Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1892-10-07
THE CITY BOARDER.

"She's going to take little exercise"
said Mrs. Hinkley to her husband as he
came up hot and red for drink of wa
ter from the well, and looking down the
road he saw smart, strange figure
strolling along by the wayside.
ooh, she is, is she?" responded the
farmer dryly. He loosened the windlass
and dropped the bucket down into the
cool depths as he answered.
And she's rugged out to kill in
sprigged muslin, jest covered with lace
rufiin," went on his wife, with an ag-
gravated envy which only woman can
feel, land ribbOns-my! no end of EN-
and a big leghorn hat loaded down
with flowers, and a white parsol. If
she wears them things common, what
can she have for meetin, Jabez:"
Whatever wise opinion Jabez may
have entertained it was lost to the world,
being uttered inarticulately from the
bottom of large tin dipper.
white shoes and stockins, too, and a
pink silk petticoat. My land! what are
folks comm to? l read piece in the
paper the other day sayin they was fash'n-
able, but never s'posed twas anything
but newspaper talk. Her father must
be pretty well off She thought mobile
she'd walk up the hill to see the view
She says she's dreadful fond of nature"
"Humph:" Farmer Hinkley mopped
his fevered brow. "Waal, it's lucky she's
fond of it, for that's about all there is
goin on round here. She wants to learn
to milk" His great sunburned face
shone with amusement, and he winked
one blue eye under the shaggy brow that
half hid it. Il guess I'll learn her with
Spotty."
cain Spotty the one that kicks so?"
Her husband nodded.
"Waal, you shan't do no such thing.
Jabez Hnkley. Amt you ashamed of
yourself? She's real pretty spoken, and
| shan't have no tricks played on her
while she stays here. My! l guess if
here amt nothing wuss about folks
than their bein dressy they'll have to
ill up the aisles in heaven with camp
chairs to get 'em all in"
"Waal, I'm goin back. | guess we
shall git that hay in this mornin. |
want to hurry 'em up so as to take hold
of the 10-acre lot tomorrow. You be
sure and ring the dinner bell good and
loud SOS shall hear it,
"YOu come III right off when ring an
clean mp little. You amt goin' to set
down to the table in your shirt sleeves.
now we've got boarders."
If Jabez Hinkley had been born in
Paris he would have shrugged his Shout
ders as he walked off. But us the only
world he had ever looked upon was up
among the New Hampshire hills, the
only expression he gave to his feelings
upon the subject of dressing for dinner
was to jam his dilapidated straw hat
down firmly on his head and hitch up his
trousers before he made his way out
again into the broiling sunshine of tine
July day.
! Mrs. Hinkley forgot all about her pies
in the oven. A deeper feminine note
than her housekeeping pride had been
touched. and she stood under the big
elm by the well gazing off persistently
upon the stretch of yellow road that
wound past the farm gate and up Buz-
yards hill. A turning had hid the sol
itary walker momentarily from sight,
but presently tie figure appeared again,
relieved jauntily against the sky, with
the white parasol like nimbus around
its head. There was Il coquettish, world
ly air about its slender height, suggest
ing forcibly the Newport Casino, or the
beach at Narragansett Pier or the fish
pond at Rodick's, and a graceful ease in
its languid gait which could only have
been acquired on city pavements. But
these were lost on the observer, whose
eyes rested hungrily upon the crisp
white gown invested with the indescrib.
able something of style and distinction
recognized and offered homage by every
woman W hatever her degree.
/ Poor Mrs. Hinkley had never owned
well fitting dress in her life. She had
never seen one of Doucet's masterpieces
before.
Il guess" she said to herself in astutt
reflection, 81 guess she has her things
made out"
All, didn't she have her things made
} Oul IhiSS NldTN STluutll IOOT pdDt
could have answered for that as he filet
away the bills for her summer wardrobe
An array of marvellous confections in
tended to do execution at half dozer
watering places. Why, after all thes,
expensive preparations made with glee
full anticipations, his charming daughter
should have elected suddenly to spen(
the summer with Aunt Matilda. on
New Hampshire farm, was mystery
that this wise parent did not tempt t,
solve.
He simply set it down at once as on,
OF those things never to be revealed, lik,
the whereabouts of the north pole anc
the real author of Shakespeare's plays
asked no questions, raised no objections
checked the trunks and saw the tw,
ladies safely into the train. Aunt Ma
tilda, with kodak, a library of French
fiction and small botanical press, anc
her niece, wearing a curious, half de
faint expression, not at all unbecoming
In fact, it gave her a new attraction il
the eyes of a young man who watched
the parting from the distance smiling t,
himself, as il secretly amused, and tax