The Press., 1891-12-10

uke Q nash 0T Sunilghc
 'sWhere on earth are yon bound. Miss Ransom, if may aslky
 "To the poor farm, and incidentally in quest of the man who takes pictures to satisfy my young friend here, who de- sires above all things to be taken in her best clothes
 "Oh. Miss Ransom, If you would allow me to come to Scrabble Hilli''
 "Why not, said Agnes laughing, and easily regaining her ascendancy over the agitated young man. ..Havel not told you that the highways arc all freeS And now if you please you may mount into the wagon. If you areSnot ashamed to ride in market cart, for such 1t is.' Fellon sprang to the seat beside her. and as if he felt that a little audacity was necessary at this stage of the game (and to tell the truth. audacity was more native to him. than confusion of face), he seized the reins and boldly turned the vehicle at short corners on the narrow road, scraping the wheels terriically.
 "Why do you go to the poor farm, to that discouraging place? Let us drive of into illimitable space. have thou sands of things to say to you"
 Agnes meantime had turned around to Phemy, who sat on the back seat with her mouth wide open in utter be- wilderment, to explain that MT. Fallon was an old friend. and she went on to hint that the young man was sometimes afflicted with mild and harmless form of dementia, in which he went about the country with g photographic camera on his back.
 After that memorable drive Fallon got in the habit of strolling over to the Scrabble Hill farm with singular punctu- ality. His photographic art seemed speedily to fall into ruinous desuetude. except as 1t was practiced on Miss Ran som and Phemy, on the Burns family, the horses and cows and hens He took a lively interest in the incubator, and when the first chicks were matched was filed with enthusiasm for the process by which they found their way into the world. He admired the new henhouse, and advised Agnes to procure turkeys be- cause they took well in a sketch, and geese because possibly the bird that lays the golden egg might be found among them. He even undertook the education of Phemy, who advanced much faster in reading with him than under Miss Ran som,s instruction. He advised her how to get the best effects out of her tempest of reddish hair. so that 1t might be in troduced into a picture.
 Phemy was vaguely jealous of him and yet fascinated at the same time. He had taken five photographs of her with her ''joolry" on. and she pinned them to the wall of her bedroom in row, and now sat contemplating them on the edge of the bed with her thin arms clasped round her knees. She speculated in 8 hay way on the cause of MT. Fallon's anomalous appearance at Scrabble Hill and at last 1t dawned upon her that he was ''courtin.n She had heard of court in" before, but had never happened to witness the phenomenon. If the artist meant to take her young mistress away from her she would like to scratch his eyes out. "Dear me" she said to herself, eying her queer face in the bit of look ing glass, ''every girl, if she's good for something and ain't as humbly as a hedge fence. has 8 him of her own. wonder if Isshall ever have him of my own2" After studying her face some time in the glass she concluded 1t was very doubtful, and then she ran her tongue out and made a horrible gri1nace ! But if there was what Phemy called { ''courtin business" going on between the artist and Miss Ransom, 1t was con ducted on very peculiar lines. They quarreled and spatted good deal, so it seemed to Phemy, and couldn't agree on what they called art. with a big A, whatever that might mean. Then they made up their differences with merry laugh, and Miss Agnes sang an old bal lad as she sat and sewed, with the front door open and the sunshine and fresh air coming in ninbly, and bees and birds fitting about, and the hills showing their pleasant, faces, with the scent of clover and honey dew and the peace and restfulness of the country stretch ing to an infinite distance. Fallon had brought his banjo, and sometimes &C., companied Agnes while she sang, for he ! played with spirit. Then Burns and his wife would stand just round the corner of the house listening to the concert E ''Golly," said John, wiping his brow, ''ff that ain't most as good as camp meetin."
 Fallon. with his easy manners and geniality, had wormed himself into the regards of the Burns family. He some- times smoked pipe with the farmer. sitting on pile of logs behind the barn, and talked 50 learnedly of top dressing land and . rotation of crops that he made slow John open his eyes and wink with surprise. Mrs. Burns thought she had never seen such g pretty hammered man. He praised her form, and said he would like to paint her as Andromeda chained to the rocks, and, although she had hot the slightest idea who Androm- eda was, she felt dattered by the conn pliment, and declared Mir. Fallon to be a perfect gentleman. He seldom appeared at Scrabble Hill until after Miss Ran som's return from market. Then he read to her. lounging on the doorstep in his artistic velvet coat and negligee dress m9-a AsA