Year: 1871

opened. Aunt Betty made cup of tea
and another stirred up some flap jacks,
and another Of us thought to scour knife
and fork by running them into the ground
several times. Oh, they were lively times
for a few minutes, you'd better believe
Only the Judge-he never moved, but
looked at her. She did not seem to no.
tice him, but watched our operations with
great interest.


While she ate-and the quaintness of
our surroundings did not affect her appe-
tite-we all stood around and waited upon
her. guess never day while she liv-
ed with us, but what she laughed about
her first meal there.


We partitioned her off u bedroom in
one corner, by putting up some blankets,
and all but the Judge and Aunt Betty went
into the storehouse TO sleep.


| You'd think that when we got there we
should be likely to talk over the wonderful
spoken concerning it. But | reckon there
was considerable thinking done that
night.


By light we were all up and pacing in
front of the cabin. The teamster had
given notice of the charge he had left
with us, and all the boys were over there
to learn how things were. There wasn't
q stroke of work done in the camp, and
not much tor week


Then the Judge called US together and
told us it wouldn't do; we were getting
demoralized; that Miss Browning was
unhappy because she felt that she had in
terrupted our arrangements and we must
come right down to steady days work af-
ter that. Well, we tried to- but we never
could get back to Old times. There was
a good deal of rivalry among us, and some
cutting things were said. The Judge
sent letters in all directions for WILL but
| three weeks had passed without word
in reply. We had all in turn offered to
accompany Miss Browning to San Fran
cisco, but she said she knew no one there :;
viii would be sure to come before long.
and would be disappointed if she should
! leave; besides, hadn't she eight of the
very best brothers in the worldp She
would stay a while longer, and she would
help cook and mend for us so as not to
burden us too much. She had few new
books she would read to us evenings.
| We came up an hour earlier than usual,
and our table was always ready for us,
and it had many an extra touch that
none but a woman would think of We
were silent set of men during the day,
| but each did his best when we got home.
| Stories were told songs were sung, and
with her reading we were all entranced.
She always called us by the names that
were first given her, and ever so many
times she went through the introduction,
acting out all the parts. 1t seemed fun
nier to her than it did to us. She talked
with South-Carolina about the beauties of
the Southern sky, and of the flowers and
trees, which eclipsed any thing at the
North. To Nutmeg she praised New
England, and she had some favorite topic
to discuss with each of US.


OF course we were all in love with her,
but none dared to boast of having received
any sign of preference from the lady. We
had all proposed to her once. and some of
us half a dozen times. She Just made
light OF it; said we were crazy, and didn't
know what we were about; but she soon
came to know after a while that we did


There was open war. We all acted like
madmen, except the Judge he would not
answer any of our taunts, but was most
pleasant to all. Yet he grew to look real
careworn, and every time he met any of
us alone he would say he hoped Will
would come soon. He talked to us about
keeping the peace, and appealed to our
honor as men and our love for an old COM
rade. Kate herself had quite little talk
with each one. | don't know how she
managed it, but she left the impression
upon us all, that we were more likely to
be accepted if we behaved ourselves and
kept quiet; but it was no go-we could
| not.


One evening she refused to sit down
with us to the table and so little was eat
| Ion St,nx lIrnI Al.
and then said emphatically, 81 ana going
Off don't know where but l must GO
away; this is getting unbearable. | can
not meet one OF you but | am importuned
to marry you. Don't you know, gentle
men. can not marry you all, and if
choose to show one bit of pleasure in the
society of any one, the rest are all
angry. Now. ask you what shall do
viii doesn't come, and am all alone. /
wish you would drop all this nonsense and
behave yourselves. Why won't you?


She looked from one to another, and
| finally asked Jack, Come you own to be
wicked, and you have been an awful
tease; won't you reform, and then all the
rest will ?"


Aunt Betty said, ''If you care for any
of us, make it known, and then the rest
shall behave, or there shall be row."


That's just it-you will fight anyway,
you are getting so savage. In being lovers
| am afraid you have forgotten to be gen
| tlemen.'


Wasn't that a singer for us? But we
didn't feel it then as we have since. We
all promised not to say word after her
decision was made known to u.s. Each
one may have been a little elated, think
ing he was likely to be chosen.


"She sat down and put her face on her
arm, but it was only for a moment Then
she said, Il shall ask for two days to think
of it. Next Sunday there will be wed.
ding here, and a supper afterwards, which
we will all help to prepare. If any one
speaks to me on the subject between thi
time and that, his doom is sealed.


There was an oldish man over at tn,
next cabin. who seemed to have a kind O
tatherly care over Kate. And | might a
well say here that all of the party, VIII,
were unmarried, had offered themselve.
to her and been refused


''Well, Kate and old man Howe had 8