Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1899-01-12
oooooooooooooooooooooooos
FARMER TUCKER'S GIRLS. !
BY Helen Whitney Clark.
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UAIPH! Marry

W " fireplace. 81
intend to marry for money!"
"WhY, Neva?"
The eldest Miss Tucker was chris
tened Geneva.
Glow can you say so?" cried her
younger sister, opening pair of big,
blue eyes, mystic and tender, with
thickly- golden lashes. Il
think it would be the incest thing in
the world to fall in love with hand
some young man, with eyes as black
as Goals, and live in pretty cottage,
all covered with vines"
"Stuffl" interrupted Neva, snap
pishly, curling her red, but rather
shrewish lips, in o scornful manner.
'Love is all bosh! / wouldn't care if
never saw a cottage, or vine! To
be mistress of q brown-stone house in
the city, with frescoed walls, and
Turkey carpets, and boudoIr paneled
in blue velvet, is my ambition, aad
I'll accomplish it, tool With servants
in livery, and a superb dining-room,
handsomely furnished-a marble-top
sideboard filled with silver plate and
painted china, cut-glass decanters and
goblets, and pickle e-stands-if l could
have all that, wouldn't care snap
for such nonsense as romance and
love-"
The entrance of Tom, the hired
hand, bringing fresh backlog for
the fire, interrupted them. He stirred
down the embers till they glowed like
a bed of melted rubies, threw on a
huge, spice-scented log, fringed with
scarlet lichens and gray moss, and
turned to leave the room, handsome,
manipulating fellow, in spite of his
homely suit OF butternut jeans.
"Tomr'
Miss Geneva snapped out the word
as if disdaining herself for speaking
at all, and determined to cut it as short
as possible.
Bring bucket and take these
ashes up!" she commanded, haughtily
'And stamp the snow off your feet
before you come into the sittinS-room
again"
ooh, Neva You've hurt his feel
ings; how could you?" cried Honora,
her blue eyes flashing, and her cheeks
glowing Indignantly.
"Feelings! sneered Geneva. "The
idea of hired man having feelings!
That's one of your odd notions, Nora.
Besides, if he don't know his place
better than that, I'll teach it to him,
that's all"
Tom re-appeared with bucket aud
shovel and proceeded to take up the
ashes, while Miss Tucker cast a
whitening glarce at him, as much as
if she were detective, and he a
hardened criminal, in the act of com
mitting burglary,
"Well, well' muttered Aunt Betsy
Tucker to herself, as she turned the
heel of the blue yarn sock she was
knitting. who'd although, after
two years at boarding-school, Genevy
would hev come home with sich no.
tions as that? Shucks! I'd rather be
an old maid forty times over, than
marry man fur his money, like she
talks of doing. don't believe in no
SIGH! It's nothin' but riches an fine
clothes from mornin' till night with
her. Her heads plump full of it.
But Honory, bless herl nothin' could
spile her. Shes got heart as soft
2s bin-redbreasts, and while
Geneyy is a-naggin' and a-scoldin' at
Tom from mornin' till night, Honory
more'n makes mp fur it by her sweet
words an smilin' looks. An that
makes me think. What was it she
said about coal-black eyes? Toms
eyes are blacker'n any coal ever l see,
an the way he looks at Nora out of
'em is enough to turn any girls head
Wal, size might do wuss than to marry
Tom Alderberry, though she is as
pretty as pink, an god as any angel
, that ever livedw
And Honora Tucker was very
pretty girl; with eyes like summer
gentians, and cheeks as pink as the
velvety petals of Michigan rose.
The air was keen and crisp, but
clear, and cleaning ice-crystals hung
from every tree and shrub, sparkling
like diamonds.
"Nora! Moral" called her sister,
"see what an elegant carriage, with
silver mounted harness and servant
in livery. Oh, myw
"And span Of matched horsesp
crieS Nora. enthusiastically. as she