The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1894-10-23
ONE OF sIx THOUSAND.
A Girl Who Read Story Papers and Be-
iieved in Love.
BY A. A. LoNGsTETH.

ACWC9 4A sONSs
BY A. A. ~LoNGsTETH.
YES, Harry, 1 accept your offer and
l will try to make you happy. I have
loved yon ever since 1 saw you help
mamma on the train so tenderly when
she started for the mountains last sum-
mer."
These were the words of pretty Miss
Beatrice Langdon when Harry Ray
mond asked her to be his wife.
And she accepted him in spite of the
fact that he was o. l, a railway brake
man, while for m re than a year she
had been ardently courted by George
Slice, a wealthy young lawyer, who
was also aided in his suit by Beatrice's
father and mother. But Beatrice had
a mind of her own, and being fond Of
story papers had come to possess the
notion that there is such a thing as
love. So when tall Harry Raymond,
the first time she saw him, exercised
such old time gallantry in caring for
her suffering mother her heart told her
at once ''this is the man." And her
heart won the day in spite of her
parents and society" They were
married, but because of her disobedi-
ence her father declared she would
never get a cent from him, and the
family goods were settled On her
younger brother.
However, Harry and his young wife,
who believed in love, rented neat quar-
ters in a new tenement on Pine street
and lived happily together for five
years, during which time God gave
them two little girls-Hinda and Flor
ence. Kinda is plump and has brown
eyes like her mother, while Florence is
wiry, with nervous blue eyes, the very
image of Harry. In fact, last year on
her third birthday, her mother threat
ened to put her in trousers and make
a man of her, but Harry said that she
was such a nice, sweet girl he would
not trade her for two boys, and for
once Harry had his way.
1t was his favorite pastime when
washed and fed after a day or two of
hard riding to take one girl on each
knee and tell them stories of the Incl
dents, both solemn and humorous, that
he CHANGED to see on his dangerous
journeys, aud then, when the little
ones tired of talk, to play horse and
railway train by jolting them on his
knees or by jumping them on his
strong arms to the ceiling.
Wife" he said one night as he vas
thus engaged with the children, "do
you remember the first time I asked
you to sit on my knee, how very obsti-
nate you were9"
Beatrice blushed and laughed heart
lily, as she thought Of her giriish shy
ness and all the foolish things she said
and the make believe answer that she
manifested when only a week before
their wedding day Harry had asked
her to sit on his lap, saying that he
thought they could plan better by thus
putting their heads together concern
ing the furniture with which they were
fitting out their house.
"And because I acted badly that
once" said she playfully you now
seem to be paying me back by not ask
ing me any more at all and bestowing
all your affection on the children"
This gentle hint was the first Beatrice
had ever given to remind the hard
worked mau of a growing thoughtless-
ness of late in his absorption in his chill
dren, but the one hint was sufficient.
The children were put in a r n with
their playthings in a moment and amid
caresses and endearments the husband
again laid open his heart-became the
self same lover of old.
You have given up parents and
friends and riches all for me-" he said,
and if I ever for a single day neglect
you I am a monster. Yes, wife, the
little ones must bring US closer together,
not separate us. I know I am away a
great deal, both day and night. The
| very nature of my work makes it inn
possible for me to be q really good bus
band, but when l am here l shall in the
future be all devotion to you"
Long they talked together, both in
the large armchair, long after the little
ones had been put to bed. In the morn
ing as he left for his usual parilous trip
she thought OF the many dangers he
braved daily for money to support her
and the babies, and as she kissed affec,
tionately and repeated the operation