The Lakeland evening telegram., 1913-05-06
DIAMOND IN the ROUGH
BY c. A. PRATT.

dirt ana the uelnmeuiu AoI oAu e'AA
that sort of thing. The spot was q
most beautiful one and in q state OF
nature which left nothing to be de-
sired. We were boarding at the farm
house of William Simpkins-popular-
" known among his neighbors as
"Bill."
All this, however, has nothing to
do with the love story of Hannah, the
domestic servant in the Simpkins fam.
lily, which was thrust upon our atten-
ton and which was the occasion Of a
controversy as violent as we ever per.
NIT in between ourselves.
, We were loadng peacefully in the
orchard, Fannie in the hammock and
lying fiat on my back on the soft
grass, eyes closed and enjoying the
fragrance of a tiptop Havana. when
my soothed and peaceful nerves were
startled by voice-a voice speaking
to Fannie.
"Ye see, mum, I'm engaged to Hi
ram--he works over on Higgins farm
these were the first definite words
caught. "And Hiram sets powerful
store by clothes and style and flXin's
and | don't know much about them
things and-and-I thought mebby
you bein' from the city, could tell me
how to fix up a wcddin dress that
would please Hiram. You see he wants
| to git married in the Lunther'n church,
and I want to be jest ez scrumptious
ez l kin-and mum I've got near 5000
saved up an I'm goin' to spend enough
Of it so Hiram won't be ashamed o
me. Would ye please, mum, tell me
whether to git dress from this polky'
dot lavender or take the green?"
Fannie" said l. after Hannah had
vanished, 1T seems to me that here Is
the opportunity to do some fine work
for philanthropy and religion and hu.
manity and-and-and all that sort OF
thing-don't you know"
"What do you mean," asked Fannie
"You are forever looking after ro-
mances and all that sort of thing
and here is one ready.made under
your very nose"
"Yes," said Fannie, rather coldly.
Fannie" said severely, "this girl
is a diamond in the rough, one Of these
daughters of nature who without edu-
cation, culture, tradition and all that,
still have the primitive instincts Of
the race and arise upon occasion to
the great acts and the great sacrifices.
Did you hear the very delicate senti.
ment she uttered to you? Without
knowing why or how she yet appreci.
ated with the most tender womanly
instinct that Hiram desired clothes
and nice things-and she Is going to
make great sacrifices for him."
My wife not responding, resumed
the theme.
"You see, my dear, while you are
literary and all that sort Of thing.
really you do not see the ultimate
philosophy Of the race. That type Of
girl really represents the virtility Of
the race-from feminine standpoint
She Is q diamond In the rough. The
girls we see-the cultured, educated
persons who becloud our standpoint
are merely the excrescence-the over
done ones, as we might say. But this
woman Is one of the products Of ma
ture, pure and simple. Love with such
girls could not be disloyal or treach-
erous. When they love, they love,
now and forever. They are natural
therefore true and loyal. Fannie, |
am surprised that you do not detect
the eternal truth underneath the blue
calico jacket of the lady-lady, do
you hear, who just left u.s.
Ten days later we were lolling about
in the same environment when Han
nah again flashed across the vision of
our dreams. There was man with
her, too-and good, husky specimen
of q man.
obs is my man," she said, with q
bridal simper. Ben, this is the lady
who told me how to get up my we'd
din dress"
My wife greeted both very nicely
but refused and lay with my eyes
closed. Presently heard Fannie say
to Hannah very low-the bridegroom
having separated himself from his
bride for a lccting moment:
" "Eut Hannah, thought his name
. was Hiram and that he was tall and
dark"
"Oh, Hiram." responded Hannah
" "lah-didn't ye see where he was
/, killed in train wreck last Tuesday
). And had the dress all made-an' Ben
: has been pestering me for months
SO I jest concluded to hook up wild
him
The happy pair passed on. looked
at my wife ard she looked at me from
under lids that | thought concealed Q
!. grin and some sarcasm. Whereupor
4 | arose and departed with some dig
:, nifty.
!. AS left thought l heard her mur
a mur. "a diamond in the rough"
. But when charged her with It very
/; sternly, she denied it-very lazily.
Copyright, by Daily Story Pub. Coz
Only One Chance.