Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1893-01-13

~ hat hFtihf ttnf 10 haf'
Aatt had tslt up iis assumed char
actor VsIt we'll during boz Ifss.n,e
Nov 'hA, he Vas isit alone With the
daughter ho Was put o. = much sseetsr
tsst The Fifl hal slmsthinE - the
stat,liness - her mother a. that state.
illness had appeared Va her mu,hst .
youth MARI hai been a. used frum his
chllihooi a. inject a rshnsd hearing With
Que equally refined that he found t dif
hoult b. avoid doing 49, TOW
"Don't you love g. Look ~ tho stars.
Mr. Slack asked the yulnR lady
WAL. yss. Miss
My name !. Laura Pain
Il hov always been loud O. the science
or llo paused be suddenly rcmcm
bcrcd that poor white trash were not
usually vcrsei In any - the sciences.
Astronomy che supplied
WAL. vas"
How did You come 60 learn astruno-
my
"Oh. don't know nothen bont n. he
sAid quickly. Il hcarn "a man al Jasper
ialhsa nnot lie saii heap o quar-
things"
What bright star Is THAR pointing
"Venus. l reckon"
II woudcr how far u IL from usf" she
said musingly.
"venusl Why venu, Is sixty eight
millions ~ miles. reckon"
IL happen TO know that's correct an.
swer."
Mark suddenly became conscious %
having forgotten himself. lie recollect-
ed his critical position and resolved ~
proceed with greater care.
How far IL the mooni" asked Miss
Fam.
1.-The moons hundred million miles.
I reckon"
"Oh. no. You're far out % the way
there. It's only about two hundrca and
forty thousand miles"
"Waal. noww exclaimed Mark In we'll
feigned surprise.
She looked searchingly nj him. but
Mark looked as II he had simply received
m interesting piece Of information.
do you like poetryi" she asked chang
Ing the subject.
"Some'at."
my favorite poet Is Tennyson. Il no
yours tooy"
This was dangerous ground for Mark.
He had q special fondness for poetry. and
was more likely to b,tray himself on
this than on any other subject.
mo-" he said: IL love Shelley best.-
why. Mr.. Slack, how can you under
stand Shelley l can't"
"Waal, he Is kinder obecurelike."
"Do you remember any of his poems,
II You do. would like to hear you re-
peat it,"
"waal. I mought give yon few lines
Of the Ode to the Spirit O. Nature"
please do"
Mark would have dcne we'll to let tho
lode to the Spirit Of Nature" alone; but
with . beautiful girl beside him, the
half moon sinking in the west and all
nature In repose, he momentarily forgot
his assumed character entirely. He be-
gan, intending to give only q few lines
and not to forget his dialect: but the
spirit Of nature was in him as well as
In the poem, and by the time he had re-
cited few lines he was a. oblivious to
the charact4r Of Slack, tho farmers son,
Is If he had beSn the poet himself. Sud-
denly he invoke to the consciousness Of
having given the whole poem in his nat
ural tone and with his ordinary accent
"Mr. Slack" said his listener when he
had finished, ibid you learn that from
. man in Jasperr
"No-no-I-waal," he stammered, II
read It in . book"
He stole glance at his companion,
but failed to detect any unusual express
sion ON her face. He took courage.
"What do you raise ON your planta-
tion1" she asked.
"Oh. we put in some potatoes and
corn and straw this year."
"Straw9
mo, no; not straw" Mark was as
little conversant with the farmers art
as he was familiar with the poets. II
mean hay"
The girl looked at him and smiled.
1.-The wheat was all gotten in early
this summer. I am told" she remarked
casually.
"Yas, we got in ourn early. We jest
finished up before KEN away"
why, Mr.. Slack"
Mark know that he had blundered
again.
Wheat is gathered in July" she in.
formed the young farmer.
II mean the corn" he said wildly.
1.-THE corn comes later. It is ripening
now"
Mark felt it was all up with him 30
far as deceiving Miss Fain as to his being
Q farmer. but he struck out boldly to
undo some of the mischief.
"Waal. you see, Miss Fain, to tell the
whole truth, dad he don't reckon much
on my farmer. He says oughter be a
perfessor or somep'n O. that sort"
"a gentleman, for instance"
Mark made no reply. For the first
time he detected irony in her tone.
"Mr. Slack-if that is really your
name. which don't believe-you are
certainly not very complimentary to my
sense Of perception"
How so!"
I'm trying TO make me think you are
not an educated gentleman"
Mark saw tho futility of keeping up
the sham with Miss Laura Fain any
longer. He resolved 10 give her 80 much
Of his confidence ~ was necessary 10
keep her from betraying him. ~ indeed
he could do 90 Ut all His manner aud
his tone changed IN . twinkling
II will 10 frank with yOu. | am no.
wis. have pretended. hut ! AN not
here 81 iniaEs you at yours"
"Who are yeuF She spike with .
csf'sia severity thu, chs hal Mt shown
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