Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1893-07-26
MALC0LMS IDEAL
DY ANNA SHIELDS.

"She must be tall, Bah; she must b
graceful as willow branch, with eye
Of midnight darkness, classic features
hair ike the ravens wing"
Bah, who was stirring cake, looked
up at the deep window-seat tha
separated the old-fashioned kitchen iron
;he garden beyond. Seated there
swinging one foot idly, sat Malcolm
Hoyt, describing the future Mrs. Malcolm
rs she existed in his youthful imagina
lion.
"Wellf' Barbara said, presently, afte
q glance from the tall boyish figure anG
frank, handsome face, to a small mirror
that reflected hair of FURNISHED bronze,
the true auburn, and numerous freckles
well? Tall, dark, classically featured.
ANY other perfections2"
accomplished, of course. She must
dance ike sylph, sing like nightin-
gale, draw, play on the piano"
make cake" suggested Bah, vigor.
ously stirring her batter.
"Why, no-Mrs. Hoyt will not need
20 make cake, think. Not but whar
IT is very jolly TO know how" he added,
hastily, "5ut Mrs. Clark might resent
any invasion of her especial depart.
mcnt."
"Ycs, I see" sad Bah, dryIy. "You
Cont want your wife to be a Kitchen
maid"
Malcolm blushed furiously; he was
not quite twenty-one, and had not for
gotten how 10 blush.
~ don't mean that at ALL" he said,
and then laughing heartily, added,
don't you think we are talking con-
siderable nonsense, Bab2"
II don't know" said Bah, slowly.
"You say your father wants you to mar
ry, and as you arc in quest of a wife,
you might as well have some idea of
what you would prefer"
Just Ike choosing a necktie," said
Malcolm, though think 1 should feel
more interest in the necktie. BY the
way, what is your ideal, Bab7"
II haven't considered" said Bah,
bending her face low over the pan into
which she was pouring the cake.
"Nonsrnse!' said Malcolm.
CAS- if a girl ever lived to be eighteen
WITHOUT an ideal.
Then Bah violated the truth with a
Caring voice, and bright eyes, for she
said
"My ideal doesn't sit on kitchen win
1ow-sills and talk nonsense, at any rate. "
"You don't know what he might do
under sufficient provOcation," said Nal
ccim, teasingly. II have seen Steve
Hale look longingly at my perch within
.he last ten minutes"
"Stephen Halew cried Bah, scorn.
fully, and lifted the pan to carry it to the
loom beyond, where the fire was lighted
Il summer.
Her heart was swelling with inGigna-
tioa. She was only a farmers da1gh-
Ter, she told herself, and Malcolm Hoyt
was heir to a magnificent estate and tor
tune, college bred, and could marry in
Gr.stocratiC circles. But to think she
could look at Stephen Hale, her fathers
''help," man who could not readl I'll
was insulting, little Barbara thought,
md she took an unreasonably long time
10 adjust the Cakepan on tho oven bars,
md pile on fresh wood in the stove.
"Good byel" shouted a CHEEKY voice,
presently. 'I'm of to the postotfice,
but I'm coming TO tea to eat some OF
.hat cake.
"I've a great mind to scorch it,,
thought Bah, spitetully. al would too,
+ it wasn't fathers favorite."
Il do believe she is fond OF Steve,'
thought Malcolm, as he swung himself |
into the saddle. "She blushed as red as
a peony when 1 mentioned him. Isup.
pose il would be what my father calls a |
suitable match, but she's thousand |
mes too good for him. Why, she's as
good a Latin scholar as half our coll !
ege fellows, and she sings SO beauti-
fully, that it is burning shame she has
had nothing but a concertina to accom- |
rany her voice" Then his reverie took
smother turn, and he thought: 81 Won
5er if father is ill"
1t was the nineteenth century, and
Malcolm was an only child, denied no
Indulgence from his infancy, but he
lever thought Of his father as the "gov-
rnor" or the "old man." His mother
aas but a memory, for when he was five
ears old, her golden haired beauty was
hidden under the daisies. He liked to
a;nk his great, blue eyes and crisp,
,.on1 curls were like those IN his
portrait, but imagination was
Eore potent than actual memory In re.
'-Iling her.
Twonder if father really is illv he
hought, jogging along slowly. ale
arrna 60 nv = |
ID that means married. He seems &c
INK 1 will weary Of dear old home, if ]
i've no family ties to bind me there"
And then fancy painted again that e1
lisite, graceful and accomplished be-
~ he had endeavored to describe tc
i.rbara. II was odd that even with
IS mental vision before him he thought
nat home Bah would make of the
.ately pile that was to be bis inheri. {
ance.
There Is not much that Is home e-like &
bout it now," he thinks, 'for Mrs {
lark is too old 10 fuss much, and iu, 1
Inc the servants have 1t all their owr {
.ay. But how Bab's little trim agur, {
ad red hair would lighten up those big a
.oOmy rooms" i
a week later, he Is on his way to New
ork, to visit his aunt, to see society, I
d, by his fathers cypress desire, TO /
ID wife. T
Heart-whole, fancy free, he mInyle. i
ith the guests who gather at Mrs. t
rrAhan's, hi. aunt's; escorts his pretty T
usin Mabel to opera, theatre, concert; r
noes gracefully with one belle, takes L
other out to supper, makes himself k
.rGeable with third on a slcighing t.
rty, escorts fourth for promenade, G
q So on-sixtb, seventh, eighth, num- o
RS Indefinite, coming under his care I
o tenn, but not oae stirring his heart
Ba5's cordial greeting did when he
turned froru college. ia
RaRl There is scarcely a fEQlic Of his v