Middletown transcript., 1903-07-11
THE OLD OAKEN BUCKET
"
BY ADA BEERS FAY
BY ADA BEERS IA Y.

Looking around they behelt
Miss Ross, gazing with unbound
ed amazement at the exquisite
favorite of Fifth Avenue drawing
rooms, down on the grass, PICK
ing, yes, actually picking berries
and with a little country girl IN
hideous calico sunbonnet.
Come and see, Miss Maud, ant
he held the pail out for her In
spection.
0, but do look at your hands
Then raising her voice: Susie
Mr.. Cunningham, do come here
and see what a plight Mr.. st
John is in. o, it is too funny
with a conventional laugh, quite
unlike Margaret's clear, silyery
laughter.
would, as a friend, you know,
advise you all to be on your gooo
behavior, or Miss Percy and !
will refuse to share our spolls
with you-and there's a nice lot
of them, too. I'll not even trust
IN
them to your hands, Miss Percy
until they are safe in the house
Maud favored her cousin with
a dark look there was no mlsun-
derstanding, and, unfortunately,
Mr.. ST. John saw it too-and
quite understood it.
1 think you may safely trust
them to me. I promise not to
spill or eat them on the way, and
Margaret held out her hand for
the pail, with a careless smile.
Couldn't think of it. Are you
going this way? They all walked
to the house together, the cousins
and Mr.. st. John taking the lead,
while Mr.. Cunningham and his
betrothed Jagged behind after a
fashion peculiar to lovers.
am very much obliged to you,
Mr.. st. John, said Margaret, as
he placed the pail in her hands
at the door, and then walked off
with Maud.
l am afraid there were good
many thoughts of her cousins
supposed suitor mixed up with
her culinary operations, and that
a pair of soft brown eyes were
strangely blended with the bright
berries as they passed through
her deft fingers in preparation
for the table.
Well, mamma, that Margaret is
an artful one! and Miss Ross
threw herself in a chair by the
window of her mothers room,
meanwhile congratulating her.
self on finding Mrs. Carpenter
out, and her mother alone.
Why, Maud?
/ was taking a little walk over
the brow of the hill near the
orchard, when l heard voices
just below me. I listened for a
moment, and I recognized Mr..
st. Johns voice and laugh, min
gled with woman's tones. And,
will you believe me, there he was
down in the grass, picking ber-
ries with Margaret, both chat
ting and laughing as if they had
known each other for years. |
never was so taken back in my
life. The impudence Of her!
Of course he was only amusing
himself at her expense, but l
must confess l do not at all like
the idea of anyone making game
of a person in any way related
to me.
My dear, what language?
0, bother my language!retorted
the dutiful and amiable daughter.
Don't worry, dear! l shall see
to it,. in future, that Margaret
picks her berries without any
more of Mr.. St. Johns assistance.
Still, it may have been quite ac-
cidental, you know, Maud.
He was hardly down there
picking berries by accident, l
should think. I can tell you one
thing, though, shall not stay
here, if that's the way things are
going. Goodness knowsit's S slow |
enough, anyhow. Margaret's
awfully pretty, and he's no fool,
can tell you. Bah! don't you
suppose he sees through our little |
game, and despises US accord
ingly? Of course he does.
But. my dear, he certainly ad-
mires you very much, and I'm |
quite certain if you manage him
it will be all right.
Did admire me, you'd better
say! for I can tell you that he's
) great deal farther to- day, from
proposing to me, than he was
three weeks ago, when we first
came here. I'm afraid, my wise
mamma, it's an overdose Of pro-
this time, and NJ mis-