Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1891-10-16

And the interloper-the tall, broad
sbouldered, bright-faced, agreeable in
terloper-had taken it for precisely that.
Ethel looked down, looked up, smiled
family, then looked demurely inscruta-
bic. Her girl friends had always de-
clared that she dared, if she chose, do
just anything.
81 guess 1 can get them for you," she
said.
"Oh!" He looked pleasantly sur
prised. "You're his daughterf'
Ethel nodded vaguely.
"Well, I'll be awfully obliged to you.
Roses and pinks, please, and valley
lilies-anything. As big and nice a
bunch as you can fix"
Assuredly her mischievous plot had its
drawbacks. To be taken for the
daughter of a country florist! to be or
dered about like any serving maid! She,
Ethel Hapgoodl Yet, why was it SO far
from being disagreeable9 Was it that
this man was SO oddly to her taste, with
his hardy young strength, his keen gaze,
his careless, rough country suit-so like
a flesh and blood embodiment of her late
wlstful imaginings9
Every WE'LL" she said, gently. sour
choicest flowers are beyond the palms
there"
She led the way. When great cactus
leaf threatened to brush her face he
pushed it aside, and then they smiled at
each other in friendly fashion.
I'm not long in these parts, he ven
tured. "We're here for the summer,
my mother and I. We've rented the
Flagg place. You know it2"
Oh, yes, Ethel knew the Flagg place.
She did not; but she was in the spirit of
it now, and enjoying it. She lelt equal
to any needed mendacity.
"Right up among the hills" she OBJ
served-every place i'll West Bedford
being right up among the hills.
eyes. Do you know anything about
the shooting?" asked the young man,
anxiously. ''Is there any?"
"Any amount" Ethel rejoined, with
enthusiasm.
"Whew, but Pm glad!" he said boy
ishly. "What's the country without
shooting, and fishing, and boating, and
all the rest? But then I'm an enthusiast,
a crank, to be candid. Pm addicted to
outdoor doings as no fellow ever was"
''It's a healthy TASTE" Ethel re-
marked.
He had not appeared, and it piqued
her little, to be IS greatly struck by her
charms as men invariably were; but her
readily sympathetic manner gained for
her another quick. genial smile.
He had taken off his soft cap ana was
absently crumpling it, which showed his
dark hair and the crinkle in it.
$50 it is" he agreed, land productive
of healthy conditions. 1 can outwalk
anybody but professionals, I reckon"
He laughed.
81 wish could, Ethel said, sincerely.
"It's all in getting used to it, you
know" he rejoined. GA little every
day. Can you rowe"
81 never learned"
She had wanted to but her mother had
opposed it.
"Oh, but you ought I contracted
that fever at college; but it has served
me we'll. had great time down on
the river here yesterday. 1 caught four
cells, four old shoes and mud turtle"
They laughed jovially.
''But I discovered-Iv VOW ia totally
new kind of water-weed."
"You and Thoreau should have trav-
eled together"
ooh, you've read him2 I have. Was
he not genius"
1t did not seem to strike him oddly.
the florists daughters having read
Thoreau; but ne looked at her with ad-
miring, frightened eyes.
There was a blue lacing in his flannel
shirt; his hands were large, strong,
tanned.
Ethel noticed everything with a strange
inward tremor. It was as though her
hero had fallen from the skies.
"Vour flowers?" she murmered.
''Pd forgotten them!" he vowed,
laughing. They're for a young lady, so
suit your own taste, and she'll be suited,
probably"
ooh" Ethel said, family.
eyes; young lady I've never seen,
either. But her brother was classmate
of mine at college. He's away, but I've
found since I've been here that his fam
ily is summering here. So thought I'd
send his sister some flowers to-day and
call tomorrow"
ooh, yesl" Ethel assented.
She was arranging flowers briskly now.
Of course! Flowers for his classmates
sister. Who was she2 She might be
one of a hundred stylish girls. West
Bedford was full of them.
Ethel frowned.