The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1900-02-09
THE HIRED MAN.
| STORY or RURAL LIEE.

i eS, IndulIld, nave given Her my
promise and l will not disappoint her
or Aunt Julia"
81 am sorry, as I am most anxious
that you should spend the season with
us at Bar Harbor.''
"Yes, mamma, but Elsie and Nell
will be with you, and they will make
up for my loss"
'But, my dear, what will Mr.. Royl-
ston say, or what will he think of
your"
Never mind, mamma. Mr.. Roylston
will succeed in getting someone to
amuse him as well as l possibly
could"
"Why. Lottie, how can you talk so
when you know he adOres your Rob-
ert Roylston is rich, handsome, and
comes of = coed family" said Mrs.
Armstrong.
Yes, and considers that he can take
any girls heart and kick it about like
a football" added I.ottie.
1t was not Robert Roylston's fault
that he heard the above conversation,
as he sat on the piazza near the room
where the mother and daughter were
talking.
so 1 take young girls hearts and
kick them round like q football? Eth,
that's what my little spitfire thinks Of
me-"
This way, II you please, miss. viii
get your traps aboard"
Lottie jumped into comfortable
two-seated carryall, and the hired
man, after slowing away the satcheIs
and bags, jumped in and turned the
herses' heads toward the Elton farm
house, q journey of FIVE miles over
the mountains.
Miss Lottie, sitting in the rear seat,
had ample opportunity to study
Grandmother Eton's hired man.
''WhO is your hired man, Aunt Ju-
liA? Lottie asked when they were
alone. where did he come from?
What is his name" and fifty other
questions in as many seconds were
asked by Lettie.
Aunt Julia replied that he was q
poor student, and came up to the Pro-
file House, where he expected work,
but was disappointed.
"He said his name was Edmond
Roberts and he came from Plymouth,
only he is the best hired man we ever
had"
Lottie scarcely looked UP during
luncheon, but when she did she felt
that the mans eyes were looking
through her.
"How far is the Profile House from
here. grandmaT when the hired man
left the room.
about five miles," said Mrs. Elton.
"Wonld you h re any objection to
Mr.. Roberts driving over there this
RfternoonW
Certainly not"
1t did not take him long TO get old
Dobbin hitched up, and the look he
gave Miss Lottie when she asked him
kept her thinking where she saw Mr..
Roberts before, but the heavy dark
beard deceived her.
p Nearly every day some Of the many
places of interest in the New Hamp.
shire hills were visited. So much
time did Lottie take Of the hired man
that another hand was employed to do
the rough work.
One afternoon they started OF on q
hucklebery expedition. They were
warned by Grandma Elton that there
was storm in the air and to be care.
full.
Twas late in the afternoon when q
little speck appeared In the sky, but
1t grew wonderfully fast and black.
The berry-pickers ran ct the first
sign Of the storm, but when they ar
rived at the place where they had left
their team the storm was at its height
To make matters worse, old Dobbin
had broken his halter and started for
home.
"What shall we do! Oh, what shall
we do" cried Lottie. "Oh, Robert-oh,
/ mean Mr.. Robarts mo, I mean Mr..
Roylston! Oh, RoDert-B ob-what shall
we dop and then, wOmanlike, she fell
in his arms in faint.
He lifted her in his arms to a nook
on the side Of the mountain road,
which sheltered them from the heavy
rain, and when she recovered she
found his bushy beard against her
face and his great blue eyes looking
down at her.
She could not help smiling when
, Bob Roylston told her that he knew
that she recognized him almost from
the first day, but 1t took lightning and
thunder from a clear sky to make her
acknowledge 1t.
, But, of course, the clouds cleared
away and the sun smiled down upon
the lovers Explanations followed.
Lottie said the reason she wouldn',
go to Bar Harbor was on account OF
4 little Irritation that occurred between
) Robert and Aggie Larkin.
2 He said the reason he did not 90 Ia
! Bar Harbor was that he did not want
to make football out of the girls
hearts" to kick about as he pleased
!. But the fact that Grandmother Elton
had to get a new ''hlred man." and
. that wedding cards had been sent IA
the elite at Bar Harbor, the names OF
Y Miss Lottie Armstrong and Mr.. Rob
1 ert Roylstop being prominently men.
toned therein, showed that a happy
reconciliation had taken place.-,Dos.
ton Post.
I Curious Ear of tho Catfish.
MI. l.