The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1909-01-20

i n
upper road, and drawing near the
avenue of elms that led to the great
house.
"Well," said the man gently, ''you
haven't answered yet, you know"
"Oh," said Miss Christina, with a
little start.
She had fallen into a sort of dream
inside the dream, in which she beheld
herself crossing and recrossing the
polished floors of the great house,
planning the dinners for the fat house
keeper, who now came sometimes to
buy broilers from her; walking in the
woods everywhere without regard to
trespass signs; feeding beautiful white
Orpingtons, at S. the sitting, in a mod
ell chicken house behind the stables
and perhaps other choice varieties of
| fowl as we'll.
81 forgot" she said rather blankly.
| She seemed to be waking from both
dreams at once. A sudden sense OF
uneasiness stirred beneath her previ-
ously unbroken content. She realized
that the wind was chill and that it
was long past the time for feeding her
hens A suspicion came to her that her
neighbor was making fun of her be-
rause she had talked so much and let
him see the poverty Of her life. She
wanted very much to get home.
81 don't think there is any answer"
she said hurriedly. Il think I'd better
go home"
"No answer?' exclaimed the man
eagerly, with CONSERVATION in his tone.
In point of fact, it had now grown
amazingly clear to him that an an
swer-the one answered. his hypO-
thetical question was quite the most
important thing in the whole world to
him.
But, Miss Christina, surely you
can't mean Then he stopped short.
He could not say to her that just be-
cause she had never had another pro-
posal it was incredible that she
shouldn't accept this one, yet that was
what he had been virtually on the
point of doing.
Dear Miss Christina" he urged,
there must be an answer, because it
means so tremendously much to me.
IL love you" He was perfectly sure
Of it now.
Not so Miss Christina
Nonsense" she said, with decision,
putting her hands out over the reins
and bringing the horse to a standstill
'You don't at all. I'm going to get
out here. It's only few steps home
through Mouse lane. It's all shoveled
and good walking, and 'twould be 4
good mile round to drive Yes, l am"
She spoke rapidly. you only think
SO just this minute because you took
me to ride, and I'm very much obliged,
and because l told you I'd never had
a proposal. You'd be sorrier than l
would if l said yes" Again Miss
Christina was unconscious of the way
her words might sound Their mean
ing was clear to herself
She was standing in the snow and
lifting her Christmas green's carefully
from the bottom of the sleigh.
'I'm very much obliged for the ride"
she repeated. Il had a very nice time.
shan't ever forget it. I know how
tiS-you thought how 'twould seem to
be the first one. and I'm glad you
were. never supposed I'd have even
what you might call one, and now 1
have'
She gathered her skirts into one
hand and, looking back, smiled-yes,
smiled and nodded cheerfully to the
man in the sleigh
Then she stepped lightly up and over
the wall beside the bars into Mouse
lane. From this elevation she could
see her hens not more than 300 yards
away wandering about the front door
yard looking for her, and she did not
give single backward thought to the
sleighbells as they slowly tinkled out
Of hearing.