The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1898-01-04

~ budget who acted the part
49, of sweetheart in this dram
"TE ma of extreme youth was
NQN a plump but agile little miss
whose cheeks were like rose tinted vel.
vet, aud were hung Ebout with heavy
ourls, the color of FURNISHED gold; and
whose long, dark lashes fringed a pair
Of big brown eyes that could sparkle
childish anger or melt as by their own
ere into languid, irresistible looks of
love and tenderness.
Mene-For that was her name-had
left the nursery on the pretext Of go.
ing to play in her doll house on the
lawn. It was q pretetious effair of sew
sral rooms, built by a real carpenter,
and furnished as completely as the pa
srnal mansion. The play house stood
at the rear Of the yard, very near to
high board fence that marked off the
lawn from the back street. Mena
vent through the house and out the
back door as quickly as possible. Then
she peeped through q hole in the fence
shat had been made by punching out
sknot in a board. But as this mock
telescope was not an adjustable affair,
her range of vision was limited,
and thus she resorted to other
means Of communication. Just inside
he door of her playhouse was an apple
'tWig, on which was tied a long, red
ribbon; it was kept there for the pur-
pose of signaling. She pushed it
through the hole, and wound il around
violently. 1t was soon seen and in
SANITY answered, for a pair of rough
shod but eager feet hastened to the
spot.
"Hellol Mena," said Jimmy, pulling
out the twig, and softening his voice to
to the most gracious tones Of gellan
try.
Hello, Jimmy"
There was silence for q moment. An
embryo gust of lovers modesty seemed
to embarrass conversation. Tnen Me-
ma resumed:
Are you there, JimmyG"
Yes, I'm here"
We'll, I thought if you'd help me
over the fence, mebbe I'd come over
to play with you"
Jimmy was delighted, and fastened
Ounprop a board which he had lately
lOOsened for just such occasions. Jim
my's yard was in sad contrast to that
Of his little butterfly playmate. TIE
West family lived in a small frame
house that spoke principally in the
language of neglect and decay. The
father of the family was a shittless
man, who eked out a living for him,
self by odd jobs, and left the main sup
port of the family to the hard working
wife. In his miserable surroundings,
Jimmy was like q fine variety OF hot
house plant that had accidentally
come up in an uncared for garden OF
coarse vegetable growth. He was fine
teatured, we'll hammered, sensitive and
proud. Bat he was only a child, and
few people had occasion to consider him
very deeply, and these commendable
traits were obliged to wait for recogni
ton till maturity should bring to prom
hence.
The playhouse on Jimmy's side OF
the fence was q very crude effair. The
rooms we're laid off by pieces Of stone
and broken brick-and there was nc
such thing as q wall or covering.
Chunks of wood and small boxes served
tos chairs, and the cupboard was filled
With bits of broken dishes, pieces OF
tn bent up at the corners, and glass
go6lets with the standards knocked of.
But to Mena's childish fancy it was
Ike a palace of the gods. There, she
and Jimmy kept house, and there
never was known such ideal domestic
concord as was preserved by usage In
'oa small, makebelieve household.
aena went into raptures over the
"" way of getting through the fence.
VOW she could step through comforta-
Wy without tearing the embroidery of
~f trock-an accident that used in
saflAoiy to accompany the route over
%etence. But Mena's fortune seemed
Oe counterbalanced by Jimmy's ill