Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1907-05-02

she can be. and my wife thinks a hear
o. her. Took TO her from the first
when the girl come from over by
Coopersville way lookin' for work
She's SO slim and slight You wouldn't
think she could do much. But. land
she's a hustler." Indeed. 80 absorbed
was Mary In her work that Vain
wright only saw Ter at mealtines
Even theL She merely stopped for a
pleasant word or nod.
But Ii Sunday night when Vain
wright sat alone on the back porch
strumming at a guitar a white dress
glimmered In the doorway, and pres
entity Mary came out and sat down.
"Please don't stop she cried as
Wainwright smothered the last chord
Of a college glee. I'm very fond OF
musici"
what else are you fond of. | won
;,er?' thought Wainwright. and b.
deftly led her on TO speak of herself.
She was fond OF reading, she confess
ed, and knew many OF the poets by
heart. Her taste in literature was a
simple as IL was fine. and the more che
spoke the more Wainwright wondered.
for she seemed utterly content with
her present occupation.
ANY work that is done well Is beau
tiful," she declared earnestly. and,
though her illusions to herself were
delicately reticent, Wainwright found
1t easy to picture her primitive life.
primitive and yet not humdrum. Ier
love of nature and beauty forbade that.
"What a wonderful country Ii is"
unused Wainwright, where even the
rustics have ideas of their W and a
vivid way Of expressing them" Mary's
personality was the most challenging
and Illuminating one that he had dis
covered so far, and descriptions of her
covered several PAGES of his notebook.
In the DAYS that followed he found
that IL he helped Mary with the sup
per dishes the longer they would have
to sit on the porch in the cool of the
evening. SO while she splashed the
suds he polished plates and cups and
quoted his ~favorite authors. After
ward they would stroll together down
the orchard path. watching the first
stars and listening to the eerie notes
of the whlppoorwlll. a pleasant state
of affairs destined to end abruptly, for
wainwright returned from the fields
n evening to find Mrs. Rolfe alone II
the kitchen. Mary was gone.
"Had n letter from one of her folks"
said the farmer. land she went right
off. Wouldn't take a cent of her pay
cause she left so sudden"
Wainwright looked blank.
Didn't she leave any address," he
queried.
"Said she'd write.' answered Rolfe
laconically.
"But wasn't there any messenger
persisted Wainwright.
"Not a word" said Farmer Rolfe
cheerfully.
Mrs. Rolfe had some OF her famous
biscuits for supper. but Wainwright
had lost his appetite. lie stood on the
back porch In the afterglow, and ~
erything seemed strangely deserted,
Mary had gone. and something of the
Joy of living had rome with her. Elk
istence seemed suddenly very tame
and dull to the young professor. He
was conscious Of emotions not classi-
fed In his notebook.
II must have overworked,' he said
Iistlessly to himself as he sat on the
Leffingwells' veranda a week later. 1t
was shutdown. A breeze swept up
from the Hudson, and a tall glass of
lemonade tinkled pleasantly in Vain
wright's hand.
Mrs. Lefingwell. of whose house
party he was a guest, sat near him in
a wicker chair and chatted irrepressi-
bly,.
We've had an inkling Of your ex-
ploits." she said. land will expect q
full account of them. Tonight there's
a girl coming to dine who's awfully
fond OF that sort of thing. she spent
the summer working on a farm where
she met the most extraordinary young
harvester that There she is now!'
Mary. In a white lace dress, was
coming slowly across the lawn.
"You didn't leave me any message"
said Wainwright reproachfully the mo-
ment after their hostess had left them
alone together. "but I have one for
you. I wonder II you will care to hear
"you might try and see." suggested
Mary demurely.
UrI.n.. lf,,~r - - "A. $1,000
LefingweIi turned to Wainwright.
do You think" she said. "that your
experiment was a SUGGEST"
Wainwright's eyes met Mary's In q
compromising fash.
THE greatest I've ever had" he an
swered, smiling.
A Curious Bird Mistake.
Many birds ~frequenting flowers for
honey or Insects are thus liable RI srot