Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1889-12-19

ranch. He's been up TO the city for the
last week and more and come home with
about carload of dirty things-it's
been that hot up there, Joe says, that
you can't keep nothing decent two min
dtes, and old Mrs. Bulgal that cooks up
| there don't know beans about doing up,
so the grist naturally comes to your mill,
and I'm glad of it for one"
'And ! for two" answered Phrosy,
| gleefully, and then with a light and
thankful heart she took possession OF
her somewhat bulky bundle and went
merrily homeward.
The next day six white and antic
shirts futtered upon the millers clothes
line-the next day-stifi and shiny and
oderous only of Heavens pure breezes-
they went TO their owner and Joe
brought back to his mother in return
the silver which looked to Phrosy
brighter and better than silver ever
looked before. He brought something
else, too-an overgrown bundle of shirts
which had evidently seen sorrow and
had not lived the lives that aristocratic
white shirts ought to live.
These belong to the mill boys" he
explained; they got sight at the
others and nothing to do but they must
send these down they're pretty hard
lot" (meaning the shirts and not the
mill boys, but guess your old woman
can get EN- clean, mother"
And his mother, chuckling a little as
she thought Of her old woman" took
the bundle and informed her son that
any thing Of the kind was welcome until
| further orders.
That week, in the neighbors' estima-
ton, Ben Miller fairly blossomed with
| shirts, for the number Of those useful
| and ornamental garments that hung on
the Miller's line was something abso-
lutely unprecedented.
"Thirteen shirts for one poor work.
| ing-man is the worst | ever heardw as
severated the woman next door, whose
| propinquity gave her, in her own esti-
nation, right to criticise the Millers
with more frankness than manners"
81 wouldn't slave myself TO death for
the sake Of Bens vanity If was his
sister,"
But Phrosy smiled serenely.
II don't call Ben over vain myself"
she answered, land I'm sure / am not
| shaving myself to death or near it for
any one, and as long as I'm satisfied
don't see what difference the size of my
washings ought to make to any one
else" And with this the ofiicious and
would-be inqusitive neighbor was forced
to retire discounted
Phrosy went to the picnic under Mrs.
Jenkins protecting wing lone of Mrs.
Miller's whilom cronies conserving glad
ly to come and spend the day with herr,
and she had on fresh pink lawn and
ribbons to match and looked for all the
world like a peachblossom.
The picnic was near the 'old Brad
bury ranch and its new owner-a tall,
sunburned, masterful young fellow with
plain, sensible face and pair of eyes
that seemed TO Phrosy the kindest that
she had ever seen made them welcome
to his home and was as hospitable as a
true Californian always is-and some
way Phrosy was shyly conscious, after
the first, that those kind eyes looked
tFifle more kindly upon her than they
did upon some of the more noticeable
girls.
Phrosy was always one Of the useful
ones and when it fell TO her lot to over
see the arrangement of the lunch her
new acquaintance very quietly olsen
gagged himself from the others and de-
voted himself to her assistance, and
Ben Miller looking on from a distance,
saw and approved.
"Phrosy's worth her weight in gold"
he said to himself, aud Dalton is just
the kind of fellow that she ought to
have. Ia give four bits to have it turn
out that way"
That night Phrosy came home tired
but radiant. John Dalton had harnessed
up his two-horse team and brought part
OF the picniclxers down to the village
himself 'just to be sociable," he bad
said; and he had invited her to sit be-
side him on the front seat, and he had,
moreover, told Ben that he was coming
down to play him game Of checkers
now and then when the evenings got a
little longer.
What wonder was it that the world
seemed rose-colored TO Phrosy? and
what wonder was it that when John
Dalton-not waiting for the evenings to
lengthen perceptibly-made his appear
ance in her home, and, after making
friends with her mother proceeded 70
devote himself especially to that lady's
daughter that she thought herself the
happiest girl in the world. Only one
thing Swallowed her heart; supposing
that he should be angry when he found
out that the shirts, which still came,
through Mrs. Jenkins, to that mysteri-
GUS ''old woman we're her task, and
that he was making love to his washer
woman? That fear made her almost
cowardly after she began 10 feel that
she was growing to care for this quiet,
manly young fellow as she had never
cared for any one else before, and, al
though she knew that she must tell
him some day she put that day off as
long as possible and grew, girl-fashion,
as nervous and feverish and miserable
as possible over her innocent little
secret, until even her mother noticed
that Phrosy was "fretting" as she
called il. and wondered thereat.
Ohe udy JOhh iditOh DiOuBhb mdbteTS
70 focus by simply and seriously ask
ing Phrosy if she could make up her
mind to come TO him and let him take
care Of her as he had longed to do ever
since he first met her.
Il think that l fell in love with you
at first sight he said, in his straight
forward way. and ever since then
have been hOping that you would let me
make things easier for you some day.
DO you care enough for me TO be my
wife, Phrosy?'
Poor Phrosy! She blushed and hesi-
tated, and then put out her hands like
frightened child.
81 am afraid l do" she faltered,
''but first must tell you about-about
the chirfer7