The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1894-07-13

Dear Jack, l couldn't possibly love you
any more than did before, but | do
love You, oh, so much!''
The little bit of love-making took
place under the frost-bouud apple
trees of the Back Orchard, where
Esther Elmford was standing. with a
white wooden hood wrapped tightly
| over her eurls and a black-and-scarlet t
| plaid shawl enfolding her, mummy
| fashion. She was a tall, rosy-cheeked
| girl, with complexion born of noun
tain-breezes and eyes that shone with
| ruddy health-no ideal sylph, but
rather a rosy, wholesome. dimpled
| human girl like Wordsw orth's her
| oine-
Not too sweet nor good
For human natures daily food "
And as she looked at the tiny, glitter
! ing stone. the sparlzles under her eye
! lashes were a dead match for it.
| But you must not wear it every dav
| Essie, you know" said John jefferson.
! why not?" Her countenance fell
| ''You wanted our engagement kept
| "A secret, you know ="
| so did Anything but the gossip
of the whole combined neighborhood!'
| cried Esther, with HiOue of distaste
| We'll. anyhow, | can put a black
| velvet ribbon through it and hang it
around my necll.'
But you haven't paid me for it yet"
Paid You. YOU mercenary fellow"
''On. k s. Essie. don't often get a
| chance To claim it. you know"
She poised herself on tiptoe to accord
| 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 of
the rooIuy old farmhouse, where Mrs.
Elmford was frying crullers in an
| atmosphere of fragrant blue smoke,
that lady east discontented glance
at her
Seems to me you've been long
time getting that spotted calf into the
barnyard, said she.
WAS l long. mother? But he got
clear down the lane, and the orchard
gate was OPEN" equivocated Miss
Esther
The Striker gals stopped here for
YOU. They was goin up to the Maple
Sugar camp with lot o fresh baked
bread and pies for Tom and Leonidas
and they waited for you till they was
clear out o patience" added Mrs. Elm
ford, fishing another tin SKINNER full
of crisp brown beauties out of the
bubblinF mass of fat and landing
them in the blue stone jar, afterward
to be literally sprinkIed with white
sugar.
''Oh, mother, can I go?" said Esther,
eagerly I'm sure | could overtake
them in five minutes"
I've no objection" said Mrs. Elm
ford. ''And you might take basket
of these ere crulls to your Uncle
Peter. He's dreadful partial to fried
cakes, and he thinks there amt none
like them | make arter Mother Elm
ford's receipt"
Esther was right. In less than the
specified five minutes she had managed
to overtake Alice and Jessamine
Striker with their basket of fresh pro
visions to the dwellers in Maple Sugar
camp, on Giant Hill, where the
preme process of "sugaring OFF, was
Just then in full blast. But in the two
minutes during which she put on her
fur bordered hood and tieece-lined init
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
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 1 go?" said Esther.
Don't | go up every year when they
are sugaring OFF,
70 Crinola
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 erimsoned to the roots of her
hair.
What ridiculous nonsense" said
she.
''Oh, is it, though?' retorted Jessa-
mine. when all the world knows
that Jack jefferson is jealous as
| Othello."
Esther walked on, with silent dig
nity. 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
giggle at everything her nature
Isn't this charming morning? L
| heard a bluebird in the swamp down
| by the river and there's a lot of yellow
| ionquils in bloom in Anne Rebecca' 5
window box. The snow is thawing in
: the sunshine, but the walking is good
yet. and Leon says the maple trees
| have never given a better yield"
| Up at the sugar camp, all was life
| and animation. Blue threads of smoke
| wound upward to the sky from the
| chimneys of the two or three board
| shanties, matched with strips of bark
| and trusses of straw, where the
hands" kept house in a gypsy fash
| ion. The great kettles where the sirup
was boiling down to the requisite solid
| ity, were watched by select deputa-
| tions, lest the fires should slacIen or
| the saccharine masses scorch, while
| others were attending to the i'm
| promptu stone chimney in the open
| air, while the carcass of wild turkey
| was whirling around and around in
| front of the blaze, impelled by most
| ingenious rotary spit, and nest of
| potatoes was baking in the hot ashes
! below. The girls were joyfully wei
| coined. Uncle Peter chucllled aloud
at the sight of the crullers4Uade after
| hls mothers time-honored recipe. The
| two Young Strikers extende a hosplta-
BILE invitation to their meal, even now
in process of preparation.
Leon shot the turkey yesterday by
| Lone Lake" said Tom. And it's a
| prime one, you bet. Rather nicer
| than the salt Goldfish we had reckoned
| ON -