The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1903-03-06

tam pretty air of proprietorship in
everything that was going on. 81
hope you won't find it so hard as Mr..
Gridley seemed to-"
At this instant Joe Becraft set I'D a
shout of 'Hop-pole!" so Rossiter
thanked her for her kindly wishes
and hurried away.
What polite pole-puller!" ex-
claimed Miss Merton when Rossiter
was out of hearing. "Who is he, I
wonder?"
aren't pole-pullers usually po-
ite?" inquired Miss Densmore, smil-
ing a little. 81 thought the one of
yesterday was very attentive to our
wants."
Eyes, he was, but there is differ
ence even in pole-pullers. Did you
notice the way this man took his cap
off? Why, you might have been bow
ing to some one on Keneseo street,"
By and by Jack Parmelee paused
moment to chat with the two girls.
"How does your new pole-puller get
on?' was the first question he asked.
ooh, beautifully" responded Miss
Merton. 'Do you know his name?"
"'Rossiter' is what he calls him
SELF
'That sounds rather ambiguous.
Do you think that isn't his name?"
NO, I've no reason to think So"
How'd you get hold of him? He
doesn't work about here. 1 under
stood all the pole-pullers were men
from near by"
Parmelee then explained how he
had happened to employ Rossiter.
He came with the Becrafts over
yonder,' he added, Indicating them
with nod, mill people from Falls
burgh. Very likely he's mill hand,
but 1 don't care what he is so longs
he looks after you an the rest. We're
mighty short O. help. Well, 1 de-
clare" he concluded, glancing into
Miss Densmore's box, ''if you amt
maxim a picker! Miriam's nowhere"
Il don't talk as much as Miriam
does," said Miss Densmore, demurely.
"You can," cried that young lady,
"only you won't"
ST don't think it's at all likely at
she can," said Jack Parmelee, with
grimance. "'Tain't possible! But
here!" he exclaimed suddenly, ST
can't waste any more valuable time
on you two," and off he posted to a
different part of the yard, where a
stentorian voice was bawling Hop
sack!"
Rossiter thoroughly enjoyed minis
tering to the wants of the two girls.
1t had been many long day since he
had been thrown into even the re-
motest contact with women of re-
finement, and though he had little
speech with Miss Merton and her
cousin, he had plenty of opportunity
to observe them. Occasionally the
former addressed a remark to him
or piled him with a question, feeling
free to Go so as Mr.. Merton's
daughter, but he held himself scrupu-
lously aloof unless his services were
required, and was careful to say
nothing unless he was first spoken to.
Miss Merton's sunny temperament
and gay spirits pleased and amused
him, but he found Miss Densmore's
far the more attractive.
Furthermore, to him she was fairer
to look upon. Her complexion was
remarkable for it's clarity. Now and
again, when she was speaking, in her
cheeks a faint flush like the tint of
the briar-rose blossom would come
and go. Her eyes, of the deepest blue,
met those of the person with whom
she was conversing with an open and
glance. Constancy was
mirrored in them, and they seemed
like twin wells of purity and truth.
One little lock of hair, in which the
sunbeams ambushed, had way of es-
Gaping from it's confinement, and,
across her brow, lent a
soft witchery to her face. Her voice
rippled in sweet modulations, and
her laugh, which was never loud, had
in it beguiling contagion.
"Gettin' acquainted?" asked Joe
Becraft, as Rossiter tarried an in
slant by the box where the Becraft
family were busily engaged.
1t was not the first remark of the
sort that Joe had indulged in, and it
Jared on Rossiter, he hardly knew
why. Becraft's previous familiari-
ties had not touched him in this way.
He was well aware that it was natur-
Il for Becraft thus to express him
self, and that what he said was meant
wholly in good part, but inwardly he
resented it; and while he endeavored
not to show this in his reply, Joe
vas quick to see something was
wrong, and thereafter was more
careful how he referred to Miss Mer-
on and Miss Densmore.
During the two days that followed
Rossiter was quite as cautious as at |
hrst not to address any conversation
TO the two girls unless they invited |
IL. The free-and-easy life of the hop
helds, however, soon made itself felt |
In their intercourse, and when Miss |
Merton and her cousin discovered
that their pole-puller was intellectu-
ally their equal, whatever he might
be from social point of view, they
often chatted freely with him during
the occasional intervals when he was
not busy and CHANGED to be standing
near. They began, however, to have
curiosity concerning
him, for despite his rough clothes it
grew to be evident that he had some
time been accustomed to a different
environment from that in which he
vas now placed.
Continued on 9TH page.) }