The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1894-07-07

ms little bit of lOve-makinp too
pace nndoF. the frost-bound apple
trees of the Back Orchard, wher
Esther Elmford was standing, with
white wooden hood wrapped Tight
over her curls and a black-and-scarle
plaid shawl EMBEDDING her. mummy
fashion. She was a :ali. rosy-checker
girl, with a complexion born of noun
tain-breezes and eyes that shOne witt
rudy health-no ideal svlph, bu
rather n rosy, wholesome. dimple,
human girl like Wordsworth's he,
oine-
mot too sweet ror good
For human natures daily food"
And as she looked at the tiny. glitter
inS stone, the sparkles unde. her eye
lashes We're a dead match for it.
But y"": must not wearit every day
Es5ie, you know" said John jefferson
why not?" Her countenance fell
You wanted our engagement KEEP
a secret. you know"
$50 | did. Anything hui the GOSSIP
of the whole combined ncighborhood.'
cried Esther, with a moue of diStaste
Well, anyhow, | can put a black
velvet ribbon through it and hang !
around my neck
But You haven paid me for it yet.
"Ps'd you. You m~ercenary fellow"
One kiss. Essie. l don't often get
chance to claim it, you know"
She poised herself on tiptoe to accort
the demanded royalty. and then ran
laughing. away toward her home.
How generous he is" She kept re
peating to herself. "A real diamond
When she got back to the kite hen o
the roomy old farmhouse, where Mrs
Elmford vas frying crullerS in 81
atmosphere of fragrant blue smoke
that lady cast a disconnected glance
at her.
Seems to me you've been a long
time getting that spotted calf into the
barnyard,' said she.
WAS ! long. mother? But he got
clear down the lane. and the orchar,!
gate vas OPEN equivocated Miss
Esther.
The Striker gals stopped here for
you. They was goin' up to the Maple
Sugar camp with Il lot q fresh baked
bread and pies for Tom and LeonidaS.
and they waited for you till they was
clear ont o patience" added Mrs. Elm
ford, fishing another tin skinner full
of crisp brown beauties ont of the
bubbling mass of fat and landing
them in the blue stone jar, afterward
to be literally sprinkled with white
sugar.
"Oh, mother, can | co. said Esther,
eagerly. I'm sure l could overtakc
them in five minutes"
i've no objection" said Mrs. Elm
ford. And you might take a basket
of these ere crulls to your Uncle
Peter. Hes dreadful partial to fried
cakes, and he thinks there amt none
like them l make arter Mother Elm
ford's receipt"
Esther was right. In less than the
specified five minutes She had managed
to overtake Alice and IcsSamine
Striker, with their basket of fresh pro-
visions to the jewellers in Maple Sugar
camp, on Giant Hill, where the SUI
preme process of ''sugaring Off was
Just then in full blast. But in the two
minutes during which she put on her
Embroidered hood and fleece-lined nit
tens upstairs, she had slyly slipped the
diamond ring on the first finger of her
left hand.
Il shall be wearing it," she said to
herself, and no one will be any the
wiser"
The Striker girls welcomed her joy
ously.
Its so nice to have you" said
Alice. "Jessamine declared You would
not go, but
why shouldn't | go?" said Esther.
Don't I go up every year when they
are sugaring OFF,"
Jessamine Striker began to giggle.
Yes" said she, but our Leonidas
has never been there until this season.
and Mr.. jefferson has never been so
particular in his attentions to you be-
fore"
Esther crimsoned to the roots of her
hair.
What ridiculous nonsense" said
she.
"Oh, is it, thought" retorted Jessa-
mine. when all the world knows
that Jack jefferson is as jealous as
Othello."
Esther walked on, with silent dig
nifty. In her secret heart she was be-
ginning to regret that she had put her
self out to accompany these silly girls.
Don't mind Jess, dear" said good
humored Alice Striker, Slipping her
hand through Esther's arm. she will
at everything-it's her nature.
this n charming morning? |
heard a bluebird in the swamp down
by the river, and there's a lot of yellow
jonquils in bloom in Anne Rebecca's
box. The snow is thawing in
the sunshine, but the walking is good
yet, and Leon say the maple trees
have never given a better yield"
Up at the sugar camp, all was life
Ind animation. Blue threads of smoke
upward to the sky from the
,himneys of the two or three board
,hanties, matched with strips of bark
and trusses of straw, where the
hands kept house in a gypsy fash
on. The great kettles where the sirup
was boiling down to the requisite solid
ty, were watched by select deputa-
ions, lest the fires should slacken or
he saccharine masses scorch, while
were attending to the i'm
,romptu stone chimney in the open
lir, while the carcass of a wild turkey
vas whirling around and around in
of the blaze, impelled by a most
ingenious rotary spit, and a nest of
potatoes was baking in the hot ashes
below. The girls were joyfully well
Uncle Peter chuckled aloud
It the sight of the ~crullers made after
lis mothers time-honored recipe. The
wo young Strikers extended a hospita-
lie invitation t. their meal, even now
n process of preparation.
Leon shot the turkey yesterday by
zone Lake" said Tom. And it's a
one, you bet. Rather nicer
han the salt Goldfish we had reckoned
n"
But Esther declined TO stay.
III just take a look at the sugar
said she. land then hurry
sok to mother. We're going to have