Wichita eagle., 1890-02-09
derneath with a lovely but annoying Ia

derneath with a lovely but annoying Ia
ciEty.
''Any on 'em ask ye to marry 'em?"
"No, sir"
Oh, Sally! Sally! was that the letter or
the spirit of truth? Perhaps, after all, it
was both, for she felt the sudden scarlet
burn all her face, from the very folds of
shining hair down to and through the
white throat below.
Happily the squire's critical eye sur
veyed at that moment piece of newly
plowed land, though he went on with his
conversation:
'Left your words behind, hain't We?
Jerush alters was master hand to talk,
4 / expect you've larnt how to keep
still, n that's just principles for women
folks. never see burrows run ike them
on that hill lot-they're all cuterin'.
Oughter be ashamed ont. Well, little
cretur, be ye glad to get home"
love look and smile.
''No desp'rit harm done, / guess"
"How's mother, father, and the chick
enS"
Mothers real well, n spry as ever.
She's follered up them old hens till they
da' 'sn't call their souls their own another
nninnit, n went to settin' like sixty, Jest
to git rid on her. There's more'n six
broods. Git up, old hoss! we must be a
joggin'." And in half an hour more they
were at home.
''Well, here We be, Sally! I'd kind O
gin We up--thought you didn't mean to
come at all, maybe"
''Why, mother! I'm sure you said !
might stay till this week.
''Well, If l did, didn't lot on your
stayin' till Wednesday. Come, child,
take off your things and stir round; it's
most tea time;" and with a cold kiss,
that agreed well with her welcome, Mrs.
Tyler returned to her rag piecing as if
life and breath depended on it, though
her heart really glowed within her at the
sight of her child's fair young face; but
she had held the mother love in fetters
SO long that it was too cramped to assert
its strength even ON an occasion of spe-
cial demand like this.
Sally went up stairs with wistful
quiver on her lips. What a pleasant
time she had had at Westboro'! how kind
everybody was! how glad to see her!
And then, there was that letter-a bright
spot of sunshine in the chilly dullness of
home On when would it come? The
weapons Mrs. Tyler had so long been
forming against herself were today set
in Sally's unconscious grasp, and she
used them. 1t is the young souls instinct
to hunger after love, and bitterly are
those to blame-mOre bitter is their pun
ishment-who starve it at home and
drive it out to wander after food.
II the postmaster at Wingfeld had not
been a deaf and gruif Old man, who had
no curiosity left in his wilted soul. he
could not have failed to wonder at Sally's
persistent haunting of the store" where
his pigeon holes were fixed; and Sally's
ingenuity was taxed for week to find
daily pretext5 for her stroll toward the
few clustered houses that were the nu-
cleus of the village; but at last she was
rewarded. If Joe had been delayed by
a sudden journey on business at the ex-
was at least worth waiting for: it was
short. strong and esrncst--a true mans
letter! and lot she less precious to Sally
that she felt d sor; OF pride in it. But if
her Joy had come, SO came the trouble,
hand in hand. AS she walked along the
craap moth bnr-nwy.r1 tb. Ettlo vuhito
sun bonnet shading her face. utterly alb
sorbed in reading and rereading the
blessed epistle. not having the prudence
0r worldly wisdom to hide it in Ter
pocket and read it at some other and
more fit time. she felt hand laid on
her shoulder. and there was her father.
Goodness! how she colored!
What ye got there, SO all fired inter-
estin', Sally? Jerushy ben a-writin' On
We some more?'
''No. father
What be you a-eolorin' up for SO,
jest ike our old turkey? 'Tain't none
o them Westboro' chaps ben a-sendin'
ye love letters. be it?''
The squire spoke in jest, but his word
was true.
"Oh, fatherl"
The Lord above! Eff haint hit the
nail smack on the head this time! Come,
Sally, let your old father see it. l don't
allow no feliers to go a-writin' to my
girl 'thout | knew somethin' who they
be, jest.
There was no place for Sally to escape;
disobey she dare not. Her hand shook
with apprehension as well as emotion
when she put the fair sheet in the
squire's hand. and her eyelids quivered
with half shed tears as she watched his
infiexible visage
Darn it all! he's got brass enough for
a meetin' house bell! Wants to marry
ye already. n hain't known We but about
three weeks: shows he's a fool on the
face ont. Now s'pose you think he's a
real smart chap. Why, Sally! a-cryin',
my little gal? Don't mean to tell mo
YOU like the critter so much? Well, well,
well, I'll see about it. But l swan to
mani there's your mother, n l don't
know no more than Pharaoh which road
she'll turn up. Whe-w" and he took
to whistling China" five degrees worse
than Dundee" Poor Sally's heart
sank.
q =
@$ 10