Year: 1871

Inns is the best OF bleaching weather.
expected you'd have as much as two
webs o cloth out by this time. Either
you amt going to have another weddin'
this fall, or mebbe the sheets and pillow
cases are all made said Miss Althea
Pratt, sliding in at our south door, in a
halfway manner peculiar to her, as if
she never could fully commit herself to
anybody's company.


Three weddings in three years ought
to last q long time, said mother, not
without a dash of pride in the matter,


This is such a dreadful marrying
family. Thought you might have found
somebody for Sylvie by this time


Il really haven't thought to look for
anybody. The other girls slid into
marriage, and homes of their own, al
most before | knew it,


so Sylvie amt quite ready for her
slide: may be she needs little pushing.
thought I'd just drop in to tell you that
its the fashion to make pillow. cases
rather than skimpin', and then have
great square covers, ruffled all round,
and big letter worked in the middle
You have to take EN- off, and fold 'em
up very carefully, before you 60 to bed.
When l was in Boston, brother Lipha-
let's wife had 'em with big P in the
middle it might have stood for Pratt
or pillow, couldn't say for surety
which, and l wouldn't ask her for no
money


Miss Althea is perfectly aware that /,
otherwise Sylvie, am standing at the
pantry window, out Of her sight, but
within hearing of every word she says.
She knows, too, that Steven Frazer is
leaning against the window-sill, outside,
taking eggs from my hands a, I pass
out to him half dozen at time. He
always takes our eggs to market with
those from his own farm, because mother
is widow, and has to depend on neigh
borly kindness for such small lifts tow
ard living.


Steven is very serious and business
like over counting the eggs, but his lips
quiver little with merriment over Miss
Althea's pillow-cases. He is truly very
handsome. I have tried for years to
convince myself that he has the common
place look Of all the other men know
my sisters husbands as well as the
rest-men that l don't care to look at
twice, but can never do it. Stevens
eyes have shining depth, his features
mobility, and storytelling quality that
I can find in no other face. | think Miss
Althea is funny, too, and why can't he
look up and share his appreciation with
me? But he never does look up or look
down when expect it; he is the most
disappointing of men.


'Sylvie,' said Miss Althea, putting
her head into the pantry like some long.
necked bird, Il forget just where you
come in the family. Is it you Or Sophie
that's twenty-five?'


Neither, said |, with needless snap
in my voice. Sophie is the eldest of us
all, and she is just twen,y-four.'


well, to be sure, you have all such a
mature look, so settled down like, that
it's hard to guess your ages


A little gust Of wind banged the door
in Miss Althea's face just at this point
of her discourse, aud she seemed to
recognize the hand of fate, for she suf
fered it 10 remain shut.


by the way said Steven, looking up
when he had laid the last egg carefully
in the basket, when shall we have our
wedding, Sylvie?'


A great lump rose in my throat, the
row Of milk pans swan before my eyes


Not till we have had the. wooing, il
you please, managed to say, in steady
voice, and rushed into the kitchen with.
out looking back.


heard his wheels sound faint
aud fainter in the distance with crush
ing sense of disappointment, though
could not in reason expect him TO leap
in at the pantry window, and insist on a
better answer to his question, in the face
and eyes of Miss Althea.


TO tell the truth, there was very little
reason in the matter, anyway, when you
come to sitt it


IF you will believe it, Steven had never
spoken a word of love to me in his life,
and then sprung that merciless question
on me all at once, about our wedding.
knew him well enough to be certain
that he was thoroughly in earnest.


1t was the condensed crystal Of many