The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1896-12-03
MISS BERWICk'S RUSTIC.
BIZ CAROLINE CONRAD.


on Ransom Dart nothing, unless 1t
were that chief agent Of satan Idle
ness. | mad nothing else to do, So the
whole Of that long summer through [
tiirted with Ransom Dart. | was
beautiful: mOdesty does not even per
init me to deny that; but | was not
young. | had been a belle several
seasons and had got to that, that a
summer IN the genuine country mot
at fashionable watering place. seem
ed absolutely necessary 10 rejuyenate
me and freshen my fading charms.
\ friend kindly directed me to the
desired place-a primitive enough
farmhouse miles away from any
where, | should say, and blessed with
the most primitive set Of occupants /
ever saw.
Ransom Dart was the farmer, his
mother kept house for him and her
self, (the farm was as much hers as
his.) ard there were besides some half
dozen awkward. red faced youngsters
of varlons sizes and sexes.
Ransom was. | must confess, the
most ungainly of any Of them. | de
tested the whole crew from the mo
ment | set my foot over the door
stone But | am impulsive, and it
WAS not 10 be expected that L should
he charmed at once with surroundings
so different from anything to which |
had been accustomed
hanson Dart, as have said, was the
most ungainlY specimen of aman | had
ever beheld. Tall, lank angular,
freckle faced and sandy haired. his
clothes coarse, Ill fitting and short at
the ankles and wrists, | had to look
desperately in the opposite direction
to keep from laughing in his face, the
whole Of the first week / spent in the
same house with him His sole at
fractions were, first and foremost Of
course, his utter indifference to my
self, my preferences, my person-my
presence actually to me, a thorough
ly seasoned belle, with the bloom of
the city upon me. His second attrac-
ton, and certainly a minor one, was q
par Of deer-set, bright, reddish brown
eyes. Those eyes were certainly
magnificent. Pity they should belong
to such a clown, was my mental com
ment the first time / fairly saw them.
But clown as he was. and hopeless
ly homely and awkward it was not to
be permitted unconsciousness of
me. Besides, little practice would
keep my hand in, strengthen my stra
tagetic powers, and there was an alb
surdly fascinating novelty in studying
the caprlces, tastes and weaknesses of
this rustic specimen Of the genus
homo. | therefore set myself to at
tract his attention to matters Of far
more importance than crops and
drainage | donned my most rayish-
ing toilattes; | took interesting atti
tudes: made simple little speeches
calculated to 1iatter him and impress
him with an idea of superiority. But
still another week passed without his
seeming to have ANY more than q !
casual consciousness Of my presence
Then | turned domestic. | put on
the plainest wrappers | owned, tucked |
my sleeves above my elbow. and !
sought the kitchen Just as he was
coming to dinner there He did Just |
glance at my ywhite and 9impled arms, |
but that was all, and l might have |
that,
Finally, in sheer desperation, | tried |
the hoydcn, and liked it so well for
its own sake, that | kept to the role |
some time. | made hay with the hay
in a white wrapper pinned |
back milk maid fashion, and an i'm
mense leghorn fiat that belonged to |
Mother Darts girlhood, Irode home |
on the very summit Of the fragrant |
load" l helped harvest; / learned |
to milk at the risk of spreading my I
delicate hands; | went blackberrying, /
strawbemying, fishing; [ tried to get |
lost IN the woods behind the farm
house. tried to break my neck climb |
ING along the moss grown caves be
low my chamber window: ! got san |
burnt, scratched and red checked
and Ransom Dart no more knew it |
than if | had been Tim the hired man.
In sheer revenge, by chance | discov-
ring that my Lord Indifference had |
1 sanctum IN a hitherto unsuspected |
'egiOn of the house, where he and
,undry musty volumes held nightly
)rgies. | invaded said sanctum during
his absence, hid the dictionary behind
he tirCbOard. consigned Livy to the
trlgonOmetry to the afore
sand caves. and introduced confusion
worse confounded'' geeerally. Thence
idjourning to lot beyond the farm
house. where was kept a favorite colt,
essayed my fascinatIons upon the
risky creature.
1t was not the first time | had been |
here. | had long been coaxing the
animal with extra rations. and such
ltblts as the equine nature most de
lights IN. Glpsy knew me perfectly,
ind would let me stroke its gltterinC
name and touch the star in his shin
ng black front, with the utmost i'm
onnlty. | had long had an ambition
10 ride this almost unbroken colt. and
| knew no one save his mas
.er had ever dared mount him. | was
all the more resolved to try.
There was not a side saddle Oh the
whole place, but / had heard of a
mans Saddle being used in case of
and had tugged one hith-
II surreptiuously. Having before
.amiliarized Clip, with the sight of it.
le did not shy now when l drew it
rom Its hiding among the bushes.
md approached him. With infinite
rouble | dragged the unwieldy thing
o the tOpmOSt rail of the zip Zap fence
hat encompassed Clips abiding place,
md, patiently coaXing the creature
near, succeeded. after many efforts.
n getting it upon his back Buckling
The straps which should keep it there
was another thing, but | accomplished
all IN time, Clip. fretting and Tuning
some, but kept in tolerable order by
ludlcious and prudent coaxing.
Finally. having knotted the halter