The White Pine news. [volume] (Treasure City, Nev.) 1868-1906, 1903-05-14
!.
At THE OLD FARM


81 PRETTY rosy-cheeked girl,
IN with round bare arms, was seat
q edon the top stepof the farmhouse
piazza. busily Smelling beans, exchang-
F ing sentences occasionally with a stall
wart young fellow who was ostensibly
Singing the barn near by,
The air was heavy with perfume or
wistaria and cinnamon roses, while
from the hedge came the soft notes Of
a wood thrush. \ pair of tiny hum
ming birds shimmering in the sunlight
darted 10 and fro, plunglng their long
bills into the blossoms of the vine that
covered the porch, while over all hoy
cred the sweet silence of a summer
afternoon.
The young man had given up all
pretense of work and lay stretched out
in the sun on the sloping roof With
hands closed behind his head, at peace
with the world and himself.
Il say, Nan. l wish | owned this
farm; it's jolly old place"
We'll, It viii all be yours some day,
Tom, and then l suppose you will send
your poor cousin by marriage hyin,"
said Nan, with a mirthful twinkle in
her eyes.
Il would shake you for that speech,
my girl, if 1t wasn't too much trouble"
said Tom. loftily.
Just then there was a sound Of splin-
terlng wood, six feet of Drawn and
muscle shot rapidly downward, and
with "plunkn disappeared in the
water butt.
Nan gave a shrek Of laughter, and
ran to help the immersed Adonis, but
there was no answering laugh; instead,
quiet that frightened her.
Tom was not a practical joker, still
it did not seem possible that he could
be seriously injured. What should she
do? The men were all down in the
hay field, and Tom might drown while
she went for help.
Her eye lighted on the chopplng
block. 1t was a huge affair, but she
managed to drag 1t to the side of the
butt, and, climbing up, discovered poor
Tom, doubled up like a jackknlfe.
As her cries reached his stunned
ears, he collected his wits, but did not
move.
Nan was leaning over the side, with
the tears streaming down her pretty
face.
"Oh, Tom, please get up. Dear Tom
%, what shah | do lie will drown
before any one comes" And she
reached frantically for his collar
Toms head was just above the
water, luckily, and with returning
breath he said:
Don't cry, Nan. I'm not dead by a
long shot, but my ankle is twisted and
you'll have to get some one 10 help
me out Of this."
81 am afraid you viii faint again.
said Nan. as he turned white with Il
spasm of pain.
Tom pulled himself together with an
effort. This was altogether too good
chance to lose. Kan had leased him
fer the last year, driving him wild
by accepting Invitations from all the
different SWANS who worshipped at
her shrine, but with rare wisdom he
had concealed his Jealousy.
He had proposed TO her, but she,
with a young maids dlstaste for the
final surrender, had refused to answer.
Perhaps so, some day" was her only
reply to his earnest. "Will you marry
me, NanF
Now was his opportunity.
Nan" in a purposely weak voice.
"don't leave me, dear | feal dread.
fully-as If l We're sllpplng-away-
away-you do-love-me-a little.
don't you, dear?'
YES. Tom. But for goodness sake
try to get out. Here, Ill help you.
Can't you stand on the other foot at
all?"
Tom made frantic efforts to attain
an upright position, holding on to the
firm little brown hand tightly
1t was serious work getting out, but
he finally managed 1t, and sank ex-
hausted on the block, leaning mean
while helplessly ON Mans shoulder.
Suddenly he clasped the amazed girl,
in a strong embrace.
1.-THE ankle is bad enough, my girl,
but it's worth 1t all to see those tears
for me on your dear face. Now, how
soon are you going to be my little
wife? No, no, my dearw as Nan in
dignantly tried TO get away. Il know
vor love me now and Won can't mt me
off any longer
"well-perhaps l do" said Nan, as
she raised her April face to receive his
first kiss.-Indianapolis Sun.