The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1896-12-02
MILES PERRY'S LOVE.

a
IN answer to chirp Of Mrs Perry's black
bird, whose cage hung in the kitchen win
dow.
Dinner was all over and all the dishes
slssged away, and tho thrifty farmers
wife had sat down to her sewing, with q
pair of silver speotacles perched ON her
Roman noso.
Fanny Clifford sat opposite-.a trim,
pretty damsel with sweet sunburned
face and great gray eyes, with blue black
flashes coming and going In their irises.
so Miles has really gone" said Fanny
after a moments silence, and there was
little quiver In her voice that the mother
fully comprehended.
Yes" said Mrs. Perry, stitching dill
gently away at the unbleached cotton shirt
she was making for her husband and pre-
tending not to soc the flush on Fanny's
check, she has gone. And great fool he
Is, in my humble opinion"
"Oh, Mrs Perryp' depreoated Fanny.
swell, what else Is he?' asked Mrs.
Perry, looking In IN owlish fashion
through the lenses Of her speotacles.
"HG0 he is with as nice farm as there Is
In the county, and him the only son, and
yet he's possessed to 60 to the city and
clerk in dry goods store, just because he
thinks 1t little genteeler than to plow
and SOW and reap, as his father and gram
thsr did before him, and"-she hesitated
a little here-"because he fancies Antonia
Archer will be pleased"
"She-she is very attractive" said poor
Fanny
Eyes, to them at likes gliding bettor
than true gold and Is cnught by red cheeks
and dashing ways Well"-aftcr min
uto'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 is one of tho
sort He'll be back, expect, when he's
found out no isn't the only poor moth
whose wings have been scorched in the
flame of coquettes wicked eyes"
"Oh, Mrs. Porry, Miss Archer never
would refuse Milesp' cried Fanny breath
lessly.
"If thought she wouldn't, should give
upr said Mrs. Perry energetioally.
The June sunset, fading In such tender
tints of rose and opal and gold over the
basel copses OF the old farm, was full of
glow and sultriness on Broadway.
The season was dull. 1t was Satur-
day afternoon, and the Messrs. Scratch g.
Staylaoe, after getting all they GOULD 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 mt last the op-
portunity to hurry home to his garret room
In third rate boarding house.
Lfe In New York was by no means so
delightful thing as honest Miles had sup
posed. To work hard and all day long,
with no reward save snubs and insults
from his employers and covert sneers from
his fellow clerks, who called him "olod-
hopper" and country chap" was rather
harder than the ordinary course of exist
snoe ut the farm, although 1t might be q
tyifie "gentseler.
But tonight he would call on Miss
Archer, and with eager restlessness he tried
on collar aftor collar, and finally adjusted
. scarlet silk nsoktie, for which he had
paid the extravagant sum-to him-of 30
osnts, securing it with gaudy mosaic pin,
borrowed from ono Of his companions at
Msssrs Scratch Il Staylaoe's, and brushed
diligently away until every speck Of dust
was removed from his coat and trousers,
pausing Mt tho last to give his boots an ex-
ira "shino"
Miss Antonia Archer lived at - Revere
street, an aristocratic and pretentious 10.
cality, With q good deal of polished glass
and plated door hinges, and at - Revere
street Mr.. Miles Perry presented himself,
with blushing oountenanoe and throbbing
heart.
II wish to SEQ Miss Archer" Miles said
loftily, and the maid showed him into the
library, an apartment divided from the
drawing rooms by drapery of blue silk
curtains hung between nuted pillars of
variegated MARBLE and there left him.
Through disarranged fold In the silk
Miles Perry could catch glimpse Of tho
splendors Of the two rooms behind.
The middle one was tenanted only by
the grand piano and half dozen blue silk
chairs, but in the front apartment, where
administer carpets and buhl and gliding
glittored under a full lighted chandelier,
sat the fair Antonio In dress Of lemon
lace, and elose beside her on the sofa sat
bald. elderly gentleman, with diamond
studs flashing In his linon and q double
chin.
Miles could see the blue ribbonsd lass
advance to her mistress and deliver som,
message. The baldhcaded gentleman arose
and took gold headed cane from the cor
ner, as II to depart.
III you have other company he be-
gan rather testify, but Antonia laid her
little white hand oaressingly on bis sleeve.
Don't 70, !" she cooed. Dear Nicholas,
whose company could possibly prefer to
yoursY It's only that country boy told
You about yesterday, you know"
"The one that had the audacity to fall
In love with you out In the wildernessS"
chuckled the old gentleman.
Exactly. TO think Of his having fol-
lowed me herel But these rustics have
neither sense nor discrimination.
"I'll 10 and send him away" said Mr..
Nicholas Goldbeater promptly.
But when he got to the library IL was
empty. Miles Perry had not waited for
more formal dismissal.
The robins nest In the old cherry tree
was deserted, and the leaves of the snow
ball bush had turned to crimson and ma
room, and tho garden path was carpeted
with leaves of fallen foliage, brown, yel-
low and jewel red.
And Miles Perry, sitting up in the great