Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1891-08-14

me in mind that l sent by May this
morning TO get her couple o new
dresses. Seems to he we don't lay
enough store by the way she looks.
~Where'd May go?r Lew asked with
sinking of the heart
"She went with Dan1, I" looking over
his fields and mercifully turning his back.
Without word Lew turned his team
into the corn and began TO plow. His
father noticed that lac was unusually
gentle with the horses, and his conscience
troubled him not little as he walked
toward the house.
Eff hadn't a-tole him, he said, con-
templating the variegated sod with un-
noting eye, he would a-come in at
'leven, and when he found she want
he could get his dinner an a-plowed till
dark, an that's too much on the horses.
Lew came in at quarter past twelve,
ate his dinner in silence, and was for
starting back to the field.
~You mustn't take the horses out till
two, Lewie, his father said. You go
lie down and sleep under a shade tree
you'll feel lots better.
Il don't want to Sleep" Lew growled.
@Ef you don't the horses does, said
his father. "But eff you amt sleepy. let's
go out here under the trees. Ifeel kinder
restless an lonesome with Dan an May
gone, and know mother don't like to
have men folks around till she gifts her
work done. You an Danl is young and
free, an jest saw Jim Lucas pass, an /
couldn't help contrasting We. Jim was
young about 10 years back, an so was
Sallie, and they had ambitions. Jim was
purity good scholiard for this county,
an he wanted to be a congressman or
somethin'. Sallie was purity and sweet,
an most any man in his senses would
ha' loved her, an he did, an they married,
an now they have six children, and Jim
can't do nothin' but jes' dig for them.
He amt able to hire hand, an he rents,
and he don't get no richer every year,
even ef Sallie does contrive an save. 1t
looks purity hard, but Jim's got to dig an
save an scrimp until he's old, and maybe
longer.
II suppose he loves Sallie," Lew sug-
gested
oh, yes, kinder sorter; but his life
amt what he bargained for. Married life
lacks good deal of bein' picnic when
people looks high and is poor. This ever.
lasting grind for somethin' to eats awful
hard on feller with ambitions. Your
NAV an me want you to be doctor, az
/ was a thinkin'--n
Paw, don't know enough. Lew sat
up and looked resolute. @You know !
never was fond Of books, an don't like
nothing but turning up dirt an handling
stock. I'll never make a doctor nor a
congressman, nor nothing buta plain far
mer and i want to marry May an go
to housekeeping as soon as I'm of age.
which will be in 10 months and II days.
wait till you're 81, and then, eff you
want to marry her, why, all right; but
| I'll tell you now that the day1l come
when you will wish you hadn't. Mays
as good girl as ever lived, but I'm
afraid you'll be overrun by her kim
They're great folks to come an stay ali
night an bring the whole family"
That afternoon he confided his doubts
and misgivings to his wife, and received
some very sharp advice about the advisa-
bility of attending to his own business.
'Well, my heart jes' bleeds for other
peoples boys, Mr.. Forester asseverated,
"an' when it comes to my own, it pears
like would do anything to keep 'em from
a running their heads in nooses that'D
keep 'em down the rest of their days. y
you'll see, paw, Mrs. Forester replied
with the confidence of an observing
| ,,.sr1 o1 r
good many matches bein' broke off.
and very few of 'em ever come to any
good.
"Stuffl" scornfully replied Uncle Job
"You know the girls in this country are
engaged lots of times fore they marry
Why, | know young feller that'd jes
set down an write to a girl an asst her I,
marry him, an he didn't have the leas
intentions that way. Don't you thinl
that engagement ought to be broken off!
I'm not talkin' about that kind-Fn.
a talking about where they love an wan.
TO marry"
swell, we won't quarrel" And they
didn't.
During the rest of the term Dan paid
May the most marked attention. Scarce
ly day passed that he did not take hei
driving or horseback riding, and she sat
horse with the utmost grace. May
frightened and looked her prettiest dur
ing these happy days, while Lew at first
sulked and then became genuinely indif-
ferent. He kept to his work in all wealth
ers, and it began to be noticed that his
part of the crop looked much better tina,
Dams, although Lew had helped hi.l
more than once.
II will plow this afternoon, he would
say, and you may help mother and
May with ther yard. Or. "Tll go after
the cattle and you and May can drive
down to Springhill and get the mail.
At first this indifference was assumed
to hide his wounded pride, but it soon
came to pass that he found himself hap
pier and nearer real contentment than
ever before.
Not so with Uncle Job. At first he
rubbed his hands complaccntly, and
smiled to think how easy it was to man.
age boys so well brought up as his were.
But Dan was continuing his attentions
too long, and they were too marked and
too ardent. He resolved TO speak to him.
Look here, DAM he began one day.
when they were building the new rail
fence around the pasture. @Don't you
think you are carrying mis- thing too farf
May might fan in love with you.