The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-07-29
sat up, glanced at him. and screamed

sat up, glanced at him, ana screamed
again.
Are you hurt?" asked he, and she,
otter her second scream. acted as if II
were quite the ordinary thing for Hama
ford men to take nocturnal rambles in
cotton robes She rose to her feet and
answered him calmly, mo, 1 am not a
bit hurt, but I don't In the beast know
what to do
Trueman stepped over to the wagon and
saw that the whiff1e-tree had broken and
had released one of the traces.
lis there a rope in the wagon?" said
he.
Yes, the tie line" she answered
THAT will do I'll fix you up so you
can get the wagon home, and if you don't
care to ride in it I'll drive it and you can
walk. It's such a little distance"
o, how pretty she did look! So fresh,
That little wave of hair that had loosed
itself from its fellow locks was so raw
ishingi What an inspiriting thought that
he could be of real service to such a
beautiful girl. If he could be sure that
she was fond of flowers.
He took the rope and with the help
of his now truly valuable feather dus-
ter, he fashioned a new end to the Whit
f1e-tree and slipped the traces end over
the handle. While he worked at it and
she watched him with an admiring in
terest, for he was singularly def with his
hands, he suddenly said:
Miss Grayson. / meant to ask you the
other night if you were fond of flowers"
II adore them" she replied with fer
vor
Have you ever seen my garden?"
Not near TO. I noticed it as I was
driving by on Friday. 1t is beautiful
And Mrs. Harding says you laid it out
yourself"
81 always do. I'd like you to come
and see it-not now-with Mrs. Harding
Then he remembered that the oxen had
done for his garden, end he stammered
20, I forgot. It's ruined. The oxen ate
it up
The oxen ate It up?" said she after
him 1t now struck her for the first
time that perhaps he was crazy. He GER
tainly had on a very crazy costume If
he had not been the Adonis that he GER
tainly was, this cotton robe and the lone
ly looking carpet slipper of Venetian red
would not have been becoming to him
But even his touseled hair became him
and he would have looked handsome in
anything But why was he out so late
OF so cool a night with inadequate cloth
ing?
There, that'n last until you get home"
said he. He took the reins and climbed
on the step and the pain was excrutiat-
ing for a moment but his face did not
show IT.
I'm drive slowly and you can walk.
I don't suppose you care to ride" said
he
"No-Td rather walk" said she.
How kind he was, but how peculiar.
She did hope that no one would be look
ing out. 1t would seem so queer
He gazed at her fondly from the seat
as the old horse began to walk slowly
along. He drew the lap robe over his
knees 1t was getting cool.
Miss Grayson, have you-have you
ever thought seriously about marriage?"
Not since | was a child" said she,
laughing, she knew not why
Then you haven't ceased to think of It,"
he said, and realized that it wasn't ex-
adtly what he had meant TO express.
II mean-why, Miss Grayson. we have
so much in common-you love old furni-
ture and so do I. and you love flowers.
and do, too, and II adore you, and
you"
Really, Mr.. Newberry. I don't know
how to take YOU
Take me as l am-that is-Miss Gray
son-what is your first name?"
Ruth" said Miss Grayson, almost be-
fore she knew IT.
He had clasped the reins in his hands,
and he now raised reins and hands to his
heart and said:
Ruth, / am not man to shilly-shally.
I knew I'd marry when the right woman
came along, and here-here you are.
Don't say no. / have comfortable house
and l can restore my garden in spite OF
the oxen that are cursed or blessed, ac-
cording as you answer me. Come, We are
almost at your house. ! will leave the
horse and wagon here and halloo for Mr..
Harding if you VIII but say the one lit
tie word that l want. Isn't ruling me bet
ter than ruling d lot of unruly children?
I know what that school is. l went there
myself and no teachers lot is an easy
one"
He stopped the horse and Miss Grayson
stopped mechanically. He wound the
reins around the yhipstock and clam
bered out OF the wagon on the side oppo-
site the school teacher. This time his ex-
posed toe escaped injury.
why are you here in your-in white?"
IT chased Goodwin's oxen from my
bed-from my garden bed-to the grave
yard. / will &c ONE and get something
else on-anything to please YOU, Mister
Ruth, IL you Will only make me happy by
one little word. viii you share my furni-
ture and my fowers?"
Call Mr.. Harding and then 20 away,
and come to see me after school to-mor-
row. and I wiP~tell you"
Trueman made a horn OF his hands
and called Harding in his resounding bass.
At the third call there was an answer
from the house.
Now. do CO." said Miss Grayson.
Trueman put his hand up TO Eft his cap
and his fingers met IN a lock of dishevel-
ed hair. He waved his hand as graceful
as he could and turned and hurried home.
disappearing Just as Mr. Harding came
out to see what was the matter. True
man took longer TO get home than he had
taken to come with the oxen as peace
makers. but he was strangely happy he
knew not why.
But the next day he knew, and now,
If YOU were to visit Mr.. Newberry's
house. he and Mrs. Newberry would be
very likely to show you among their
treasures, an old feather buster laid as an
orna ment above another treasure, paint
ing by Horatio Walker of a pair Of oxen,
which bears the odd title, THE Home
Makers"