The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1900-10-12
EDlne|Ie'S Experience.
She Sought to Win o Countr.
Heart For Pastime.


When Mrs. Burkholder vent down
into the country for a months stay and
took Emmeline with her. Emmeline felt
inclined to rebel. 1t was an attractive
in the Chicago papers. The name of
the place-Fernwood--was enhancing
enough of itself and suggested the cool
shade. the brook ripping over messy
stones and tinkling in tiny cascades into
still, brown pools. the pure milk and ab-
sence Of mosquitoes and all the rest of
the rural advantages appropriately speci-
fed in pearl type. but Emmeline had
made plans Of her own.
Like dutiful daughter. she gave them
up. however. and packed three good sized
TRUNKS in view Of possible emergencies
and notified De Forest Sanford of her
destination. She notified De Forest I'd
the course of their daily correspondence.
once by telephone and the third time
when he made his usual evening call.
I'm afraid it will be deadly dull for
you." said the young man. "Gee! What
have you got stuck in your beltT"
"You want to be careful" she said
gently. Then she added: "Oh. I don't
know. though. Mamma says that there's
clubhouse on the lake and quite num-
Der of nice men come down to fish. Per-
haps it won't be SO bad"
1t may be noted that this clubhouse
was purely imaginary. but girls are ten
der hearted. and perhaps Emmeline did
not want De Forest to make. himself
miserable over the idea that she would
be lenely and bored. but somehow the
young man did not seem to be greatly
consoled.
Three days from that time Mrs. Burk-
holder and her trunks and Emmeline and
her trunks were unloaded on the plat
form Of the little station at ButternIt
Center. As the two ladies were standing
looking about them IN the undecided way
of people who expect to be called for
young man shambled up to them and
asked them II they were going to Fern
wood. He was perhaps &c or % years
old. tall and splendidly proportioned. with
clear brown skin and fair hair that
rather needed shearing. He was roughly
dressed in a coarse cotton shirt, none of
the cleanest, faded blue overalls and
heavy cowhide boots, and limp wool
hat whose broad brim was imperfechy
stiffened with a strand Of baling wire
shaded his classically nodded features.
saving the tip of his nose. which the sun
had burned to brick dust red. Emme-
line thought that was n pity.
I've got the blackboard here to drive
you over" said this magnificent young
son of the soil. "I'll have to come over
with the wagon and got your trraks lat
er on. but can take your satcAeis. Are
these them here?"
"Are you Mr.. Stookeyr asked Emme-
line.
mo. marm." he answered, gathering
the baggage together with one brown.
sinewy hand: "I'm his hired man. My
names Doman-they generally call me
Cy."
Emmeline was rather disappointed in
Mr.. DOMAIN. She was conscious that, in
spite Of the three hours railway Journey.
she was looking uncommonly well-not
uncommenly for her. for she always look
ed well. By all right and precedent Mr..
Stookey's hired man should have been so
overcome by her dainty presence as to be
only capable of stammering and blushing,
but he was entirely self possessed. and
his gray eyes met hers in cool and almost
critical scrutiny. For moment the pos
sibility that this might be some Chicago
board Of trade man or the like superior
clay incognito for the fun of the thing
flashed across her mind. hut she dismiss
ed that idea MS she walked behind him
and noted his slouching gait and the way
he wiped the perspiration from his manly
brow with the sleeve of his shirt.
They got into the blackboard, which
was a double seated one. Emmeline and
her mother rode behind. and the young
lady had good opportunity to admire
the hired mans broad shoulders and sr-
perb neck AID the care and certainty
with which his strong hands controlled
the spirited horses.
Fernwood really was quite q pretty
place, and the charms Of the brook and
the woods had not been overstated. Mr..
Stookey was pleasant. benevolent look
ing old man of n somewhat avaricious
disposition with regard to extras. and his
wife, worn and perpetually fustered
woman. who seemed to spend most Of
her waking hours over the kitchen stove,
was kind and attentive when she had
any time There was a freckled boy of
about IL. who was useful to the visitors
and an unfailing source of entertainment
besides. Another hired man, who was
scrawny. sour and uninteresting, and a
black eyed. hnxom girl Of 20 or there
about, who helped Mrs. Stookey In the
kitchen and waited at table and was call
ed Lotte, made up the household.
Somehow the time did not drag with
Emmeline as much as she expected it to.
There was a quiet, but not too quiet, po-
ny on the place and some pretty drives,
and the frecklcd hoy occasionally con-
descended to take her out into the woods.
She took strong interest in the calves
and the colts, and there were the ham,
mock and her correspondence, and the
cherries were ripe in the orchard, and,
although Lottie was never friendly. Cy
was.
As the time went on Emmeline noticed
that this young man began to shave twice
a week instead of once, as formerly, and
that whenever she looked at him he was
generally looking Mt her. Certainly he
had blue eyes Emmeline had nice eyes,
too, and she knew perfectly well how to
use them. Still 1t was hardly right to
use them on an unsophisticated young
man Just because chance had thrown
him In her way and there was no other
young man.
She conceded to herself that this was
wrong more than once, and she repented
more than once, for she was a well mean
ing sort of girl. One night she took un
a volume of Tennyson, intending to read
herself to sleep, and ran across Lady
Clara We're de We're" When she had
finished 1t, she shuddcred and told her
| self that she was wicked little coquette,
| and the next morning she hanted through
| her trunk for her prettiest moPntpg fpocR
and went dawn md reminded Cy ss IN