St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1911-03-11

the heart Of small boy. And he
lifted her like child over a little
brook
And soon, making sudden turn in
winding path, they came to a quaint
veranda-surrounded cottage set in the
side of a green hill. An old-fashioned
picket fence shut in a garden fairly
bursting with old-fashioned bloom.
Green young vines half covered the
cottage.
"Oh, what dream of a place!" said
Queenie. Thank you for showing it
to us! Do fairies live here, I wonder?
NO; suppose it's only some cross old
lady with a dog who would bite us If
we SO much as smelled rose"
Pierce laughed and handed the girl
a Key, as he opened the gate for her
and the others.
DO l look like a cross old LADY,"
he asked. Come in. Didn't you know
l was farmer? I'm going to send you
men back for the baskets while the
girls go in and make coffee on my gas
range Now, the man was captain,
indeed. The little artistic gem of a
house was delight, and he explained
that his sister had gone east to care
for sick aunt, but he was quite old
enough to be chaperon. And they ate
on the little green lawn among the
flowers, and were very happy and con-
tent.
This was the beginning of things.
Every few Saturdays, sometimes on
Sunday and with somebody's mother
along, the little group, with slight
changes in the personnel, but always
including Queenie and Ruth, came to
make merry in the fower-filled garden.
Stanley Pierce changed wonderfully,
taking on new life. His shoulders
straightened; his eyes frightened. He
was prompt at work, but ceased stay
ing overtime, apd stopped bearing the
Office sins Of others
But Queenie sobered as summer ad-
vanced. Her two weeks vacation
brought her back pale and listless.
She seemed quiet, older by years. In
that two weeks she had not seen
Pierce, and she had dismissed John
Harter The girls thought she might
be regretting her latter move, and
Pierce overheard them discussing it.
Suddenly his understanding opened to
the hope that had been all summer ly-
ing warm at his heart.
The next Saturday he asked them
all to his house, and while the others
were eager. Queenie seemed indiffer>
ent. But the rest rallied her and she
finally went. This time Miss Nancy
was at home, and met them in her
pleasant, incisive way, explaining that
she had just come back for her things
she was needed indefinitely back
east. "stan" was a good housekeeper.
she averred, and when he grew tired
of his own company he could fool
some girl into marrying him-men
| worse than he did it every day! She
was very entertaining and, to Queenie.
embarrassing, though the girl could
not have said why. She was self-con-
| scious.
After supper, they wandered out In
the twilight, first one couple and then
another ingeniously losing itself about
the grounds Pierce and Queen1e sat
for a while on the veranda, then he led
her down the winding path to the rus
tic seat beneath the big oak, and in
silence they watched the firefiies blaze
out in the dewy grass, and the stars
prick out from the background of dark
velvet sky. Then the moon rose.
Pierce made some careless remark
to the girl, but she did not answer, SO
he stopped to look closely at her
Tears shone in her eyes, and then she
covered her face with both hands. He
put his arm about her and drew the
little head to his shoulder. She turned
her face against his coat and began to
cry softly.
"Queenie, Queenie!" he said, "do
you-care? Will you marry me? Sure
~ you have long known that l love
,, you, dear!"
She drew nervously away from him
and sat up, laughing little.
What is the trouble, Queenie
You've not been yourself this Ions
time. Don't you care? Tell mel"
WELL" she faltered, "you will think
me an-awful little-goose, but
couldn't help it." She paused.
"Help what" he said, drawing he1
back, quite willing, to his arms.
IT thought you might not-reallJ
care. 1 thought you heard me call 20,
la-back number, and horrid things
once in the office, and were simply
getting even! l was worried Il
DEATH"
It was his time to laugh. do YOU
suppose my mans ears are pricked VI
to hear all the girl chatter in that OF
fee? And would it make any differ
ence if a girl did call me back mum
Der, so long as she atoned for it b!
marrying me?"
Then they heard the others comm!
and realized that even for lovers thu
interurban car system has a heartless
fixed, time schedule.