Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1898-12-07
A STROKE OF LUCK.


him was this: Just as he reached the
row nearest the road, some one said:
"Good morning, Deacon Wade" in q
7oice that made him think of blackbirds
and bobolinks, and he looked up, to see
Rhoda Mason smiling over the fence at
him.
"Good morning, good morning." re-
sponded the deacon, delightedly
"Beaatiful morning, isn't !"
Charming" answered Rhoda.--
"How's Mrs. Wheelock' Well, I sup
poser
"She's gone to her sons again" an
swered the deacon. "She went yester-
day-some OF the children's sick, be-
lieve-so Bob and 1 are keeping house
alone. I'm getting about tired of it,
SOS Bob. He was telling me this MORN
ing that he thought it would be a good
idea for one of us to hunt up new
housekeeper; and I don't know but
what he was right
Pretty Rhoda's face got as rosy as
the blossoms on the damask rose bush
by the gate. The deacon wondered
why he had never noticed how pretty
she was before.
II see you've got a nice crop of straw
berries" said Khoda, pretending to be
greatly interested in the long rows OF
ripening fruit. "Ours area failure this
year. Mother said she didn't believe
we'd have enough for shortcake."
81 want to know" exclaimed the
deacon. That's too bad, L declare.
Well have more than we can fuse, and
I'll bring you over some just as soon as
they're ripe enough to pick"
"Thank you ever SO much" respond
ed Rhoda. 81 know motherll be glad
to get them. But I must be going, or
I won't get back by dinner time," and
she went away, leaving the deacon with
q new idea in his head.
II s'spose folks wouldsay it was fool
ish for an old fellow like me to marry
a young girl like Rhoda," he said to
himself, as he turned back on the next
row of sweet corn. "But other men,
older than I am, marry young wives;
so why shouldn't 1--we need good
housekeeper here. It's getting so we
can't depend on Mrs. Wheelock. She's
gone half the time, and we're likely TO
lose her altog ether almost any time"
The more the deacon thought of it
the more in earnest he got. On Satur-
day he picked basket ofluscious straw
berries, and that afternoon he took
them over to the Mason homestead.
81 declare, if I ain't rather excited
said the deacon, as he neared Rhcda's
home, and felt his heart beat..quick and
hard. I thought I'd got over that
years ago. If 1 feel this way now,
how'll 1 feel when I get there? OF
course, I'm not going tC propose to her
right away. I'll just kind O hint at |
matters and things, enough to set her
Tain't best to be IN too
great hurry about such things"
Rhoda was sitting on the front porch,
Smelling peas. Pretty as she had look
ed that morning in the roadside, she
looked far prtttier to-day, the deacon
thought.
"Ob, you've brought those berries
you promised us, haven't you" cried
Rhoda. "It's so kind of you. Mother
was delighted when I told her what
you vas going to do. I'm sorry she
isn't al home this afternoon. She went
to call on Mrs. Perlins-she's sick, you
know. But come in and sit down, and
maybe she'll be back before you 60.
hope she will, for know she'll be
real disappointed to miss your visit
ooh, that's nothing" said the dea-
cen.
IL can come again, you know"
81 wisL you would" said Rhoda.-
Mother was saying that you weren't
very neighborly. She didn't remember
when you had been here"
IL want to see your mother and
have good ng talk with her about an
idea I've t. said the deacon, fy and
by. She knows h Nv much we reed
a h, usekeeper, AMI I always thought
her very sensible woman, and I'm
sure she'd think just as I do about
about this idea nine. At least, l
hope so. I suppose sled feel able to
carry on the house on a place like
this al5ne, wouldn't she? She seems
strong and healthy as ever"