Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1912-10-02
lsad taIt az from her unaccas-

head felt dizzy from her unaccus-
toned labor
And her garden did grow surpris
ingly. Early one morning Martha
went out to look at the plants which
meauC so much to her.
Heading his Industrious flock among
her newly hoed rows was the strut
ting red rooster she had watched her
neighbor place In his chicken yard
q few days before. All about lay her
tender young plants. torn and uproot-
ed"
.'Oh. go away" cried Martha, help
lessly. waving her apron.
why. Miss GIlmore!" Delos Brown
stood aghast at the havoc he had I'M
Willingly wrought. Il supposed had
that park chicken-proof"
After .r:ch excitement they coaxed
and drove the flock back into their
own territory.
And now you must let me help you
repair the damages" he declared. for
getting in her apparent distress his
fear of prying eyes and busy tongues.
To his astonishment, pelos found
the girl very quiet and attractive. She
knew a lot about gardening, too. and
seemed eager to learn more.
Il declare" he murmured on his
lonely porch of an evening. Il declare
l can't see why she is a braZen thing,
as Aunt Marietta seems to think.
guess that garden means a great deal
to her-more than it ought to II
things were comfortable over there.
He began thinking anXiously about
the long winter. "The cottage needs
repairing to make it livable. ] could
do II as well as not without much
expense. And l always have more
wood from the farm than | can use.
hope she hasn't heard any of Aunt
Mariettes foolish talk he thought.
Through the dim twilight he could
see Martha moving about the little
lawn.
Guess I'll go over, anyway he
said aloud. since Aunt Martha's
sharp eyes could not penetrate the
darkness.
II came to inquire about the gar
den," he said, i'll at ease in her pres
ence. There was something fine in
Martha's manner, even in that hum
BILE kitchen garden.
"Oh. it is better than it ever was
before. thanks to you. Mr.. Brown. 1t
is really fortunate for me that my
neighbor's chickens got into it,"
But I can never quite replace 1t,
| Miss Gilmore. and that is why /
want to do something else for you to
even things up little. The cottage
needs repairing before cold weather.
can do it as well as not-in fact. l
ought to have done it before let
you have it at all
"Oh no." cried Martha. What
would Miss Brown say?"
so she has been talking to your
groaned Delos. 81 might have
known it. Oh, you poor little girl"
Martha clasped her hands in the
darkness at the tenderness in his
voice.
Ibid not mind" she whispered
with a sob
mot mind?" He took her trem-
| bling hands in his own. To his Joy she
did not attempt to draw them away.
do you know, Martha" he said
very softly, "how a man feels about
the girl he loves? He wants to pro-
tect her from everything that is UNI
pleasant or difficult That is why
cannot endure your living in this poor
little house and working yourself to
death in this garden. / am glad the
red rooster destroyed it, since he
opened the gate in the line fence. Let
US be married tomorrow. Martha 1t
| is going to cause a sensation, and
we may as well have it all over with
at once. And I want you so much,
dear"
1T is pity" she protested, hesitat-
ing.
1T is not pity" he denied, taking
her in his arms 1T is love. Mar
tha"A
The sewing circle met in Miss
Browns parlors next afternoon.
''Delos Brown and Martha Gilmore
are married" cried Luella, rushing
in eIcitedly.
~ ell" said Aunt Marietta. compos-
eddy. after one mental gasp. I've
said from the day she moved into the
Fleming cottage that this is what
would come OF it,"
! Copyright, 1912. by Associated Literary
Press)