Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1903-02-27

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.
"Oh, beautifully" responded Miss
Merton. do you know his name?"
Rooster 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. / 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 a mill hand,
but don't care what he is so longs
he looks after you an the rest. We're
mighty short O. help. Well, l de-
clare" he concluded, CHANGING into
Miss Densmore's box, IF you amt
maxim a picker! Airiam's nowhere"
VI don't talk as much as Miriam
does" said Miss Densmore, demurely.
you can," cried that young lady,
"only you won't"
II don't think it's at all likely 'at
she cam" said Jack Parmelee, with
ordnance. ""rain't possible! But
here!" he exclaimed suddenly, II
can't waste any more valuable time
on you two" and off he posted to
different part of the yard, where
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-
hottest contact with women of re-
tinement, and though he had little
| speech with Miss Merton and her
cousin, he had plenty of opportunity
! to observe them. Occasionally the
former addressed remark to him
OF piled him with a question, feeling
free to do so as Mr.. Merton's
lousy 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
personality far the more attractive.
| Furthermore, to him she was fairer
| to look upon. Her complexion was
remarkable for its clarity. Now and
| cheeks 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
confiding glance. Consistency was
mirrored in them, and they seemed
like twin wells Of purity and truth.
One little lock- of hair, in which tho
| spnbealns ambushed, had a way of es-
gaping from it's confinement. and,
crinkling across her brow, lent q
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 l,ossiter 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 INDUCED 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-
al 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
was quick to see something was
wrong. aud thereafter was more
careful how he referred to Miss Mer-
ton and Miss Densmore.
| During the two days that followed
Rossiter was quite as cautious as at
first not to address any conversation
to the two girls unless they invited
1t. The free-and-easy life Of the hop
fields, 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
considerable curiosity concerning
him, for despite his rough clothes it
grew to be evident that he had some
time been accustomed to different
environment from that in which he
was now placed.
II don't believe he's mill-hand
at ALL" announced Miss Merton, dur
ing one of the talks the two had con.
corning him.
"You speak as though you had an
intimate acquaintance with the work.
ers in mills" Miss Densmore re,
turned with some amusement.
"Well, mill-hands don't pick you up
when you misquote Shakespeare
and as though she regarded this III
proof positive that she had estab
lished her point, Miss Merton
branched off upon another theme.
When Saturday night came Ros
sitter proposed to Joe Becraft tha'
they should walk into Hintonville to
gether. Before starting he ap
preached Parmelee, into whose goot
graces he had rapidly advanced b.
the admirable way in which he hat
performed his work, and requested
That he he mid the amount dine hin