondrous man Of the wondrous
employment
had heard of portrait painters before, il
is true, but only as / had heard and read OF
fairies In my little story books, or listened to
my father as he talked of kings and courtiers
in the great world afar off Upon our par
lor walls, from my earliest remembrance,
had hung portraits Of my grandfathers and
grandmothers, but l had no idea how their
faces came stamped upon the dark canvas, or
when or by whom their shadows had been
fixed within the heavy gilt frames. Like the
trees that waved before the door and the
lilacs that blossonled every year by the old
gate. they had TO me always been so.
But now my eyes were to rest upon the
face of one whose existence had been like a
myth, fable What a wonderful parsonage
he would be, What a dark viSage he would
boast and what monStrous giant like form!
How entirely unlike every person that l had
ever seen or known would be this portrait
painter!
While these speculations were at their
height in my busy brain the hero made his
appearance, scattering them merciiessly to
the four winds. There was nothing giant
like in the little graceful figure that sprang
from the village coach, or dark in the pleas
ant boyish face shaded by masses of brown
hair, and lit up by merry pair of blue eyes,
running over with mirtb and mischief. His
name, too, like the generality of names, had
nothing wonderful or striking to characterize
it. He was simply Frank Haynes, nothing
more or less, and when, with pleasant, easy
grace, he sought to win my childish favor,
should have been quite at home had not the
stunning knowledge of his art overpowered
me. 1t was strange freak for a child of ten
summers, but somehow it crept into my baby
while, in spite of myself, a preference for his
opinions, WAYS and looks grew up strong
within me If he spoke to me when any one
was Observing him | was silent and shranll
away from him timidly; but when we were
alone | chatted and chirrupped like young
robin | think he must have noticed this,
and from it have taken into his head the boy
iSh idea of teasing me.
To him, he said, vas little Phebe Lester
no longer, now that he knew how much
cared for him. For the future he should call
me Mrs. Haynes-little Mrs Eaynes-and
should be very angry if everybody in the
house did not follow his example. | must
not ever have any little beaux among the
schoolboyS now that my name was changed; !;
bat | must be prim ind proper like any mar
ried woman who is faithful TO her husband
Would agree to this" he asked.
/ glanced up from the hem of my white
muslin apron, which | had been twisting
about my finger, TO meet my mothers eye
fixed laughingly upon my face. In moment
my lips were closed resolutely, while he,
seeing at once the cause of my silence. reachef
out of the window and plucked rose from y
running vine that crept nearly to the messy
caves.
Little Mrs Haynes must wear the rose"
he said. at would never do for her to toss
her head and throw his gifts oarelessly by
All married women wore flowers which their
husbands gave them. Would wear the rose!"
| glanced about the room again Ny
mother was nowhere to be seen, and SO | said
that / would wear it If he wanted me TO-
And would / consent TO be called little
Mrs. Haynes.
YES, ! would consent"
"Then it was all right He would never
look about for wife, nor should look
about for a husband. We were Mr. and
Mrs. Haynes. Did that suit meE"
"Oh. yes. that suited me. | like that"
"Well, then he should have to buy me a
little gold ring to wear upon my third finger,
10 let folks know that some one owned me-
mo. | didn't want a ring
Tut tut. tut That would never do
People who were engaged to be married al
ways gave such a pledge. He should speak
to father about it, so that it.,would be all
right. If he was willing, would l wear the
ring"
mo, didn't like rings"
Wouldn't ! like the ring that he would
buym
NO. i WpuHin LIKE any
During his stay, which was protracted TO
instead of weeks, he strove in every
way to change my determination about the
ring, as he termed it. | was in
exorable A ring I would not wear Not
even when he made ready for his departure,
and told me that in few weeks he should be
thousands of miles away from me, nor when
he piled up before me pictures that he had
drawn at his leisure during the long summer
hours that hung heavily upon his hands,
would ] revoke my decision. | would take
the finely executed drawings. the prettily
framed portrait of himself, but would have
no rings
At last he went from us I shall never for
get the morning, or how cold, dull and cheer
less it seemed to me. How dreary and desc
late everything looked because be was going
away. 1t was not every day grief that bore
down upon my young heart, no childish
promise that assured him, as be kissed my
quivering lips, that would never forget him,
and that would always be his little Mrs.
Haynes
"would 1 write to him and sign that
names"
"Yes, would"
Il was good girl, then, and he would
never forget me. Good-by!7
"Good-by," My voice trembled and fiut-
tered upon the words In my short life they
were the hardest had found TO speak.
During the next two years no lady love
could have been more faithful TO her absent
knight than l was &c Frank Haynes. The
brightest moments of my life circled about
he reception OF hi. letters, the greatest Joy
If life was in answering them. Among my
,choolmates / had no childish love, no juve-
files to wait upon me TO sleigh rides and
sarties that the children in the neighborhood
delighted in If ! could not go and come