Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1893-05-26
ERICA'S LOVE-STORY,
BY AMY FOSTER.


elf you please, lady, do you want
a girl?'
"Do want a grl?"
Miss Bar bara Bickford looked down
first at the hands she had just drawn
out of the dough and then at her -four
bcsprinklcd bib-aprou in sort of
tragic despair Erica Bjornsen,
standing in the cool sh' dc of the green
vinc-lcaves, with the stray sunbeams
piercing her coronal of dead-gold hair
like jewclcd arrows, looking Innocent
iy up into the strange lady's face, and
wondered why sho knit her brows to-
geher with those three little wrinkles.
While the short blue-chcckcd dress
that she wore and the funny lit le hob
mailed shoes and the bundle slung moi
ungracefully over one shoulder, gave
her a strange foreign look that was
not unpleasant.
''Do | want girI?7 ironically re-
peated Miss Barbara. ''Thats the
third time I've been called away from
my bread within half an hour. First,
DO you want a sewing machine!
Second Do you want any tiuwaie!
Third and last, DO you want a girl!
| said no TO the ii ST tWu-Fn say no
to the third"
E,icA Bjoruscn look d puzzled.
"Won't you try me p said she. al
can wash hard, and am willing. Oh
do not fear that wilask high wages;
My board-and what you please to
give met
Miss Barbara shook her head.
sslm tired Of keeping girls" said
nc. sffsy cost moro IIisH fiisy s5''
TO. The best help know of is hell
yourself"
Aud with chuckle at her own wit
Miss Bubara Bickford turned ava,
aud shut the door.
She had hardly resumed her worl
at the bread tray, when an odd sound
like humping or drumming. SOUNDED
overhead, noise repeated with encrg,
and iteration.
"Bess mel" said Miss Barbara.
dts the COLONEL"
And she hurried upstairs to pret
ty, maroon-hung room, with a nortl
window in it, where u lame gentle.
man, in a quilted, blue-silk dressing.
gown, was limpiug about on crutch,
and an easel, with an untouched can.
vas, occupied the middle of the fl ,or.
"What is it, colonel?" said Miss
Barbara, looking rather scared.
"What did you send her away for?'
demanded the colonel, pulling at ell
brown mustache that over hung hi.
lips like penthouse.
"Send whom away?"
"Nly mo le."
lie jerked one elbow in the direction
of the open window, whore blue
figure ploddcd wcarily on under The
bending willows that fringed the quiel
country road.
The very face and figure | want
for Little Nell in the Church Porch, .
said the colonel, breathlessly. "Hail
like corn silk and head set on the
shoulders like Diana's selfl The one
Eve been waiting for these ten year.!'
"Shall l call her back?' said Miss
Barbara, in tropidation.
"Of course" said the colonel,
brusqucly.
So that, in the course of another Is
minutes, Erica Bjornsen was sitting in
the cool kitchen, where hop vincs
curled around the easements and a
great gray cat purred on tho hearth
stone.
Don't be frightened, my DEAR
said Miss Barbara. .sHe speaks
grufily; but he's the best hearted per-
son alive-is the colonel. Go right
up"
And, guided by the chatiering old
lady, Erica Biornson entered the pres
ence of the lame gentleman IN the red
mustaches and Lluc-silk wrapper. lie
looked keenly at her.
"Just turn around a little" said
he. 'NOw stand still. Therel Don't
lay down the bundle. You'll do"
"Shall l take her down stairs
again?" questioned Miss Bickford.
"Yes."
CHOW, Erica, if that's your name,
said Miss Bickford, when they were
safe in the kitchen, 'just look here.
The colonel wants to paint YOU"
10 paint mo?n repeated Erica.
with startled look.
"On canvas. 10 make a study of
you" said Miss Bickford. "Do you
understands
eyes, ma'am," said Erica, moi
understanding at all.
"And the colonel must be humored v
went on Miss Bickford. 1--WE alwuys