Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1893-11-18


with the milk can. Usually it stood on
the stoop waiting to be filed, and !
would pour in the milk and leave il
standing there for the first servant who
was up to come out and get it. But this
time it seemed to have been forgotten,
and the little maid had crept out in the
early dawn to bring it and stood shiver-
ing in the morning chill, for the dawn of
a semitropic morning near the sea is not
warm, however the mind may tend to
romance concerning its balminess And
she was such a very little maid could
scarcely see her on the other side of the
milk can and thought at first that the
can had just taken Il notion to walk out
alone and get itself filled.
"Hello" said
Eyes" she replied, quite as a matter
of course. And then saw what very
thin and white little maid it was.
"Where did you come FROM"
eff you please, I'm Mrs. Barwell's girl.
work for my keep"
Now, did not please in the least. |
should have preferred, if she must be
anybodys girl. that it should be any one
else in the world whom | had ever seen.
And as for the keep" if there is any
proof in looks, it must have been very
small
CHANGED to have a big orange in my
wagon that some one on my drive, who
had an orange orchard, had given me. |
threw it to her when had filled the can.
She caught it eagerly, and when | looked
back as | drove off | saw her going up
the walk with the orange pressed up
close to her mouth. After that never
forgot to have an orange, or nectarine,
or some apricots in my wagon when /
stopped at Barwell's. Sometimes the
milk can would be on the stoop, and |
would not see the little maid for several
days, but when | did see her again |
would give her all the good things that
had accumulated in my wagon since the
last time saw her And good things
had way of accommodating very rapidly
at that time.
Once when Mrs. Barwell happened to
be up early to get picnic party success
fully off her hands | saw her seize the
little maid aud drag her into the kitchen.
And | Thought she struck her just as the
door was closing. grew hot all over
and thought savagely that if Mrs. Bar
well had been a man should have called
her out. As it was, had fancy that ii
would do me good to get out and assault
Mrs. Barwelfs kitchen door and fling
my opinion at her gratuitously and forci-
bly,.
But neither course seemed quite feas-
ible, Ipicked up my whip furiously and
looked around for something to lay it
onto As could see nothing available
for that purpose but my patient, good
tempered horse, who never gave me the
slightest excuse for savagery, put ii
down again with resolution to max
things moro even some day, though it
never entered my ridiculous head in what
particular way / could accomplish the
leveling process But the little maid got
whole apronful of the incest peaches
and nectarines and pomegranates in til
market the next morning when stopped
to deliver the milk.
So time went by until the little maid
had grown into q slipOf a girl and would
have been pretty one, too, if she had not
been so thin and white as to the cheeks
and staring as to the eyes. She had
beautiful eyes. but they in company with
her other features had grown SO starved
that it made anybody hungry only to
look at them.
About the time that began to notice
these little Things about her eyes and
features generally, thought she began
to be little shy. The milk can always
stood in its place on the stoop, and had
nothing to do bnt pour in the milk aud
drive or, which yen might say was a
much mora convenient way.
But as day after day and week after
week passed and did not see her it did
not seem so very comfortable after all
| wondered if she were i'll or had gone
away. | remembered how she used to
look as she stood in the faint light Of
the morning, holding the big can in her
arms. wondered if her eyes were still
so big and wan and hungry and half
frightened looking. wondered if her
face was SO pallid and pinched, and if
she still shivered so ia the morning wind
that came up chill from the sen.
By that time quite a large pile of good
things had gathered in my wagon. for
could not bear to throw them away anC
thought every morning that maybe the
little maid would come out. thought
once Of piling them up around the milk
can and leaving them for her to find,
but was afraid some one else might
come and find them first.
So it went on till one morning Just as
had filed the can and was going down
the path the kitchen door was thrown
open with a bang, and the little maid
rushed ont, Mrs. Barwell hard after her
with some heavy thing in her hand,
lifted up high to throw at the girl
Quick as fash caught the little maid
in my arms. and put her into my cart,
and jumped in after her. and drove off
faster than ever drove before in my
life, Mrs. Barwell running after US
down the street. But she soon gave up
luz Eiltt5S.
Down the lane we dashed, under the
low hanging branches Of the pepper
trees, that touched me softly in the face
as we passed The breeze blew softly
over US, laden with the fragrance that
drifted from the rose trees that bloom
in the dooryards along the
way.
Pre- knt.- the little maid looked up at
me With face go rosy that should not
have known her had met her anywhere
else. There was a look. half frightened,
half confding. in her eyes, and as met
that look knew all Of sudden why it
was that had missed her so, and why
had wondered SO much about her eyes
and her face.
! bent over her and shouted. 'sWill
you marry mes' for the horse was gal
looping, and the wheels were crunching,
and the cans were rafting, and If had
II I'll cTzr3 fIxs . v..ss, -. -.