San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-03-08
MERLES CRUSADE.
BY ROSA NAUCHETTE CAREY.
Author Of "Bdrbdra Hedthcote's Trial"
"Qucente's Whtm," "Ihe Search

himself, aad his brother Martin bids fak
to be the same 1t is . wretched homo
for Luke, AID ever since he was q lad he
has taken kindly to our place. You see
father 10 hearty, and SO is Molly; they like
to offer the bit and sup to those as need it,
though it 10 only q bit Of bread and cheese,
or q drop Of porridge. Father hates a
near man, and he hates old Armstrong
like poison"
rs Luke your sister Molly's sweet
hearth" / hazarded, after this. Hannah
covered her face and began to laugh.
Please excuse me-" she said At last,
when her amusement had little subsid
ed, "but it does sound SO droll, Molly
having q sweetheart / am sure she
would never think of such thing. What
would father and the boys do without
herr"
Bless me, Hannshr' l returned, a little
impatiently, you have five other sisters,
you tell me; surely one of them could help
Molly, If she needed it; why, you might go
home yourselfV'
"Oh, but none of us understand the
COWS and the poultry and the bees like
Molly, unless it is Lydia, and she is dairy
maid up at the Red Farm. They do say
Martin Armstrong wants Lydia; but |
hope, in spite of his fathers guineas, she
will have nothing to say to Scroggin's
Mill or to Martin. You see, miss" went
on Hannah, waxing more confidential as
my interest became apparent, "Wheeler's
Farm is not big place, and lot of chill
dren soon crowded it out. Mother was a
fine manager and taught Molly all her
ways, but they could not make the attics
bigger, and there was not air enough to
be healthy for four girls, with slOping
roof and window not much bigger than
your two hands. And then the creeper
grew right to the chimneys; and though
folk, and especially the squire, Lyddy's
master, said how pretty it was, and called
Wheeler's Farm an ornament to the whole
parish, it choked up the air somehow; and
when Annie took low fever, Doctor
Price lectured mother dreadfully about it.
But father would not have the creeper
taken down, so mother said there were
too many of us ut home and some of us
girls ought TO go to service. Squire Haw-
try always wanted Lydia, and Mrs. Nor
rison, the wears wife, took Emma into
the nursery; and Dorcas, she went AZ maid
of all work to old Miss Powell; and Jen-
ME and Lizzie found places down Dorl-
cote way; but Mrs. Garnett, who knew
my father, coaxed him to let me come to
London"
And you are happy here" / hazarded;
but as looked up from the camOric frill
| was hemming, noticed the girls head
dropped little.
"Oh. yes, I am happy and comfortable
here miss" she returned, after mo-
ment's hesitation, "for am fond of chill
dren, and it is pleasant thought that
am saving father my keep, and putting
aside bit of money for rainy day; but
there's no denying that | miss the farm,
and Molly. and all the dunn creatures.
Jess, the brindled COW, would follow me
all down the field. and thrust her wet
mouth into my hand if l called her; and
as to Rover, Luke's dog" But here
interrupted her.
"Ah, to be sure. How about your old
playfellow, Luke? l suppose you miss
him, toot
Hannah colored but somehow managed
to evads my question; but after a week or
two her reserve thawed. and | soon learn
ed how matters stood between her and
Luke Armstrong.
They were not engaged-she would not
allow that for a moment. Why, what
would father and Molly say if she were to
promise herself to young fellow who
only earned enough for his own keep?
For Miller Armstrong was that close that
he only allowed his Youngest son enough
to buy his clothes, and took all his hard
work in exchange fer food and shelter;
while Martin could help himself to as
much money as he chose, only he was
pretty nearly ~ niserly as his father.
Molly was always Eeing on ut Luke to
leave ScroggiR's Mil and better himself
among strangers, and there WAS some talk
of his coming nearer London, emily he was
so lOath TO leave the place where he was
born. Well. If she must own it, Luke and
she had broken q siXpence between then,
and she had promised Luke that she
would not listen to any other young nan,
and she had kept her word, and she WAS
saving her money, because, If Luke ovor
made little homo for her, she would not
like to g to is empty handed. All the
girls were saving money. Lydia had quite
q tidy little SUM in the savings bank, and
that Is what made Martin want her for q
wife; for though Lydia had saving quail
ties, she was even palmer than Molly,
and no enc expected her to have sweet
heart.
am not ashamed to confess that Han
nah's artlsss talk interested me greatly.
True, she was emily q servant, but the sim
plicity aud reality of her narrative ap-
pealsd to my sympathy: the very hons.i-
ness Of her speech seemed to stamp it more
forcibly On my mind. ] seemed to picture
it all; the low-ceiled attic crowded with
girls; the honest farmer and his strapping