, 1890-11-27
A LESSON LEARNED.
fKate NJ. Genry.l
II Grand. pattypn

| young people. standing there In the
lemonish haze of the February sun
light, looked upon 1t through magic
glasses--glasses which both beauti-
fled and magnified.
1t was just little square box Of n
house, brand new, aud as yet un-
painted. Fenced in around 1t was
some brown and barren prairie.
"What color shall 1t be, Patty?
She needed no time for reflection.
white, she answered, promptly.
"And the shutters?"
"Green," decided Patty.
"And to the right, in the rear,
we'll put some cherry and plum and
crab-apple trees"
"Yes, john
"And to the left, in the rear, some
gooseberry and raspberry bushes and
some watermelon vines"
"And onions, John"
John gracefully accepted the
amendment.
"Of course. Onions, cabbage,
bects and horseradish."
The girl drew lolg breath of ex.
quisite content.
"Oh," sine sighed, "won't 1t all be
perfectly hcavcnly?"
He did not smile-at least not sar-
castically. Ho was almost rs young
and quite as enthusiastic as his
sweetheart. 1t would be heavenly,
he felt convinced.
They had been engaged two years
An elcrnity, 1t seemed to Them.
And there had been no near pros.
pect Of their marriage, of u home or
maintenance should they marry.
But just six months ago n windfall
in the shape of a legacy had come
to John Bennett-a thousand dol
lars. Not q tremendous sum, but TO
the young lovers Il fortune colossal.
On the land his father left him,
John had at once set about building
the house, now nearing completion
which tonight he aud Patty had
designated grand"
She was of medium height, erect
and full-lormcd. Her face, nodded
boldly but delicately, was creamily
white Us a yucca blossom, in spite OF
it's freckles--perhaps by contrast all
the fairer because of them. Aud II
her nose was n trifle short, was moi
her mouth well-curved and crimson.
And If the rlpply hair was shade
too Titianesque to please uncul
tivated tastes, were not the frank
eyes velvety soft rs blue pansies?
"And i'm the front yard" prose-
on John, ecstatically, and bracing
his back against one of the pillars q
the little double gate, "we'll have
pinks, and Towering moss, ant
pinies. We must have pinies, Patty
and hollyhocks."
But right here Patty protested.
~ don't like hollyhocl<s, John"
"Eh?"
Patty repeated her remark.
So seldom she dissented from him
he was quite amazed.
"But-but, Patty" he began.
81 will not have hollyhocks, John
They are so vulgar"
He bent down, picked up bit o
grass, and began to nibble at IL.
~ don't think so." lie said, slowly
and with the stubbornness peculiar
to a man who lacks brilliancy. "My
mother always had row of 'em al
each side of the walk"
Patty flushed. She had always
been deferred to in her own small
home circle. And she fancied Johns
tone was rather defiant. She tossec
her head airily.
"Well, | siIan't have row o
them at each side Of the walkW sh,
declared, decisively-''or anywher,
else, tor the matter of that. Petun
las I'll have, and fuchsias, and gera
NUNS; but not any common flowers
such as coxcomb, or nasturtiums, OF
hollyhocks."
The final word expressed q vas
deal of disdain.
Slowly, but surely, John Bennett
wrath was rising.
This, he told himself, was the tim,
to assert his authority. So he said
with assumed carelessness:
"Oh, Just u few, dear! And
dropping into the coaxing tone
which had hitherto been invariably
effective, "home will be like hom,
then. 1t wouldn't be quite that
you know, without hollyhocks.
Now he saw how even her soft
eyes could kindle.
"I said no, JohnW
"And L say, yes!
After that they were not con.
scious of the waning sunshine, oI
OF tho brand-now house, or of the
brown prairie sod, which so lately
they had fancled blooming and
blossoming like the rose. Each saw
only the hurt, angry, miserable face
of the other.
"Well, them" said Patty, putting
up her hands to the strings Of hel
blue sunbonnet, and tying then
with quite a positive and nervou,
twitch, "there isn't any more t.
say"
He lifted his head with "a star
tied air.
"What do you mean?"