The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1892-02-10

Milbank and Marianne Mackaye were
playing in, as leading gentleman and lady,
up there among the Lake George hills.
"'And will l have 10 take her in a skill
every time l get into one? said the Old
man.
"'Or teach her how to row." said the
old woman "'or help her up all the steep
hills?'"
"'Or strip birch bark for her?' Where
are they now, mother"
"Gone over to Tea Island"
"Tea Island? There amt anything
there to see nor TO do. Just about an
acre OF rocks and bushes that nobody
don't notice since the hotel folks stopped
having high teas there in picnic style"
There amt much to see, I'll grant you,
but what there is OF it will be new to
Mamie, and there's always plenty OF
huckeberries over there. l just asked
the doctor and her plump out If they
wouldn't 90 over and pick bucketful Tor
tomOrrow's baking. I'm afraid the doc
tors sort Of weakening on pumpkin pie.
He don't eat like he used TO, Davie."
Mother, L hope you don't want to put
your finger in that sort OF OF pie.
What sort oil pie, Dsvie2" Mrs. Lock-
hart's tones were positively dulcet.
THAT sort" Jerking hairy thumb to-
MdIu al clItl AoACs " A4ANh Ahl JASe
on the other side OF the lake in full view.
"M'neuvering to get folks married is
risky business, mother; mighty risky"
Mrs. Lockhart seemed lost in reflection
for a moment. 81 never saw Mamie as
unreasonable and as fractions as she was
this afternoon. She wouldn't bulge till l
said to her, in a whisper, of course, she
acted like she was afraid somebody was
going to court her: then she picked up
that bucket and said, as cool as you
please, i believe will go with you, DR..
Mibank.' You see, he was tired OF coax
ing" go,
"Who don't like who?"
"Nannie mightn't like Milbank" Mr..
Lockhart repeated this heresy in the mild
est of voices.
mot like him. Davie Lockhart, do
you think the daughter of my own dear
mothers own dear sister could be such a
ninnie?"
Not a minnie exactly, but she might be
peculiar in her tastes. You know women
folks are queer sort of things."
None of that Davie; none of that"
Mr.. Lockhart was never permitted to pro-
eress very lar in his analysis OF feminine
"queerness." "You can stuff the birds of
the air and the beasts of the field; no
body can beat you at that, if do eay 1t,
who shouldn't; but when you come to
talking about women-folks, you're get
ting beyond your depth, Davie; you're
getting into deep water"
The old taxidermist accepted this Just
rebuke with a patient smile, leaned over
and helped himself to one of the apples
he had thrown into his wife's lap, and
began silently peeling it, letting the long,
red, curling skin unwind itself slowly.
"Shall l throw it over my head,
mother. and see if it makes an NJ? You
! know that used to BIZ the fashion in our
| days"
Mrs. Lockhart smiled into the rudy
| old face beneath her. Matrimony had
been entirely satisfactory to her and
| Davie. Suddenly she jumped up and
untying her apron-strings, laid the apron.
| beans and all, across the old mans knees.
Just finish 'em for me, will you,
Davie? They'll be coming home hungrieI
than wolves presently. ] think I'll beat
up few bat5er-cakes for supper"
And she disappeared within doors. leav.
! ing her husband confirmed in his opinion
! that women folks we're queer sort oil
things
'Tf they come back engaged" he said,
reflechvely, turning his keen old eyes to-
ward Tea Island they won't know
| whether they're eatin' sawdust or pound.
cake and If they come back-the other
way-what good'll batter-cakes do? That's
| the way L had en-
Mr.. Lockhart evidently included bis
own counting days with his measles and
mumps and other sharp attacks of things
But it was with no fatuons desire to
| furnish Mrs. LOckhart with huckleberries
for her Saturdays baking that DR.. Mil
bank had fallen so readily in with her sug-
| gestiOn about Tea Island.
He had found his landlady's cousin
rather inaccessible for the last week or ten
| days, and, as he had purposely stayed over
with view to asking her direct ques-
ton, be did not intend TO be thWarted oil
! his purpose or of an answer.
! Three weeks residence under the same
roof with this stately woman, who rarely
| ever smiled, who never talked nonsense
| who showed herself quick of perception
and ready of sympathy, had satisfied him
fully on one point. He should like very
much to make her his wife and put heI
at the head of an establishment in New
York City. 'She would grace the posi-
ton"
Before they got through with what he
openly pronounced "a babe-in-the-woods
! occupation" Marianne was aware of the
ordeal before her. She had conscientious.
| ly insisted upon the bucket being filled
with huckleberries before conversation
became possible. The exercise, or hel
nervous hurrying from spot to spot, had
brought a brilliant color into her smooth
white cheeks. John Milbank was sure he
had never seen so absolutely beautiful O
woman: and he wanted ell that beauty fol-
his very own.
The buckets were spilling over with
! berries, but Marianne was still fiittine
restlessly from bush to bush. He must
force her to stop. He did not intend pro
posing to her back, however graceful i
might look az he patiently trudged in hel
wake, with berry-encumbered hands. He
dropped the bucket on rock with sud
| den resolution.
Miss GraysonW
If she had been a naughty patient re
fusing to take a dose of his prescription he
could hardly have called her name more
authoritatively.
CDR. Milbank"
She turned naughty, flushed face TO
ward him. He put out both hands be
seemingly. Then the flush died out o
| Alarianne's face, leaving her as white anC
| rigid as the statue in her old studio home
"You must know want 10 talk to you
and yet you fit before me like some white
winged bird determined to elude pur
| suitn