The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-02-08
HER RURAL LOVER.

The old wooden clock in the kitchen
had just struck 2, and a sleepy robin in
the green depths of gigantic old cherry
tree was warbling out a drowsy roundelay
in answer to a chirp of Mrs. Perry black
bird, whose cage hung in the kitchen win
dow.
Dinner was all over and all the dishes
cleared away, and the thrifty farmers
wife had sat down to her sewing, with
pair of silver spectacles perched on her
Roman nose.
Fanny Clifford sat opposite trim,
pretty damsel. with a sweet sunbufned
face and great gray eyes, with blue black
flashes coming and going in their irises.
so Miles has really gone,', said Fanny
after moments silence, and there was
little culver in her voice that the mother
fully coInprehended.
Eyes, said Mrs. Perry, stitching dill
gently away at the unbleached cotton
shirt she was making for her husband and
pretending not to see the flush on Fanny's
check, The has gone. And a great foul
he is, in my humble opionion.
''Oh, Mrs. Perry!" deprecated Fanny.
''Well, what else is hep asked Mrs.
Perry, looking in an owlish fashion through
the lenses of her spectacles. Here he
is with as nice farm as there is in the
county and him the only son, and yet
he's possessed to go to the city and clerk
in dry goods store, just because he
thinks it a little genteeler than to pillow
and SOW and reap, as his father and gran
'ther did before him, and''-she hesitated
little here because he fancies Antonio
Archer will be pleased
''She-she IS very attractive" said poor
Fanny.
Yes, to them at likes gliding better
than true gold and is caught by red cheeks
and dashing ways Well,' after a min
ute's pause during which she stabbed her
needle vindictively into the unoffending
cloth, 'there's some as can learn by ex-
perience only, and our Miles one of the
sort He'll be back, expect, when he's
found out he isn't the only poor moth
whose wings have been scorched in the
flame of a coquette' S wicked eyes,
''Oh, Mrs. Perry, Miss Archer never
would refuse Miles!' cried Fanny breath
1essly.
.'ff I thought she wouldn't, should
give up!'' said Mrs Perry theoretically.
The June sunset, fading in such tender
tints of rose and opal and gold over the
hazel col,ses of the old farm, was full of
glow and sultriness on Broadway.
The season was dull. 1t was a Satur-
day afternoon, and the Messrs Scratch &
Staylace, after getting all they could out
of their much enduring clerks, had at last
reluctantly closed their store and put up
their wooden shutters.
And Miles Perry, tired and weary and
aching in every bone, had at last the Op-
porturity to hurry home to his great room
in third rate boarding house.
Life in New York was by no means so
delightful q thing as honest Miles had
supposed. To work hard all day long,
with no reward save snubs and insults
from his employers and covert sneers from
his fellow clerks, who called him clod
hopper and country chap, was rather
harder than the ordinary course of exist
ence at the farm, although it might be a
trif1e g genteeler.'
But tonight he would call on Miss At
cher and with eager restlessness he tried
on collar after collar, and finally adjusted
a scarlet silk necktie, for which he had
paid to him the extravagant sum of so
cents, securing it with a gaudy mosaic
pin, borrowed from one of his companions
at Messrs. Scratch & Staylaces, and
brushed diligently away until every speck
of dust was removed from his coat and
trousers pausing at the last to give his
boots an extra shine"
Miss Antonio Archer lived at - Revere
street, an aristocratic and pretentious To-
cality, with a good deal of polished glass
and plated door hinges, and at = Revere
street Mr.. Miles Perry presented himself,
heart
Il wish to see Miss Archer Miles said
loftily, and the maid showed him into the
library-an apartment divided from the
drawing rooms by a drapery of blue silk
curtains hung between f1uted pillars Of
variegated marble-and there left him.
Through disarranged fold in the silk
Miles Perry could catch glimpse of the
splendors of the two rooms behind.
Al ,41.1 i,
tbs grand piano and half dozen blue
silk chairs, but in the front apartment,
where administer carpets and buhl and
gliding glittered under full lighted
chandelier, sat the fair Antonio in dress
of lemon colored Grape trimmed with rich
black lace, and close beside her on the sofa
sat bald, elderly gentleman, with dia-
mond studs flashing in his linen and a
double chin.
Miles could see the blue ribboned lass
advance to her mistress and deliver some
message. The baldheadcd gentleman
arose and took a gold headed cane from
the corner, as if to depart.
IF you have other company he be-
gan rather testify, but Antonio laid her
little white hand caressingly on his sleeve.
Don't go, she cooed. Dear Nicholas,
! whose company could possibly prefer to
yours? It's only that country boy told
you about yesterday, you know
1.-The one that had the audacity to fall
in love with you out in the wilderness?'
chuckled the old gentleman.
Exactly. To think of his having fol-
! lowed me herei But these rustics have
neither sense nor discrimination.
''I'll go and send him away" said M7-
Nicholas GolIbeater promptly.
But when ha got to the library it was
empty. Miles Perry had not waited for a
more formal dismissal.
The re bins nest in the cid cherry tree
was deserted, and the leaves of the snow
ball bush had turned to crimson and ma
room, and the garden path was carpeted
with leaves OF fallen foliage, brown, yell
low and Jewel red.