St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1903-05-30
TIE Wooin&
Of Beatrice
By
PE>TON MS
Copyright, 1903, by Daily Story Pub. Coz

Copyright, 1909, by Daily Story Pub. Coz
D EATRICE had gone into the coun-
- try for long summer rest be-
tore her marriage, which was to take
place in the fall. Purposely she had
avoided the summer resorts with their
galet1es, and sought out a homely. old
fashioned farmhouse, where they chad
never TUX boarders BEFORE" but were
,'willin' tn try it fer one season cause
Mandy wanted tn go tn boardin'
skule."
1t certainly was quiet enough
eight miles from the nearest villa-and
she the only boarder, with no other
city folk" domiciled therea bouts. The
country life was all new to her and
she liked it frst-rate and the fresh
air and wholesome food and early hours
put the roses into her pale cheeks and
rounded her pretty form from the
very first. And she liked the wilkins
very much, and their quaint ways
amused her greatly, but being city
bred and used to the hurry and hustle
and excitment of the metropolis, the
utter solitude and quiet and everlast-
ing repose got onto her nerves after
had it not been for Stephens periodi-
cal visits. Stephen was her husband
to-be, her lover, her knight, her cheva-
ier-the hero of her dreams-and
when he came he brought with him
besides the atmosphere of the city and
all the latest gossip, the grateful in
cense of loves Offering.
AS for Abner, the son of plain Far
mer Wilkins, Beatrice noticed him
hardly at. all at first. He was sturdy,
awkward, red-faced, hard-handed
young giant, with steady, honest blue
eyes which looked straight into yours
when he spoke, but which fell help
iessly when they encountered the
laughing orbs of Beatrice.
The more Beatrice saw of this child
Of nature, however, the more inter-
csted she became in him. There was
certain rugged honesty and strength
of character that compelled her atten-
ton and respect, albeit she never could
quite repress her smiles at his awk-
and to respect him in a measure quite
ridiculous in view of her first impress
sions.
She found that he knew so much
more than she about the birds and the
trees and the flowers and plants and
all vegetable and animal life, and his
uncultivated philosophy was SO broad
and generous and. withal. SO correct,
even when squared with the platitudes
of the academists, that she came to re-
gard him in the nature of diamond
in the rough
AS for Abner, he worshiped the hem
of her garment from the first moment
he laid eyes on the dainty and beauti-
full apparition from another world. He
was one of that rare class so well de-
scribed as natures noblemen"-was
Abner-and for the first time in his
life he beheld a creature resembling
the lady of his dreams when Beatrice
arrived at the farm. Hitherto he had
not believed that any such beautiful
creature existed out of dreamland. He
was overawed, mystified, abased by the
sight.
OF course there was but one end to it
all. She led him on not at all and
filtration was the furtherest from her
thoughts; she was wholly wrapped up
in the brilliant Stephen, who was the
alpha and omega of masculinity to her,
and regarded Abner merely as good
comrade. But he was healthy and
normal young animal, and one evening
late in the summer as they walked
through the soft moonlight on their
way home after delightful day tramp
ing the woods he paused and poured
out his heart and soul to her. 1t was
the manly plea of child of nature
a natural orator and poet.
Miss Beatrice" he said, II haven't
had much chance fer learnin' and 1
amt exactly of your kind, but ye/are
tn first bit o. sunshine tibet ever come
into nv life tibet showed me tibet there
were somethin' different. I know I
am rough an coarse, but l feel tibet
there's somethin' in me what'n make
me as good ez ennybody if give it
chance. I don't want to skeer ye nor
nothin' o. tibet kim, but love We an
if We will wait fer me l will make a
place fer myself in your class. Ye hev'
been mighty kind to me, an thought
mebby ye might like me bit. If ye
would wait fer me couple O. years or
so would work powerful hard to make
myself good enough fer ye."
Then he stammered and blnshed
and flourdcrcd--but scarcely more
than she.
"Oh. Mr.. Abner," she said, with
pain in her voice, 81 never suspected
it, really l didn't. I respect you as
much and as highly as any man
have ever known-you know ever so
much more than most of them-but
don't you KNOW thought you did,
really I did am to be married to
Mr.. Stephen Drummond next month.
We have been engaged long time.
I thought you knew it. indeed l did,
He staggered as though he had