Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1892-10-21

that one ignored the suub nose and
the ireckles in looking at them. How
she managed to reach the top Of tbs
tight board fence Silas did !. not know
but this he did know, that nothing,
not excepting barbed wire, was capable
of keeping her from going where impulse
led her.
What Su5y saw, as she peered be-
tween the upturned faces of tall sun
flowers, was a boy OF about her own age
in a broad brimmed farmers hat, pulled
over his forehead and shading the
"poppy" eyes beneath. "Just like my
old wax dolls eyes, Susy thought as
she took critical survey of her next
door neighbor. "Light blue and as
shiny as glass. His checks would be
prettier, though, if they were wax, for
they are almost too pale, and his hair is
straight and straw -colored, not at all
like Hettie's curls." Here she passed
into . meditation upon the beauties and
virtues of the dear departed, which was
finally interrupted by herself.
"How beautifully your pumpkin IS
a-growin', Sill" she said. "How big is
it now?"
Silas slowly raised himself from where
he was kneeling to pluck the weeds from
around fine pumpkin vine, and hav-
ing deliberately recovered his equilib-
rum upon mis- two feet, he spoke with
the same deliberation.
oval, fact is, hevn't took the mea-
sure since this mornin', and it's bout
time now" Then he proceeded with
his long fOrefnger to make a circuit Of
Of the pumpkin at its largest clrcumfer-
euce, the finger advancing with the
movement of measuring worm. The
report, given to a very small fraction of
su inch, did not appear to please his
young friend, eagerly awaiting the result
of this primitive system of finding di
mensions.
"Mine amt but one-eighth of an inch
smaller, anyway" she said, mournfully,
with the tone, however, of one who
says: "Let US make the best of what
can't be helped"
"Well," she added, with a brighten
ing face, a moment later, "there's one
more night for it to grow in"
The tall sunaowers nodded "good
by" as Susy disappeared. Down the
rarden path, lined with rows of mari
rolds aud dahlias, she went; past the
wire gate, covered with morning glory
vines, through less picturesque potato
patches and cabbage fields, now under
the wide apple trees, laden with early
fall fruit. On she went till she reached
tie barn-a quaint old building, with
low doors, and a delightful loft, with
treat piles of hay on which to slide and
iump, and half a dozen rolj poly kit
leng, black, white and spOttel, all
ready for a rainy days frolic. susy
rever resorted to this place In fine
weather, except under conditions like
The present; that is, when she had
wei0hty matter to balance in her mind.
she ascended to her retreat after the
manner Of a squirrel, climbing the old
cherry tree, and entering by mears o.
an accommodating branch which grew
near the window. Back, back, she sank,
deeper and deeper into the hay, till only
the protrudlng toes of two stout little
boots could be seen by Spotty and Snow
ball from their nest at the other end Of /
the room. But they knew whose busy
feet had worn holes, and across the
room they scampered pell NELL to peer at
their friend, who was so much one with
hem in all their plays that they regarded |
her as, if not a cat, at least belonging to