The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1895-11-08

together again.
Suddenly the sound of the hammer
stopped. Crissie was just listening for it
to beg in again when she heard some one
striding up through the weeds behind her.
She turned and started vic lently There
was Steve himself quite near her
with his big straw hat on and with his
hammer in his hand.
Thought I'd come in and get drink
of water if you don't care" he said, some
what gruffiy. cts mighty hot out there
at the fence
.'Oll, of couse ~ said Crisse' rather ner-
vously. "There's the tin cup right there
on the pump
Steve took the cup, then threw it
down again.
After all, guess I'll not take drink
of water" he said "Tm rather fond of
buttermilk. guess I'll just sit down
here and rest in the shade till you get the
butter, then I'll have drink out of the
churn.
"All right, if you want to-" said Crissie,
trying to speak carelessly.
Steve threw his hammer on the ground
and sat down on the bench near her wa
ter pail and leaned his head on the smoke
house Just behind him. He was so near
that the flying drops from the churn near
ly touched him.
There was an awkward pause between
them for while. Crissie worked away
very briskly, looking down at the creamy
lid of her churn. Not for worlds would
she have raised her eyes to Steve's face.
Pretty soon big Maltese cat, who had
been licking the cream drops from the
made great show of driving her away,
then returned to her dasher.
"You didn't go to the old settlers pic
mic to-day" she remarked, by way of say
ing something.
mo, l had the wire to stretch along this
fence he said, ''and l thought I'd better
stay home and do it. Why didn't you go9
| saw your folks go by in spring wagon"
Il had this churning to do," telling only
part of the truth. Then by teasing him
Il little about his girl she said, Il thought
YOU and Edith Ross would be there to-
gether to day
Steve gave her a hard, resentful look
out of his brown eyes, but said nothing.
There was another pause. Crissie grew
calf -cnnScinpS and
frequently dived after the cat, whether he
was approaching the churner or not. Then
pretty soon she thought of another re-
mark:
That new fence you're putting up looks
nice" she said You're getting your
eighty fixed up awful fine this year"
''Yes, I've been trying to get it cleaned
up little" he said. And he glanced at
her suspiciously, as if he thought she
might have some hidden meaning.
1T doesn't look like the same place
since you got the old hedges down and
the house and barn painted Crissie said
You'll soon have it fixed fine enough
for"
Crissie hesitated. She felt it would be
bad taste to mehtion Edith again.
''Tll soon have it fixed fine enough for
what" demanded Steve.
"Oh, nothing" said Crissie, awkwardly,
''only was just going to say you'd soon
have it already for Edith to step right
inton'
Steve regarded her frowningly mo-
ment before he spoke. Then, "What are
you talking to me about her for all the
time ~ he wanted to know. Il haven't
got anything to do with her"
"Why, you took her to the fair!' said
Crissie
because | had to- said Steve. She
was visiting at our house, and she COM
planned of having no way of going to the
fair, and grandmother asked me before
her if wouldn't take her, and | said l
would. That's how l come to do it. Any
way, you knew better than that, Crissie!
said Steve almost sternly. He got up and
stood right in front of her with nothing
but the churn between them. You knew
better than that, Crissie!' said Steve, al
most sternly. He got up and stood right
in front of her with nothing but the
churn between them. you knew which
girl it was that l fixed up my farm for
You knew it wasn't Edith Ross ~
Crissie was frightened and she churned
away very hard without saying anything,
Steve put his hand on the dasher. Don't
churn so hard, Crissie," he said. ''See,
the butter has come. 1t don't need it. l
want to talk to YOU"
Crissie tried to move the dasher, but she
could not Then she just stood there,
looking down, and twisting the corner of
her creambespattered apron. She felt
very naughty and unworthy, though she
hardly knew what she had done.
1T was on account of you l weeded
out my eighty, Crissie! ~ Steve said. You
know it was because | was such a bad
farmer that you gave me the mitten last
spring; YOU knew that that was the rea-
son, Crissie"
Crisse gave him Il quck, astonishing
look. However in the world he has found
that out . She was sure she had never
told anyone outside her own family.
1T was all right of you to give the nit
ten then, Crissie" Steve went on. "When
| think of the way | used to farm I'll own
up that you were right, though it about
killed me at the time. It's made man of
me, too, for I'll never again be the kind
of farmer l was, whether you have me
or not. But, Crissie,-you haven't any
thing against me now, have you? You
like me little, know you do, and you
cant say any more that | raise more