Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1889-05-02

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the survival of the fittest for supper!
Mother, l wanted q good time
wanted to work with father in the hay
field, and to eat my dinner without q
coat, if felt like It. I wanted to cal
3 pie between meals sometimes, and ia
20 to sleep afternoons ON the lounge.
think I'll spend most Of my tine in
the barn: take my meals on the back
porch; baked apples and milk. beans,
any thing you may have to spare
can't face young lady who prefers
cave-dwellers to ordinary people. and
who will look whole Glacial Period
at me across the table,"
"Ralph, you ought to have more
sense than to talk so. Folks might
think you were afraid her learnin'
would put yours in the shade" sug-
gested Ralph's mother, ,wickedly.
Then she reminded him that it was
two hours yet till teartime. and that
there was berry pie cut in the pam
try, along with some nice root-beer
made by Ruth's own hands.
"Root-beer! All, Sanscrit roots,
suppose.
TRY it. You'll taste dandelion
and burdock plain enough, I'll war
rant" They went downstairs to-
gether.
And then-and then, in the cham
Der they had left, little dressing
closet softly opened. and a neatly
combed head was thrust out.
"Oh, how small it makes you feel
to overhear people talking, even when
you can't help it! If l had only been
dressed, and could have walked right
out! And to think he never once
looked at the upper shelf where the
poetry is! How ignorant of him to
suppose can not enjoy these precious
books without being stiff, angular,
'strong-minded' old thing! wanted
to like dear Aun tie Wakefield's only
son, but now l can not Such a mar
row, conceited fellow! I've half a
mind to fool him by acting the part of
a frivolous, fashionable girl, without
an idea in her head. l could do 1T.
But he isn't worth the trouble. Bet
ter leave his majesty entirely to him
self"
Nevertheless, it was very cour-
teous and agreeable young man whom
Ruth found when, two hours later,
she descended to the tea table and was
formally introduced to Mr.. Ralph
Wakefield.
For several days their acquaintance
made little progress. When not en-
gagged in household duties the young
lady wandered in the woods and
fields. as had been her wont, or sat
in her little room holding sweet COM
partnership with the slandered books.
When she talked with Ralph, it was
usually about the dressing of salad,
the relative merits of currant jelly and
raspberry jam, or the kind of gerani-
ums that always prospered best under
her care. Once when she asked his
opinion as to the trimming most ap-
propriate for the caps she was making
for his mother-whether he preferred
quilted ribbon or muslin frills-and he
answered that he knew not one from
the other; she was moved to tell him
in the most innocent manner that she
had some books upstairs which he
needed to read for instruction. All the
young mans attempts to draw out any
opinions she might have ended in
failure. He received but the shortest
ana dryest of answers. Yet there was
at such times something in her
eyes and in her manner that puzzled
him. She could not school her tell-tale
features into proper immobility, and
after time Ralph's wonderment be-
gan to border on enlightenment
| Finding himself growing more in.
terssted in her every day. in spite of
her reserve, he changed his tactics
and entertained her with common
place topics-his life in the city, his
law studies. his ideas of jurisprudence,
the acquaintance he had made, his
outlook for the future. Gradually the
am!ability of each found full play; in
tertst and confidence grew up on both
sides. and, in spite of her grim re-
solves, Ruth found herself almost I'M
consciously acting once more some
thing like her real self Still. she
fought against the change, and might
have continued to fight, until
October, with her ha.r a1ame,
Flushed brow, and purple finger tips
Across the Southern orchards came,
And touched the apple with her lips"
aad not an accident. a veritable acct
Sent. happened to her sewing-ma-
chiue.
| Strangely enough, Ruth began scold-
ing. not the machine, but the work.
oh, the supreme folly of modern
Dire 's-making! am so tired of hens
and tucks, bands and ruffies. puffings
and fittings! And now that the hem
mer will not hem. and the gatherer