Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-06-29
CHAPTER FOURTEEN

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CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Fun Ting. home from the academy in
an adjoining town and looking very
handsome and manly in his new
clothes and recently acquired malt
nerisms, was anxious to find the Pu-
descent yellow violet to add to his col
lection OF carefully pressed botanical
specimens. Ned Maxim, his schooi
chum. had found it i'm Gilead and had
made him envious. This morning he
was walking up the long maple snail
ed lane from the highway to the Bruce
house. hoping that Tillie would so
with him across the mountains to hunt
for the flower.
Tillie, fresh as rose and with
checks REDEEMED with exercise over the
churn, was taking butter from the
round box that had changed it from
cream to golden masses Of eek smell
IN" !, 1 was al ,leal day. rll,ie had
hoped that the boy would appear
But now that he had come she was not
going to let him know how much she
had thought about his coming. She
laughed and shook her head when he
told her where he was going.
Il thought that perhaps l should
go down to the village" she said.
There might be a letter for me there.
And l have other things to think about
than violets." This last to make him
squirm. For since Title had dis
covered how madly Fun Ting was in
love with her she had yielded to the
natural impulse of a girl TO tease her
victim.
Fun Ting blushed wildly but stout
ly petitioned for her company on his
trip.
Il am sure that / shall find this
plant. and what a treasure it would be
to have found all by ourselves. You
know that while we have found all the
others we have never in all our tramp
ings come across this particular vio-
let" said the boy persuasively.
But the letter. 1t may be at the
office now"
Fun Ting paid no attention to this
worrying suggestion. He knew what
she meant. Since she had taught
school i'm BuCkfield few years before
one of the young men there had per
sistently written letters to her. She
gave no more encouragcmcnt to him
than to answer his letters in pretty.
girlish fashion. but she delighted to
boast to her boy friend that she had
a sweetheart in another town. and es-
pecially so since she was sure it tor
mented him. Had she not aroused in
h hn 80
jealousy. he would probably have been
content to remain simply an innocent
boyish companion of her home days.
AS it was he was fast thinking him
self into a man.
Fun Ting left her in the kitchen and
went into the sitting room where Mrs.
Bruce was sewing. She greeted him
with sunny smile. She loved the
young man with a nlothcrly. friendly
liking. She knew him better than
anyone else. for in her girlhood she
had known his wild. passionate. romp-
ing mother. Mary Hudson
What is it that You want" she
asked
\. II want Tillic to go out botanizing
with me-" said Fun Ting gloomily.
The woman had noticed her way
vard daughters coyness with her old
schoolfelIow and had resented it. She
remembered that i'm her own girlhood
she had very nearly ruined young
man by thus tormenting him. She
liked the straightforward. manly way
in which this little Chinese fellow
made love. She could read i'm his
tuoyant happy face that there was no
danger for Tillie in his company He
loved her. and his love was akin to
reverence. as Is the case in SO many
love affairs where one party is older
than the other.
'Tillie." called Mrs. Bruce. Il wish
you would SO up i'm the attic and pick
over the carpet rags. I think that u
could just about finish that .st
bag today"
If there was anything tlac Tillie
hated to do 1t was to pick over the
carpet rags. Her mother knew it, She
expected the prompt plea her daughter
made to be allowed to accompany Fun
Ting.
"oh, mamma. Fun Ting wants me to
go out in the woods with him. said
the girl coming in with 4 guilty look in
her eyes.
But when can you do the rags
arr"
'"me other time. please would so
get out in the cool forest this
-
MRS Eruce looked at the Young peo-
pie end smiled at the joyfulness Of Fun
TIng's face as he realized that rifle
vas Gcing with him. Just such 4 loon
had So often flashed over he honest
face of Titles father. She wen: I'D
TO the boy and Kissed him suddenly.
You are good boy. Fun" she said.
little while after the young people
we're tripping up the mounia;nsidc
looking for birds nests as they went.
Fun Ting carried the box of lunch
that Mrs. Bruce had put up. and Tillie
swung her sunbonnet in her hands by
the long string
Up and up they went. now and then
stopping to pick sand violets or wake
robins. or to peer into some pasture
bush where a bird had fitted out at
their approach.
At last they entered the deep ravine
where years before Flu Tings mother
had shot four bears with the rifle of
the hired man, and where only a few
months hcForc 'rilIic b,,I ,,;1Io.l