The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1893-09-23
DAISY
"'Such a daisy, such a darling,

II S~SA SAASS ~ ~
Whew! what have I started nowT
The rich, barytone voice, trolling the
words out with an accent Of rollicking
good humor, underwent an abrupt
change to a prolonged whistle Of min
gled establishment and perplexity, fol-
lowed by the exclamation above quot
ed, as there was q sudden rustic among
| some dry stubble in a field just on the
other side of the road, and a little,
brown-clad figure, seeming scarcely
more than a child, sprung down from
the top of q low stone wall upon
which it had been perched, and darted
off like a swallow, but not before a
lovely little face, crimson with excite
ment and wrath, had flashed for a mo-
ment before his gaze.
II certainly have flushed an unex-
pected quarry this time" said Allan
North, after standing still for a mo-
ment in sheer amaZement. And
what a lovely little CT eature! But my!
what a runner! TO be sure that stone
wall helped to hide her from me, II
conceal her route-but I may catch a
glimpse of her yet"
A few long strides brought him to
the wall, and, raising himself by put
ting one foot in a convenient chlnk
between two stones, he looked over in
to the field of dry stubble which it
bounded on that side. But nothing was
to be seen there now save the withered
heritage that covered the place.
The few seconds wasted in surprise
at the unexpected interruption to his
song and his thoughts, together with
the brief interval required to cross tho
| road and gain the fence, had su1ticed
for the feet-footed little creature, who,
! with flaming cheeks and flashing eyes,
had sped with the lightness Of a deer
owe the field, leaped the wall at the
farther end, and was at that moment
shut up in her room in a small but
comfortable house just across the road
from the field, her slight figure all
| aquiver with resentment and wounded
dignity.
"How dared he-how dared hep she
exclaimed, at last recovering her
by a stamp of her little foot. "How
that way-for it is my name, whether
he knows it or not-and he a perfect
stranger? How dared he take any no.
LlCC VI llC al ILL, IN *SoS NJ "tS
know he saw me by that impertinent
top of that wall, too-just like q hoy
den! no wonder he thought / was a
| person with no claim to any respect
or courtesy. But I will show him, if
I ever have the bad fortune to meet
him again, that 1 am. That if I am
only a country girl, and he a fine city
Fo11nrxy q 20 hic H1nfhQS yuO11I1 SOON f0
indicate, he shall treat me with as
much respect and Difference as he
would any city lady, and take no such
liberties with my name and appeaV
ance. He carried q gun on his shout
der, and I should not wonder if he was
one Of the party who are coming out
here for a fortnight's hunt on Walnut
Mountain. And, oh, mercy!"-as a sud-
den thought crossed her mind-"sup-
pose he should be the n who is COM
ing here? I should die of mortitica-
ton if I were obliged to meet him ev-
cry day-no I wouldn't either! will
let him see that none of the city Ia
dies that he has to put on all his best
manners to can be any more naughty
or distant than I shall be. He shall
find he cannot trife with a country
girl, if she does climb fences occa-
sionally. And-yes! it is, it is-he is
coming to this very house,"
She had drawn nearer to the window
as he spoke, and at the last words she
darted back just in time to prevent
the upraised glance of Allan North
from recognizing the beWitching little
face. Screening herself with a fold
of the dainty muslin curtain, she stood
there breathless as he opened the gate
and walked leisurely up the garden
path, and in q moment more his firm,
determined summons sounded at the
knocker, each beat seeming to find an
echo in her own heart.
AS she still stood irresolute, feeling
for the moment almost like O. fugitive
who had striven unsuccessfully to
elude pursuit, her mothers voice
sounded at the foot Of the stairs:
"Daisy, Daisy! will you come down
for a moment?'
There was no help for it but to COM
DIV. and with an effort to control her
agitation, which only sent a richer
glow to her cheek, Daisy slowly de-
cended the stairs, and found her
mother still awaiting her.
II want you to show this gentleman
to his room, Daisy, and see that ev-
erything is all right" she explained,
drawing her toward the door of the
parlor, which stood ajar. He has
come to stay for q couple of weeks
hunting, you know. My daughter
| Daisy. Mr.. North" she continued,
having by this time got fairly into the
| room, a supplemented, u~npretentlous
| woman, with zone Of the indomltable
| spirit and sensitive pride that charac-
! terized her daughter.
II am most happy began Allan,
| with conventional politeness; then, as
| his eye took in the graceful little form
| and perfect face, he advanced with an
| eagerly outstretched hand
But no young empress could have
| swept him a more distant uDd chill
ing courtesy than Daisy, while her
| cheeks. g. moment before adame, paled
to the hue of q snow drop, and only the
sparkle in her blue eyes gave evidence
of the strong torrent of feeling b a
surged within her.
""This way, IL you please, SIR" she
said, and fitting out OF tho room, she
preceded him up the stairs, opened the
door Of the room assigned him, and
then stepped deity aside to allow him
to pass in; then in the same quiet tone
that SURPRISED even herself, Sc full of
icy dignity.
IFS there anything you want more,
sir?" .E
mo" Allan answered, with a compre-
hensive glance around the room. ok
cept-" he turned with a sudden, i'm
petuous usefulness, aud nee more e.
tended his hand, but with a bend of her
hood which afforded q fair aXc1lSe for
not seeing it, Daisy was gone.
"Hang the little siren! What have
I done to offend her so, that she won't