The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1900-07-24

TO Electra al breakfast tlIlIt. hlS
Wagner went downstairs II entered
Mrs. Bankers little sitting just
as the clock was striking 9, Electra,
with her hat already on, stood by the
margin of the Weekly Chronicle. Her
forehead wore a puzzled frown, and
she hesitated now and then, moving
her lips in apparent ~perpleXlty, ana
gazing abstractedly at her pencil.
But she welcomed Miss Wagner with
a beaming smile. II as soon as she
had written the last word, folded the
strip of paper into squares and tuck
ed it indifferently into her pocket.
In her longest and most stitf1y
starched calico tier, Electra had an
air of being in full dress. 1t was
pink-the pale, delicate pink that
ranked next to c~ross-barred muslin
itself among her tiers-and she knew
how to make it rustic with indescrib-
able elegance as she walked. In al
most ANYBODY else the rustling and
the elegance might have betokened
self-consciousness. With Electra they
were but a part Of the natural develop
ment of things, no more to be con
sidered. in the general scheme OF we'll
being. than uImples or laughter.
\ sudden anxiety Overspread her
face as they went down n steps;
and. with a murmured exclamation,
which her companion failed to under
stand, she flashed swiftly across the
ward and out of sight around the cor
ner Of the house. The sun seemed to
shine a little less brightly in her abb
sence. Miss Wagner even fancled
that she felt a snght chilliness in the
air; whereunon she stepped inside the
door again. throwing her thin cape
over her shoulders and fastening it at
the throat with an impulse OF habit
ual caution.
Gold, Miss Wagner?' Mrs. Barker
stopped on her way from the dining
room to the cellar. her eyes resting
kindly upon the l~istles5 figure, sill
houetted against the lavish splendor
Of tie summer morning Its this
entry does it, she went II. Most
anybody'H SILVER in it, no matter
WHAT time O. day It's. | could use it
for an ice chist an done with it, l
tell EN-, if 'twasn't quite so pubiic.
Years Of experience had familiaTized
Mrs. Barker with nearly every phase
of thu genus Summe bOarCer, but this
tanguid young woman was a new
type, not easily classified The aver
age occupant of her best chamber for
example, would have thought it only
courteous to reply to her remarks.
Miss Wagner either did not listen to
them at all or quite forgot to an
SWer
s'it's lucky for her't she seems to
take to Electry So Mrs. Barker So
~IiiouuiZod as size descended the cellar
stairs. shed be mortal lonesome if
she didn't. As q gen'ral thing she
amt no he'trrn q mute at a funeral
WI Ell, | fry to talk with her; here
they two1l travel Off together, day in
an day out. like a pair o lambs
a moment later Electra came back,
her steps unnurried now. her whole
small person radiating serenity. An
ancient-looklng bag of Java canvas
hung upon her arm, the faded SPLEEN
dor Of its embroidery brought into
bold relief by significantly bulging'
outlines. 1t sent forth a tempting or
chard fragrance at close range; u
before the front,gate had fairly click
ed behind them Electra drew from it
a mellow. richly-tinted apple. strcaked
here and there with vivid crimson by
the August sun.
'Mother says vittles cheaper'n doc
tors any day" she announced with
serious wisdom, as She tasted it: the
regularity with which one rapid
mouthful followed another demon
Strating her hearty Concurrence in
her mothers opinion. For perhaps
five minutes after this she trudged
along the narrow country road at
Miss Wagner's side in contented 81
lence. her feet raising clouds OF vel
low dust that obscured at intervals
her sturdy little shoes and homeknit
openwork stockings. At the end of
hat time she launched briskly into
conversation.
'See that brown house over acrost
the field, Miss Dorothy? Miss Nc
Daniel lives over there. Father called
her a blamed fool once. ! guess you'd
like to hear about that" her gray
eyes following the closely bitten frag-
ment of apple core that was just de-
scribing a prolonged curve over the
fence.
"She came over to stay with me one
time so't mother could 90 down't the
Centre with father; he'd got to have
a wisdom tooth hauled. Well, they
hadn't been gone no time before her
daughter Liz-beth's husban's come
after her. He said they'd got COM
pany t home, an she must go right
back with him, at any rate. SO she
got ready in a nort1e hurry, an took
me along with her. But she looked
out to put away mothers silver
spoons. all six of 'em, in the parlor
stove before we started. IN she just
wrote out in great big letters'-balan-
cling herself on her toes here and
speaking with dramatic fervor-'N.
B.-I've put the silver in the stove
an'she pinned it right up outside the
window. She did that, she said, so't
mother shouldn't worry one mite
about the spoons; an when father saw
it he called her q blame fool"
a little red squirrel glided past on
the tone wall and darted up into a
chestnut tree with the mysterious
grace which nature has bestowed upon
her woodland creatures. Electra
watched him eagerly. She made a
low c~hirruping sound which the squir-
rel apparently saw fit to regard rs
threatening: there was a swift scurry
among the branches. a sudden swirl
and hutter of the leaves and then per-
feet silence.
He's hid decided Electra. after a
brief interval of waiting. 'Squirrels
amt no fooS-whatever!
Want to know why father called
Miss Mcdaniel a blamed fool?" She
went on seductively. Il asked him af-
forwards, an he said twas because
the dentist most broke his jaw haulir'