The morning call., 1893-04-15
IMPULSE.

Miss Mildred Orme, seated in the snug
gest corner of the big front porch of
Kraummer farmhouse, was as content as
girl need hope to be.
This was no such farm as one reads about
in humorous fiction. Here were swelling
acres where the undulating wheat cleaned
in the sun Ike a golden sea. For silver
there was the Maramec-or, better. 1t was
pure crystal. for here and there one might
look clean through it down to where the
pebbles lay like green and yellow gems.
Along the rivers edge trees were growing
TO the very water, and in 1t, sweeping it
when they were willows.
The house itself was big and broad, as
country houses should be. The master was
big and broad, too. The mistress was small
and thin. and it was always she who went
out at noon to pull the great changing bell
that called the farmhands 10 to dinner.
From ber agreeable corner, where she
lOunged with her Browning or her Ibsen,
Mildred watched the woman do this every
day. Yet when the clumsy farnhands all
came tramping up the stems and crossed the
orch in going to their meal that was served
within, she never looked at them. Why
should she? Farmhands are not so very
nice to look at and she was nothing of an
anthropoogist. But once when the half
dozen men came along a paper which she
had laid carelessly upon the railing was
blown across their path. One Of them
picked 1t up and when he had mounted the
steps restored il TO her. He was yonng and
brown, of course, as the sun had made him.
He had nice blue eyes. His fair hair was
disheveled. His shoulders were broad and
square and his limbs strong and clean. A
not unpicturesque figure in the rough attire
: at barred his throat to view and gave per-
feet freedom to hts every motion.
Mildred did not make these several obser-
vatlons in the half second that she looked at
him in courteous acknowledgment. II took
her as many days TO note them all. For she
signaled him out each time that he passed
her, meaning to give him a little conde-
scending smile, as she knew how. But he
never looked at her. To be sure, clever
Young women of 20, who are handsome be-
sides, who have refused their half dozen
offers and are settling down to the eonvic-
tion that life is a tedious affair, are not
going TO care q straw whether farmhands
look at them or not And Mildred did not
care, and the thing would not have occupied
her a moment II Satan lad not lntervened
IN Offering the employment which natural
conditions bad failed TO supply. 1t was
summer time; she was idle; she was piQued.
and that was the beginning Of the shameful
affair."
who are these men, Mrs. Kraummer
that work for your Where dld you pick
them UP"
"Oh. We picks 'em up everyvere. Some is
neighboTs, some is tramps, and So"
"And that broad-shonldered young fellow
is he a neighbor? The one who handed
me my paper the other day, you member"
"Gott mol You might yust as we'll say
he vas a tramp. Aber he works like steam
ingiRs;" :.men ,... - .v,r.ms,v d,.oar..an,.
looking man. / should think you'd be
afraid TO have him about, not knowing
him."
:'Vat you want to be 'fraid forP' laughed
the little woman. HE don't talk no more
un ven he vas deef und dumb, didn't
Fought you vas sooch BABY"
But, Mrs. Kraummer, don't want you
to think Pm baby, as you say-a coward,
as you mean. Ask the man II he will drive
ne to church tomorrow. You see. Pm not
so very much afraid OF him." she added,
with smile.
The answer which this unmannerly farm
hand returned to MildEed's request was
simply a refusal. he could not drive her TO
church because he was going fishing.
"Aber," offered good Mrs. Kraummer,
Hans PlatZfeldt will drive you to church,
oder vereeyer you wants. He vas goot boy
vat you can trust, dat Hans"
sob. thank him very much. But find /
have so many letters to write tomorrow, and
il promises to be hot, too Ishan't care to
90 to church after all"
She could have cried for yexation. Snubbed
by a farmland tramp. perhaps. She,
Mildred Orme, who ought really TO have
been with the rest of the family at Nara
gansett-who had come TO seek in this
retired spot the repose that would enable
her 10 follow exalted lines of thought. She
msrveled at the problematic nature Of farm
hands.
After sending her the uncvil message
already recorded, and as he passed beneath
tl6 nOTcl Mler9 ahn sat ha did link a har
finally, fxedly, in way to make her pos
itiVely gasp at the sudden efrontery Of the
man.
But the inexDlicable look stayed with
her. She could not Danish 1t.
II.
1t was not so very hot after all the next
DAY when Mildred walked do wn the long mar
IoW Ioolpath that led through the bend
ing wheat to where the river Was High
ABOVE her waist reached the yellow grain
Mlldred's brown eyes filled with q reflected
golden light as they caught the glin: of ii,
rs sne heard the TIN that 1t answered to the
gentle breeze. Any one who has walked
through the wheat in midsummer-tine
knows that sound.
In the woods 1t was sweet and solemn
and cool because the river was there. And
there beside the river was the wretch who
had annoyed her, first. with his indiffer-
ence, then with the sudden boldness Of his
glance.
Are you hshiDg~ she asked politely
and with kindly dignity. which she sup
posed would define her position toward
him. The inquiry lacked not pertinence,
sreiDg that he sat motiOnless with pole in
his hand and his eyes fixed on a cork that
bobbed aimlessly on the water.
Yes, madam" was his brief reply.
'It won't disturb you il l stand here a
moment'to see what success you will haye?"
mo, madam"
She stood very still. holding tight to the
book she aad brought with her. Her straw
hat that slipped 0isreputably to one side
over the wsvy bronza-brown bang that half
covered her forehead. Her cheeks were
ripe With color that the sun had coaxed
theres SO were her lips,
All the other fnrmhands had qona forth