Troy weekly news. (Troy, Idaho) 1897-1933, 1907-11-15

hOlIe. why, Bne ain my uaugnterl
She's the hired girl. though | will
say" he added, that II ever I'd had
a daughter I'd ha' liked one like Mary
Carter She's as quick and handy as
she can be, and my wife thinks heap
o. her. Took to her from the first
when the girl come from over by
CoopersvilIe way lookin' for work
She's so slim and slight you wouldn't
think she could do much. But land.
she's a bustlerv Indeed. 80 absorbed
was Mary in her work that VAIN
wright only saw her at mealfimes
Even then she merely stopped for a
pleasant word or nod.
But one Sunday night when Vain
wright sat alone ON the back porch
stunning at guitar a white dress
gllmmered In the doorway, and pres
emily Mary came out and sat down.
please don't stopr' she cried as
Wainwright smothered the last chord
Of a college glee. I'm very fond Of
muster
what else are you fond of. / won
der?' thought Wainwright and he
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 as
simple as 1t was fine, and the more she
spoke the more Wainwright wondered
| for she seemed utterly content with
her present occupation.
ANY work that is done well IS beau
tifui," she declared earnestly, and.
though her illusions TO herself We're
delcately reticent, Wainwright found
II easy to picture her primitive life.
primitive and yet not humdrum. Her
love of nature and beauty forbade that.
What wonderful country 1t is
unused Wainwright, "where even the
rustics have ideas of their own and n
vivid way of expressing them" Nary
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 If 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 be polished plates and cups and
quoted his favorlte authors. After
ward they would stroll together down
the orchard path. watching the first
stars and listening to the eerie notes
of the whippoorwill, a pleasant state
of affairs destined to end abruptly, for
Wainwright returned from the fields
one evening to find Mrs. Rolfe alone III
the kitchen Mary was gone.
Had letter from one of her folks
said the farmer, "and she went right
off. wouldn't take 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
mot word said Farmer Rolfe
cheerfully.
Mrs. Rolfe had some of her famous
biscuits for supper. but Wainwright
had lost his appetite. He stood on the
back porch in the afterglow, and ev-
erything seemed strangely deserted
Mary had gone. and something OF the
Joy OF living had gone with her Elk
istence seemed suddenly very tame
and dull TO the young professor He
was conscious OF emotions not classi
fed I'm his notebook.
II must have overworked," he said
listlessly to himself as he sat on the
Leffingwells' veranda a week later II
was shutdown. A breeze swept VI
from the Hudson, and tall glass OF
lemonade tinkled pleasantly In Vain
wright's hand.
Mrs. Ieffingwell, of whose house
party he was n guest. sat near him IN
wicker chair and chatted irrepressi
bly,.
We've had an inlling of your ex
I ploits." she said. "and 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 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 then
alone together. "but have one foi
you. ! wonder If you will care to hear
it?"
'You might try and see," suggested
Mary demurely.
When dinner was at its gayest. Mrs
Lefingwell turned to Wainwright.
DO you think" she said. that your
experiment was a successor
Wainwright's eyes met Mary's IN a
comprehending fash.