St. Paul daily globe., 1894-08-19


few occasions when, wretehed fin his
Sunday clothes, he bad called 1on tue
young ladies ip the village, and had
been ushered in chilly parlors. with
rlgldlY straight tables and tEaTs.so sss,
after an interval of dyeary waiting, the
young LADIES, also In their Sunday
clothes aud with elaborately arranged
hair. 1t would have been enough to
'onght all social instincts In even a
bolder man.
;o But here he was as often in the
Kitchen as In the parlor, as Phyllis never
stopped her work for him, even II she
Msre polishing the stove or sorubbing
9ths floor. Thomas was himself under
these circumstances. and all his latent
possibilities OF good company were
stirred Into life. Phyllis In white
gown OH summer afternoon was nice
to look at. but Phyllis In the Kitchen at
work. her face a little finished, her
pretty arms bare to the elbow, her hair
tossed into shining rlpples and waves,
| was charming!
- But as yet Phyllis was only wonder
fully nice girl. All the vague, airy
fancies that float in the mind of any
youth around the Image of any pleasant
| girl remained still formless and vague
and had not crystalliZed into any dis
S'HSs S'NPS VA lONCs OL ~ uCCuo Uub q
touch to crystalline them when the right
time comes. aL
l. During one of his visits he noticed
that Phyllis somehow seemed diff
rerent; she was abSent-minded and
embarrassed. The contagion OF her
mood touched him, and he had stopped
talking, when she turned from her
work with an abrupt remark:
mamie was here today.n
Thomas waited. e-
"She talked good deal about you.
She said you had been flirting with
Sallie Stevens. and she thought it was a
shame. You used to be downright good
trlends, and now you never went there.''
Phyllis head was turned away, but
resolve. IA =
II never went any oftener than Jim.''
answered Thomas, rather defiant at
Nannie's interference. -.
He half-laughed at the, absurdityof
the charge. knowing himself an arrant
coward lu the presence of any girl,
Sallie not excepted: yet felta secret
pride at the masculine power of at
traction which such charge implied.
Ihen ne Redeemed with, anger at-the
thought that perhaps Mamie had only
been making fun of him. But Phyllis
was deeply In earnest.
"Then it's true? You did visit her
Defore you began coming here?" and
turning upon him a face whose brave
honesty hardly kept back the painful
Dlushes OF girlhood: "You made her
think you wanted her to be your wlfe?"
Thomas laughed outright at this, re-
memDerlng distinctly their aimiess re-
marks about the weather and the
dreary pauses after each effort.
PlVIllS' faca rpla ho hluc,ao
came in flood of beautiful color from
brow to throat.
You didn't. then? And Mamie was
only teasing! l thought she couidn't be
| in earnest" l2''I'
The unconscious relief of her tone
told great deal. Thomas .stoutly de-
MED that he had ever before thought of
marrying any woman.
II Phyllis had asked if he had ever
thought of "cOurtin' Sallie, he might
perhaps have found 1t harder to give so
emphatic denial. some reckless spirits
among his acquaintance even holding
that "courtin' was a necessary eivility
OF any call. But the name of "wife''
had a certain soemnity about it, like
/ the minister's adluration in the mar
| rage service. No. Certainly he had
never thought of Sallie as that.
"Because." went on Phyllis. coura-
geously, il Il little neryously, II would
have asked you not 10 come here if YOU
mad. It's downright mean for one girl
ro cut out another in that way, / think.
It's as bad as stealing, and don't mean
to do itv'
She was too much excited to notice
how much she was admitting i'm regard
to Thomas relation to her; but he,
grown wonderfully quick-witted of
late. did, and was correspondingly hap
by and earnest in his assurances of be-
Eing entirely free-"at least used to be
before we got acquainted," he concIud.
ed. rsther sentimentally,
Phyllis paid no attention to this, and
went on:
81 never had any mother to talk about
such things. Father always says girl
ought to be as fair and honest as man.
He knows mother was.'
There was little tremor in her voice
as she spoke of her mother. 1t was the
one crystalliZing touch of emotion, and
Thomas never thought of Phyllis after
ward as like other girls. or doubted that
she alone Of all women was the one he
desired for wife Bet he did not ask
her at once. A kind of tender rever-
ence held him back. for he suddenly di-
vined that Phyllis would not wish it to
follow too quickly on this talk, as If she
had opened the subject.
Not the least potent of her charms
was her continually surprising him.
Soon after he had been thrilled by ner
unf1inching honesty and purity he was
confronted with an unexpected hard
ness that seemed incredible at her age.
1t happened this way. She was sitting
in hammock in the back porch with
some light work in her hands. when a
negro boy came to bring her basket of
peaches. She got up to put them away,
and came back with small purse.
"HoW much do L owe you now. Ben?;'
IA quarter, please, miss" with bow
and grin.
AS she paid him another quarter
slipped and fell near the edge of the
steps. In flash Ben's ragged hat had
fallen upon it with apparent careless
ness. as he pretended to search in his
ragged coat for a pocket without bola.
When he took up his hat the money had :
disappeared under it.
Phyllis watched him. with mirth in
her eyes. -le-
II didn't owe you two quarters, Ben.
Give it to me-"
The boys face was study of blank
surprise.
You needn't try to think of story,
Ben. for saw you pick it up. And
how's this? You were going to the re-
vivals month ago. and / thought you
said you were converted?' .-@G
Ben ducked his head sheepislly.
Oats so, miss. dat's so, but s'posn
dat shiny piece o. silver did 'tice me TO
pick it up, i'se jined the church and
been baptized"
ooh. Ben. you cheat me-and then
you cheat God. Perhaps He doesn't |!
like it any better than L do-what |
;then?"
5s7"He dom min, miss, Every cheerfully.
"l'Se been baptized
j PHYLLIS threw back her head and
Ia6g6ed with hearty abandon yerv erv
contagious. Yet Thomas did not alto.
gether like her mlrth, or rather it's
source. ~
-7IAll religious people are not like
that" he said, as Ben shuff1ed away