Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1891-03-19
A RASPBERRY ROMANCE.

season--his prime favorlte among fruits
peeping out through the bars Of the little
wicker baskets, with green leaf covering
each.
He bought basket. As he waited for
the yender to make change, the rich, deli
cate aroma Of the fruit carried him back 10
barefooted boyhood. back TO the old
'rookery," beyond the burnt land,
where he and Kitty had scratched their
arms and torn their clothes, while they
had gathered their tin pals full of the rich
fruit, tumbling sometimes off fallen trees
into the brambles and broken underwood,
spilliag berries and patiently filling up
again, walking hand in hand over the long
stretches Of pasture on their way home.
with stained, sunburned faces, untroubled,
so that they had each other for company.
The recollection came fresh and sweet
into his world.weary spirit, so absorbing
his thought that he took his change,
walked 10 the door Of bis lodging house
with the basket in his hand. let himself
in, and was lighting the gas in his room in
mechanical way before he realized that
he was the sober. rather cynical man of
the world, and that the raspberry iookery
experience was more than thirty years be-
hind him.
i've got the start Of Mrs Buxton, but
she'll have them on the table tomorrow, >
he thought when be spread his pocket
handkerchief upon his knee and
placed the little basket upon il, picnic
fashion As be ate the berries, the sweet
memory OF those careless days and Kitty.
was O little saddened by contrast. Then.
all things were possible; now possibilities
had shrunken, and, worse still, distrust
md worldliness had gathered about bis
heart.
Under the last layer of berries he found
Q scrap Of folded paper, red stained
with juice. He unfolded It with some
curiosity.
1t was note in a neat school girl hand
"We-mother and l--want a nice
boarder this summer, and am going to
advertise in q new way. We have a nice
large chamber, over a lovely garden, and
berries and cream and vegetables, aud a
river and grove. Anyone who gets this
can come TO Mrs Horners, P, n. J.
susie"
Basil sat smiling over the peculiar
method Of advertising. "A school girls
freak" be thought II wonder what
she's likeY Wonder if the nice chamber
and cream and the rest aren't myths. and
the river a muddy little brook
He dried the stained little misslve and
put 1t Ia his pocEetbook. He closed his
eyes and filled in that outline Of summer
sweetness and beauty, then awoke from
bis dream to find 1t was midnight
"Pshawl How gullible am~ be
thought. I'm 90 TO bed and forget It.
I1,.f ha Il Inff In 1tfa Ron fll
through shadowy Astral land he came upon
delightful scene, white cottage half
hidden 10 trees, crowning a fair green up
land, q broad, meandeiing river, aud a
gay flower garden In connection with il
he caught glimpse OF the old 'rookery
for moment, then that was blotied out,
and he was In dim shadowy room with q
picture Of George Washington over the
mantel-piece showing strangely distinct,
while girl, with face like Kitty's, fitted
across his vision tantalizingly. Then out
Of spaces Of rich purple dimness he heard
voice, clear and distinct, as In actual life,
singing:
"Cusha, Cusha. Cusha. calling
For the dew viii soon be falling
Leave your meadow grasses, mellow, mellow
Come up Whitefoot, come up Lightfoot.
Jetty to the milking she'd"
And with those clear, strong notes. SC
unlike the much tortured "Mikado" airs
sounding in his ears, from the borderland
he awoke
The words haunted him. "Cusha, Cusha
Cusha, calling" was still in his ears whel
week later he got off at the =. station
and inquired the way to Mrs. Horner's.
THE widow Horner'sg Yes Nearly Z
mile up the road. through the woods
White house on hill"
The station master watched the stranger
out Of sight Looks like he might be 8
boarder, he commented inwardly. "WOn
der If the widows been sdyertisin'. she
never said nothn' about it.
Meanwhile, Ba il had reached the house
and had been admitted by mild-face1
little woman of middle age, who proved
to be the widow Horner. She was boil
surprised and pleased, when she learned
that he wished 10 secure board for a few
weeks She conducted him to a pleasan
square chamber. A great elm threw q
grateful shadow over one window, while
sure enough The other commanded view
of garden.
Il did want to let the room" she ad
mitted confdentially, when he had ex
pressed himself well pleased and had givel
her the advance money for a month. y
was thinking Of advertising, but kept put
ting It of. 1"
Ssusie did that for you, thought Basi
with the question, "Wherc is Susief ol
the end Of his tongue.
Mrs. Horner seemed about 10 make SOM
comment when he gave her his name, bu
checked herself, and hoping that she woul'
be able 20 suit him in everything, wen
down stairs
Everything clean as a whistle, a mat
tress instead Of feathers. and George Wash
ington over the mantel- piece, by thunder
Just as l saw him in my dream. wa
Bqsils running comment
With mucli curiosity TO see Susie, h,
went down TO dinner. Mrs. Homer sat a
The head Of the table. As be took the sea
she indicated. a tall, slim young woman
the tallest and slimmcst he had ever seen
walked in and took her seat at the foot O
the table She wore glasses. also a corn
colored Mother Hubbard, barred and eros
barred with black, and Basil. who had
fund Of dry humor IN him, got the impres
sion Of q Gagged Grain peering al him
through the lars Of its prison.
He felt a sensation Of relief when th
widow said, "Ny niece. Mrs. Buxton
was not Susie then. lie felt he coull
scarcely have borne the disappointment
No Susie at the supper table. no refer
ercnce made 20 her; yet be bad strang'
faith in The presence and sweetsiuciul
voice Of his dream; be. the skeptic ans
eynie.
He rose early the next morning. ans
looking down upon the garden. he saw
Young girl in pink cambric. with baske
on her arm, cutting flowers with pair o
scissors
'susiel By Jover he said 20 himself, q
he proceeded 70 bestow cxfraordinar..
pains upon his toilet. wondering as D
scanned bis face in the mirrur. II be Wout
look aNfully old 10 her giTlish eyes.
He went down 20 breakfast % ind O.
49, y - -ett~-- - p
hole bouQuei ct his plate and eusies Fac
beamine opposite
When Mrs. Homer said. Tbs is n
susie The gifl answered bis s.iuiaiio
with a half conscious glance n clear mi'
chievous eyes. 70 which that stained not
in his vest pocket was the key.
4 do wonder IL BE- got Il. or Z ht oni
happened to come, susie was ihnAins
4 wouldn't have mother know.
Basil, on bis part. was transported 70 q
Old s.rockery and kiitv. foI sure enong
the face Of Susie nigbi have bern thar