The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1892-11-12
THE CITY BOARDER.

came up hot and ret for drink of wa
ter from the well. and looking down the
road he saw smart, strange figure
strolling along by the weyside.
"Oh, she is, is shc:' responded the
farmer dryly. He loosened the windlaas
and dropped the bucket down into the
cool depths as he answered.
"And she's rugged ont to kill in a
sprigged muslin, jest covered with lace
ruffiin," went on his wife, with an ag-
gravated envy which only woman can
feel, "and ribbons-myl no end of EN-
and a big leghorn hat loaded down
with flowers, and white par'sol. 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 a large tin dipper.
"White shoes and stockin's, too, and a
pink silk petticoat. Ny land! what are
folks comm to? / read a 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 mebbe
she'd walk up the hill TO see the view.
She says she's dreadful fond Of nature
"Humph:' Farmer Hinltley 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."
"Ain't Spotty the one that kicks SOP
Her husband nodded.
"Waal, you shan't do no such thing,
Jabez Hinkley. Amt you ashamed of
yourself? She's real pretty spoken, and
shan't have no tricks played on her
while she stays here. NIyl l guess if
here amt nothing wuss about folks
than their bein dressy they'll have to
fill 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. l
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 in right of when ring an
clean up 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 shoul-
ders as he walked Off. But as 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 ms way out
again into the brOiling sunshine Of the
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 momentaIily from sight,
but presently the figure appeared again,
relieved jauntily against the sky, with
the white parasol like a nimbus around
its head. There was a 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
a well fitting dress in her life. She had
never seen one Of Doucet's masterpieces
before.
Il guess, she said to herself in astute
reflection, II guess she has her things
made out"
All, didn't she have her things made
out Miss Mary Grinnell's poor papa
could have answered for that as he filed
away the bills for her summer wardrobe
an array of marvellous confections in
| tended to do execution at a half dozen
watering places. Why, after all these
expensive preparations made with glee-
full anticipations, his charming daughter
should have elected suddenly to spend
| the summer with Aunt Matilda, on a
| New Hampshire farm, was mystery
that this wise parent did not tempt to
solve.
He simply set it down at once as one
of those things never to be revealed, like
| the whereabouts of the north pole and
the real author Of Shakespeares plays,
| asked no questions, raised no objections
checked the trunks and saw the two
ladies safely into the train. Aunt Ma.
tilda, with a kodak, Il library Of French
fiction and a small botanical press, and
her niece, wearing II curious, half de
fiant expression, not at all unbecoming
In fact, it gave her new attraction in
the eyes Of young man who watched
the parting from the distance smiling tc
himself, as if secretly amused, and tax.
ing his seat in another car as the train
rolled out Of the station, snorting and
putting mockingly.
The farmhouse was n blow to Miss
Mary's feelings. There had been a plain
| supper of baked beans, and smoked beef
and soggy bread, aud pie and cheese
with plenty Of milk, TO be sure, but milk
just warm from the COW. And then the
evening had settled down-the long
lonely summer evening. Aunt Matilda
sat by the student lamp inside absorbed
In one Of Gyp's novels and obliyious OF
mosquitoes, while Mary, strolling out
side, fingered on the piazza, while q
sickly moon peered at her between the
pine boughs, and through the air, sweet
with the scent Of houeysuckle, came
the shril squeak of the cricket and the
complaining of whippoorwill. II
was not silence, and yet stiller than
any silence could be. She cried herself
to sleep by and by.
But with the morning her elastic
young spirits revived. In a freak of mis-
chief she drew out from her boxes the
elaborate and very unsuitable toilet
which had stirred Mrs. Hinkley's sou
to its depths, and she appeared at tn,
breakfast table as a vision of lovelines
and freshness, at which the shy ole
farmer gazed entranced and at whicl
Aunt Matilda cried ont in severe disap
proval. She coaXed and smiled an,
wheedled until every one grew into
good humor, and as she started off 70
her walk even that grim spinster rela
tive bade her goodby with a relentinl
heartiness, realizing how effectively tn
i fin de steele figure would come into tn
p landscapes of the kodak.
Mary walked along with the pale dus