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

ing her orders to Bridget Della hap
pened TO be downstairs backing Mr.
RaDdOrs boots She came into the
kitchen just Is Mrs. Randol was speak
ing.
$50 think VIC must have a man tc
fix the furnace. It is too much for YOU
and Maggie. Do you know Of anyone
whom we could have, Bridget? O
Della, don't you know of anyone?"
Della reflected. There's q person
KNOW" she said, ''who's an honest,
Straightforward sort o. man. He's a
little stupid. but think he'd do it well,
ma'am. I'll tell him. if We say so. an
he'll be mp to-morrcr."
"But how do you know that he'll
come?'inquircd Mrs Randol. Il can
only afford to give him two dollars =
week."
''Oh, he'll come, ma'am." said Della
When her work was done she sat down
and wrote as follows:
DEAR PM:
"You was kinder impolite in your last but ]
thought Idc fargive you just once Mrs. Randi
| warnts Man to Fix the ferniss. dolls week
Do you warnt the job: You come up here txice
. day. CawdialIy yours,
DELLA,
Della always omitted her obnoxious
second name in her correspondence.
The next day she received . note
from Phil:
DEAR DELLA III youl excus the familyar
ityp.
My BUSINESS is now changed from Odd Jobs
to Groceries and provisions. .De3 Market ST.
wIraA Du~Uu N
No time for Fefnisses. Saw Miss Sullivan al
Dublin today. She sends love. Never felt 90
| well in me life. Your obt scrvt
| p. CROWLEY"
| The tears were in Delia's eyes when
she told Mrs Randol that the man
whom she had proposed ms q furnace
fixer would not come. She was Too
angry to recommend Pills groceries
and provisions.
As the twilight Of that day came on.
Della sat 1t the kitchen window. sew
ing. She was putting on hutton for
little Jack Randol, while he looked on.
This was just the time of day that
Phil Crowley used to drop in; but he
had not appeared since the night be-
fore the ball. Il don't care; l hope he
her eyes, which were not quite dry,
showed how little she did care. Bird
get came in, and Jack asked for piece
Of gingerbread.
''Oh, ! wish ye was married!' said
Bridget She did not mean that Jack
had arrived at suitable age for matri-
mony, but only that she wished him
somewhere else. Before long, she
yielded to his persuasive powers, and
he departed with his button securely
fastened on, and his gingerbread in his
hands.
Della looked up from her work, and
out Of the window. She could see down
narrow alley to where il joined .
larger one, and thus she could, as it
were, take an instantaneous photo
graph of every one who passed along
the main alley. She heard footsteps;
two figures passed. They were Phil
and Miss Sullivan, Of Dublin. His arm
was round her waist. Della did not
shrek, as actresses do. when their low
ers desert them. She only left the
kitchen and went up to her own room.
1t was more than . week before Phil
came to call again. Della had been
schooling herself to the proper GOODNESS
Of manner every evening that he did not
come. she felt disposed to melt How
ever. she nervcd herself to the epcoun.
ter, her little heart don't doubt,
humping uncomfortably as she en-
tered the kitchen.
Good evening. Della" said Phil.
GOOD evening"" said Della II hope
you've enjoyed The last week and .
halt" She stopped and bit her lip.
Neither spoke again till Bridget had
gone out to sec to the furnace. Then
Della took little package from her
pocket i've got some things for you,
Phil" she said. her sternncss of man.
ner having entirely disappeared 81
thought ye might want 'em back, now
yc don't como here no more" Her eyes
began to glisten. ''Thcre's those let.
tiers yc wrote from Narragansett last
summer when We was drivin' the hack,
and here's the BANGLE and the earrings
ye gave me last year" Here she trem.
bled for moment before her last ef.
fort. II thought Miss Sullivan, Of Dub.
lin, might like 'em, an poor girl like
mes not fit for 'em: an'-an'-an' I
hope you an Miss Sullivan-will be
happy-an'-an'-" here poor Della
broke down and began to cry.
Phil came up and took her hand.
''Why. Della, child, dye care for me o
little bit, thin? hadn't no idea Of it,"
He was going to put his arm round her,
but she withdrew.
mo! Yc mustn't" she said. looking
at him with cleaning eyes ',SAs
wouldn't like it,
"Delia." says Phil, '.just listen to
me-" Then he goes up and whispers
in her ear: Nellie Sullivan's my half
sister"
Poor Della is perfectly aghast ''Oh.
Phil, Phil" she says. IAN I've gone
an shown yc that ] don't quite hate ye
artcr ALL"
"Yes, me little girl" says Phil. IAN
shan't forget it now I knows it; but
yc can't think tho tin -thousandth part
o me that I do o. you" Then, with
the eloquence which characterixes his
race, he went on: IAN I pray the Al
mighty God an all the blessed saints
ye may niver suffer like did for the
next twenty-four hours after yc sent
me away"
'Twinty-four hours?' said Deiia.
"Why, twinty-four hours arter that
was the night o the party. Why
wasn't We unhappy thin? Sure, I was
cross enough to ye."
''Ah, ye sweet thing, don't We see
that that's how ! began to think We
might care just bit for me artcr alp"
says Phil AN now good-by, Della,