Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1894-12-08

TELLS anu OIOft OHs
Was he going to ask me to drive
with him-me, Sylvia Russell? oh,
if he were not a milkman or /
judges daughter I did want to go
with him to find the ferns dread
fully.
tried to think of some gentle
way of limiting to him that his occu-
patton was not worthy of him, but
was a wee bit afraid of those keen
gray eyes of his.
At last one morning / blurted out
| without particle OF appositeness:
Are you always going to drive
| milk wagon ?"
He looked down at me with lit
tie smile.
81 don't know" he said. "Don't
you want me to ~
This was carrying war into the
enemy's camp with vengeance. 1t
fairly took away my breath.
i don't know why l should want
you to do or not to do things" /
said stify. at was only on your
own account"
"You should not, only thought
perhaps hesitated looking a lit
tie hurt.
cit don't seem very lofty occu-
patton" I said, ungrammatlcally.
"But the widow and eleven babies
you know. They don't give man
a chance to rise"
He said this with hardly becom-
ing gravity, but felt rebuked.
"Don't you think-if you were to
try-you might looked mp, found
his eyes on me and couldn't 60 on,
though he did not seem angry or
hurt.
ct have been thinking Of going to
college soon," he said after mo-
ment's pause.
"Oh, how charming" I cried. II
am so glad for you. When-but the
widow and children-your mother,
| you know, how can YOU Then I
| cory bo xuoa Jounb,pn
"There is no widowed mother,n he
said.
"And no children 2"
"And no children"
''Then you can go. but 1 thought
you said"-
"Mr. Merriman said itP' he inter-
rupted.
"How did you know his name ?n I
inquired curiously.
II asked, of course. My tongue
was given me for that purpose"
care you prepared for the exams?"
II asked.
"Not-not quite" with queer
look.
off I could help you," l suggested.
give been to college myself. I'm
very good in mathematics"
sob, thank you!' he said, with
what seemed overstrained enthusi-
asm. 'I'll get through all right, but
if l should get stuck in a sum- you
will help me out 2"
eyes, indeed Do you study
alone ?"
"Quite alone"
"Isn't it awiully hard 2"
"I'm afraid / couldn't study very
well-together." He gave me
quick look to see if understood him.
l pretended not to notice.
"I'm sorry to hurry you," I said,
"but don't you think Mrs. Morris is
waiting for her milk ?" He said
something about Mrs. Morris under
his breath, but prepared to drive on.
II do SO hope you will get on all
right" I said. No one was in sight,
and l held out my hand to him i'm
pulsively. He gave it the warmest
little squeeze-not bit like q milk
man.
"Don't you think, Sylvia" said
my mother, shat you talk too much
to that young man l dare say he is
very nice, but what would your faith
er say 2"
II don't know what he could say
mother. I'm not going to elope with
him, you know" went on laughing
a little nervously, the memory of our
last chat being still fresh. @He is
going to college, and I'm-encour-
aging him."
"I'm afraid you are, Sylvia" said
my mother, with shake of the head.
l did not 60 for the milk next
morning. think l felt rather gull
ty. | made gingerbread and packed
a basket to take Bob and Bess to the
sound for supper, a treat their
youthful souls dearly loved.
After dinner we started in the
phaeton-Bob, Bess and I.
"Now, infants" / said as we jog
ged along the read toward the
sound, "you are both to watch for
hoppy toads, and the first one we
catch We viii fry for lunch unless,
perchance, we find stray orthocer-
attic, under which circumstances we
will have stew"
''Do hoppy toads taste good 2"
asked Bob.
Delicious" l responded. "Ttey
will appeal forcibly to your CASTRO
r1r,fo toe4a1 D1l