The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-03-28


all down i'm meadow and the fields were
bordered by thick bosky hedges. Tall
cocks threw shadows nearly across
some of them, and the interspaces were
very goldenly green with fresh-spring-
ing aftergrass, under westering sun
beams. On others the newly-mown
swathes still lay in the soft waves, and
the shorn sward underneath was paler-
hued, not having had time to thrust up
any young blades since the sweep of the
scythe went by. Along under the hedge
the remnant of the meadow made q
fringe with feathery crests. dropping
and creamy plumes, tall stalks that un-
furled white sunshades, and here and
there a scarlet poppy. The drops of an
earlier shower still twinlled beneath
them, and Rosanne's crisp pink calico
skirt grew limp and bedraggled rs she
brushed by. But she did not heed this,
for the one article of dress that she
much regarded-her new hat, with its
wreaths of curious buff and crimson
roses-rested safely on her head, and
her head was full of preoccupying spec
ulations. She began TO think that per-
haps, after all, no such harm was done.
That is to say. il was, 81 course, woful
pity about the beautiful cream; but,
for the matter of losing her place there
by, she wasn't sure that she wouldn't as
lief as not quit being in service. And
she thought IL as like as not that when
she came home this way Dan Mclean
would again take up the notion of their
getting married after the harvest. That
was what he had wanted to do in the
spring, IL her stepmotEer had not put
be better for them TO get together few
pounds before they set up housekeep-
ing. Rosanne now said to herself that
she did not see any occasion for it. She
wondered, too, what sort of girl Mag.
gle Walsh, her stepsister, who had just
come to live at home, wns apt to be.
She had n presentiment that there
However, that didn't much signify
by reason of Dan.
Through three or four fields Rosanne
passed without meeting anything to
interrupt these cogitations. Now and
then the voices of home-going hay
makers were waited over a hedge, and
n belated corncrake was heard from n
long way off family ''crenk-creaking."
The shadows heightened silently all
about, and the sunlit interspaces
seemed as they shrank to grow more
jewel-like in their glinting gold on
green. In a sheltering corner a large
olive-mottled frog started up out of the
tangled grass, and went fiinging him,
self on before her in long series of
expanding leaps; but at last she almost
trod on him as he stopped and sat sud-
denly squatting. At the same mcment
somebody called her name loudly, close
by: "Rosanne, Rosanne."
A fappy white sun bonnet was look
ing at her over gate in hedge, a
little way to the right; and in 1t she
recognized her cousin, Martha Reilly,
who lived near them at home. "And
where might you he Off to?" Martha
said, as Rosanne came up to the gnte,
''and wild fine grandeur on YOU" she
added, referring to tho rose-wreathed
hat.
"Sure I'm Just strcelin' about Bit"
Rosanne said, with rather confused
unconcern. She regretted the encoun-
ter, and was not at all disposed TO con-
1ide in Martha, who had the name Of
being "the greatst ould gossip you'd
meet in q long days walk" "It's a fine
warm evenin," she continued. to ac-
rouuf for her at,,fvll
"Warm enough, bedad, said Martha,
"you might say SO IL IL was in the hay
you'd been. come up yesterday to
work above at Hiifirthy's, and i was
manin' to run over this evenin' and see
you, on'y somethin' delayed me. And
what's the best good news wild you
this long while?"
"I dunno is there any news In par
tic'lar, bad or good" said Rosanne,
with guilty: II could an i would"
in her mind. as sho thought of the pigs
supper.
"Then you haven't heard tell about
Dan McClcan?" said Martha, suddenly
craning her neck over the topmost bar.
"What about him at alp" said Ro-
same, with great start.
"You haven't heard?" Martha re-
peated, in half incredulous tone.
"Can't you tell ne?" snid RosanIse.
"I'll come over to you--just waltz"
said Martha. She launched her pitch
fork across the CUTE, ind began to scale