St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1893-04-08


IL touches rs, like sleep
Samuel X. C0wan. In Golden Days.
A KITCHEN ROMANCE.
How Phil Made Della Say sYes'
to an Important Question.
Della was sitting in her rocking-chail
In corner Of the kitchen, reading
aloud to tho other two girls. Maggie
was mcnding n stocking, and Bridge,
was making o dress out of . piece Of
calico which Mrs. Randol had givcr
her. Della had found Sir Charlie,
Grandson in the course Of her clearing
up. and 1t amazed the two older girl.
to hear her excited intonations and
marvellous pronunciation, rs it would
have amazed Mr.. Richardson himself
Della was . nice-looking girl, and she
was intelligent; her choice of books
being, rs we have seen. faultless. The
other girls were older and stouter. but
they had not outgrown their taste for
romance. and they listened bravely "a
what they could understand.
A dark shadow appeared II the win.
dow. Della stopped reading long
enough tosay: ''It's only Phil Crowley;
never mind him." and then continued.
Mr.. Crowley saw that he was discov.
cred, and entering the kitchen. took q
chair with = nod of recognition to his
three hostesses, while Della went on.
'.And that will do for tonight" she
said, 1t last putting the book down
with the consciousness that her audi
tors would like to hear more, but stop
ping because M well. because she
pleased Della was an autocrat
You might have expected the visitor
TO begin . conversation, but no. Phil
Crowley looked 1t Della in an admiring
way. but never opened his mouth. Mag
gle soon went OF to bed; but Della per-
suaded Bridget to stay, '.just to be
kind o respectable, she said; mot that
Phil an me amt all right alone"
So Bridget sat 1t her work, growing
sleeper and sleeper. and there was =
pause for awhile. Finally Phil spoke
in an earnest whisper. leaning forward
and looking hard at Della:
Il come up tonight, Della. cause
we'll, cause I couldn't help it; an
might rs we'll tell We all about it. Sure
can't sleep o nights for thinkin' Of ye,
an think more of ye than all the
world, an'-an'-d'ye think ye can ever
care bit for me. Delia?"
Della looked quickly round 1t Bridget,
who was doing over her work, and
then said: Jaw, Phil. man, what's got
into yc? don't want to marry anyone,
IN I'm sure ft's not You that I'd take,
Il I vAItl1ehnose. Sure We must =
that. D6kt Wy romanticizin'. for ye
don't undes1siBd it. You're of? Well,
good night tQ yew
Phil was already It the door. Good
night. Della" said he. Il wish We .
pleasanter night an better sleep
than I'll have, bad luck to me" Then
he turned and went away. Della sat
down again and thought awhile. then
she rose. Come on, Bridget it's bed
time" said she; and the two went up
stairs together.
The next evening Della and Phil
were to have gone to dance given by
the Westminster Boat club As night
came on. Della wondered whether her
escort would make his appearance. In
the six o'clock mail she received the
following letter:
"llus MCGoxIGLE: ycan't take you u the
BAN tonite. - 1 have sumthin else on Hand.
i. l~A q Il. enS~
nAyby you don't care. r. CROWLEY"
Della studied over this . good while.
II took her = long time to master the
spelling, for, though her own was &c
it was very different from
Phil's. The meaning, too. puzzled her.
One thing was certain; It was not po-
lite. Miss McGoniRle, indeed! Some
thing else ON hand! Well, Mr.. Phil
should see that she could get on with
out him.
She knew . girl in the next house,
who was going to the ball. and some
hours after receiving Pills letter she
called ON this friend ard they went to-
gether. They were = little late, so
that the ball was already begun; and
nh, shsmeful-there was Phil dancing
round in the happiest way with little
girl with red hair. He did not take
my notice Of Della when she came in
10 the hall. and she pretended not to
look 1t him. Della was . favorite, and
plenty Of young men danced with her;
but Phil Was not one of them As to
The little girl with red hair. he danced
With her . great many times. Every
,ne sang her praises, except Della,
Who was unable to see anything It
'ractive about her.
After the dancing had gone on for
Deveral hours. Phil stepped up and
lsked for . dance. He was . good
lancer, but Della said she had head.
lche, and then danced with the next
nan who asked her. She was vexed
hat Phil had not asked her before and
he wanted to punish him. But Phil
would not b punished. He danced
md laughed in = very lively way. es-
,ecially with his little red haired
riend, Miss Sullivan. of Dublin. who
vas certainly the belle Of the evening.
Della went home early with the girl
vho had come with her. She was ex-
lausted and cross, and . man chased |
hem part Of the way. She went to
ed excited and tired, and one may
without being certain. that |
aiss Sullivan, Of Dublin. played . con-
iderable part In her dreams
Three days went BY in which Della
aw no more Of Phil. On the morning |
4 the fourth she awolre with . head |
che; but rose early and went TO ]