Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1908-06-26
CHAPTER Xxx.

grass which grew at the SIDE OF the Iahe
They were Embarrassed, and seemed to bt
Enjoying themselves thoroughly. a cou'
pie of lads, with very brown faces, sal
on a slopipg bank on the other side, de
~vouring huge pieces of bread aad cheese
hnd now and then drinking cider from q
stone bottle.
Immediately under the hedge sat two
women IN the shady side OF hfty; they
were upon cane chairs; between then
was a big drum turned up on one end
and serving as a tea table. Some oiu'
delft cups and plates, a little black tea
pot, q loaf of crusty bread, a piece o
fresh butter, q basin of white sugar, ant
an odor, fragrant and pleasant in thu
fresh air of the summer afternoon, al
bounced that these ladies were partaklnt
II tea.
AS for the ladies, one was very stout
ind the other was very lean. The stou
one wore a scarlet handkerchief across
her breast, a sensible, brown HOLLAND
dress, and a black apron. ibis lady!
aead was barred TO the sumIp": sky. Il
was not a handsome head. Gne hair upor
It was fast turning gray dnd vas not ar
ranged with that nics.y which is deslra
Die in the c~oiffurs of a lady but hel
ruddy face bear1ed, absolutely beamed
with good natdre. Perfect contentmen
Sat Oh the smiling lips, and the small
blue eyes twinkled merrily.
This vas Miss Eliza Dobson-Liza, as
she sas called by her sister, Miss Ma
Ida. The sisters were the sole proprle-
lars, or proprietresses, of DobSon's WAY
lsaorks, which they had inherited from
sifeir parents twenty years before. Ihey
! we're fast making their fortunes, and pur-
Z POSED, in a years time, retiring to a rural
| solitude, where Miss Matilda, the younger
and more genteel sister, hoped 10 cultivate
| roses, chickens, chiffoniers and other eie-
| ~sancies of polite life.
Miss Matilda. had a long, thin, melan-
choly face; it was not unkind, but 1t
lacked the genial goodness OF her sisters s.
Tilda wore a muslin dress, and a black
lace jacket, which the dust of the roads
had whitened. She wore a hat and black
feather. Her face was Drowned and
roughened by exposure to weather-a face
which assumed u poetical melancholy OF
that sort which provokes laughter in the
fun-loving.
I'VE amt got no %neighbors. That's
true, Tilda for we carries our home on
wheels with us. But, for my part, l
think gossiping neighbors a handrance
when there's work to do. We've had Il
deal of change all our days, end seen q
deal of things; had it in orr power to
help a starving fellow critter now and
then, ut a pinch and next year we are to
have a pretty little 'ome OF our own,
where you shall keep chickens, and have
ever SO many red ~geraniums IN pots IN
the winders."
81 hope" said Miss Matilda, las we
shall nave a sofa, such as l saw once at
Birmingham, covered in crimson velvet
and with a reg-lar spring. All! when l
no longer has to walk in and tell the
public the sorrers of poor Queen Mary OF
Scotland, l shall enjoy peace OF mind"
II trust YOU will Tilda,' observed
stout Miss Eliza, cutting off q nice piece
of crusty loaf and covering II with but
ter. Now, Tilda, do eat this; just a
relish of potted shrimps You don't eat
enough, my dear, to support you.
II was always one as never cared for
the pleasures Of the table," said Miss
Matilda and she struck the impromptu
5oard-the circular top Of the drum,
where the feast was spread--with her
Parasol.
~ IL elllllCN - - ohNA sAN
effect of the whole scene and speech was
so droll that Ella Wycherly burst into a
loud and ringing laugh.
The Misses Dobscn, looking up, hehsd
with amazement the young and beautiful
and highly bred face, radiant with merrl-
ment. Both ladies smiled.
Dear me, what a pretty creature!'
said Miss Matilda.
PA tsJyIn, $50 ~ oh,,,.-aI Mics H1i1o styNo~-
haps the young lady would like a cup of
tea and a slice Of the crus<y loaf. If
she would, she's welcome"
Now it happened that Ella was excess
lively hungry, and this hospitable offer
was not displeasing to her. 1t seemed.
indeed, that Ella had lived several years
since the night before. She had learned
already something Of the under strata of
humanity-those whom she had hitherto
classed Unfortunately in her own mind
as 'the lower orders"
The savage old woman at the cooked
meat shop, the inquisitive old man in the
smock, and now these sun-burned timer
show people-how different they all
were from each other; and yet. they all
belonged to the flower orders"
The Misses Dobson We're kindly, genial,
tender-hearted women. Ella soon got on
famously with them. The young heart
craved sympathy. Most of Elias hauteur
end pride were on the surface.
Before long she was actually seated
a chair before the drum drinking
a strong and fragrant cup of tea. enrich
cd with cream, which Miss Dobson pour
ed sout of a bottle.
She wa eating bread and butter and
potted shrimps with appetite, and laugh
ing at the oddly sentimental and INGRAM
NAUTICAL phrases of Miss Matilda.
When tea was over. Miss Eliza washed
up the things very nicely in a blue delft
basin. One of the lads brought cold water
from a ~neighboring spring, which bub-
bled from under a bank on the other side
of the road.
Ella offered to dry the teacups, which
Office she performed deftly, Miss Matilda
obIiging her with q clean. soft cloth.
Afterward, Miss Eliza packed them all
In a box with some clean straw.
"And now" said Ella, II suppose I
must say good evening, Miss Dobson but
I'm sorry to say 1t. I wish, instead, I
was going away with you"
She said it without a thought; but the
Misses Dobson exchanged glances full of
meaning.
why, my DEAR said Miss Eliza,
anybody could see with half an eye as
you was a young lady born and bred, not
ased to living with people such as we
nre-
Not but what" observed Miss Matilda,
with a sigh, I'VE .ad a haunt as KEEP 9