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Show TM3 ga basket of mushrooms BP A iitmiiuui H J $ By FANNIE WHITE. iaaaaaar V A H11 J0t UKUKl" exclaimed George H j( a of n midden ns he caught Bfl ' O ' 1 o sight or nn industrious 11k- BH 11 Jfi uro '" "' ""'"''room pro- H TT serve, not n hundred ynrds j from lila farmyard. lie took up nn old 1 whlpstock that wag lying handy, flour- j lBlied It grimly and strode clrcultouily BH upon the Impudent thief. BB It was n bit; Held, aud Georgo wns J considering how best to trap his enemy when something brought lilin to a J standstill. BB Proximity proved the enemy a woman BB a youiiK woman attired nfter the PH fashion of town. Tho lrnto farmer J shifted Ills pipe and polled doubtfully BB at bis benrd. Georgo was n hnchelcr H and wonderfully shy of women. He BB was half minded to boat a cautious re- BBl, BB "Pooh I a chit of n lass. Now, BbJ George," and throwing his weapon pH aside, ho urged himself forward. BB Ho climbed thu fenco and walked J briskly up to tlio trespasser unper- BjBJ BB BB Tho woman raised her head, and, B with n startled cry, recoiled. Hlio had H a small, pnlo face, that was powerfully BB Buggcstlvo of nngels to rustic George. BB "I beg George hastily recovered BB the dignity of his position. Ills heart BB beat quick, and he felt a bit of an un- BB couth fool; but surely It was not for BB hi in to ask pardon. Bfl "Vou nrc trespassing, miss," bo In- BjBJ t formed ber, brusquely. BH "Ohi" BB - , Tho woman breathed a sigh of relief, ftm ij and smiled. BB 1 1 George was feeling bewildered. BBb i "Vou arc only tho farmer" thank Bfl l y j fully. BB . -."Only tho farmer," ho replied, stu- BBl pldly. Mf"" "' thought-I was so frightened," and BBBE the womnn smiled n winsome apology. BBB "You nro so big, nud strongt"-sho PPJF looked him over with sincere, almost BB,' i childish admiration nt his brown, mus- BB 1 1 cular arms, his mighty ehost, mid rest BBT I 'n& "cr glntico nt last on bis bearded CSM face. "Hut you havo kind eyes," she BBh added. BB Georgo blushed like any schoolboy. BBj Then all tho btorles bo had ever heard BBJ t womnn's blandishments burst warn. BBj ." lnsly over him, and ho grew half lndlg- BBB' nant- "Tho mlnxl" ho muttured, under BBjl uls breath. BBJ . And, determined not to bo outwitted, BBBh Ile stretched nn nrm toward tho warn. BBB U n'a basket, which was full of mush- BBB l, rooms. BHF "I must tako charge of this, mlsst" BBJ Dternly. BBJ ' "No, you wouldn't tnko them from J mo)" sho pleaded, Irresistibly. "I've BBJ ' been hunting them slnco 0 o'clock. I BBJ only reached tho treasure house after BBJ ( tramping weary miles. Now I'm lost" BBJ ruefully "and look nt my poor feet BBJ ' through 1" BBJ ; Bho held her skirts aside. BBJ "What a brute I ami" muttered the BBJ ' "I will pay you for theml" eagerly. BBJ ' "No, no," he blurted. "Itwus-ltwas BBJ ,! ''" ' '") fun, miss," be said, lamely. BBJ I ' "Thero's plenty for both on us, only" BBJfj dellherntcly-"I don't like poachers, BBJ v miM Hint's It. I don't mind you-you BBJ V W0Il't Imrt, miss; but I'm pretty smart BBj y on I'onclierH, as I call 'em." BBJ I T"ls was n vnt piece of oratory for BBJ 1 George. BBJ ' "And I havo never looked nt It In BBJ "iat Uglitl" the woman frankly con- J fessed. "Of courso It's steallngl I'm n J thief ohl" and sho put dow.i her bas BJ kct nil iod forth her slim arms, with J tho wrists together, In n manner which J George could not mistake. BBj Ho laughed and iiinnncle-1 tho pretty BBJ , tlileC with his thumb and II rat linger. BBB "Now, what havo you to say for jour- BBJ i aelf?" Judicially. BBJ "Oh, I won't do It again, sir!" BBJ II(r eyelnshcs fell roguishly. BBJ Georgo discreetly let go and pickol J up the basket. 8ho was a llttlo witch. BBJ "Aro you staying In Fensbro' (the j Tillage, BBJ "Ves; but I'm lost!" hopelessly. BBj "your best plan would bo to cut through my farmyard." (George led tho way at a good pace. "How far Is It to Fensbro'J" she In- quired. Jj ( "Two miles, miss." BBBJ ' "Aud what tlmo Is It, please)" BBJ' , "Half-past 8." PPJ "Half-past 8I"-surprlsed. "I may BBM we" fep' hungry." BPJ. "Vou might have n bit of breakfast BBj1 srlth me that Is, If you don't mind," BBBj I lublously. PPJ They stood by the farmhouse door. BBf "Vou might dry your feet ns well," BBJ: e Pursued, slowly, "and then I could BBJ ut J011 on tho hi no myself. Polly's nut BBJi or the day-tbat's the worst of It. Uut BBJl totao In, miss." BPJ' And George crossed the threshold. PBM II wfl Quito a charming little adven- tur to Itoso Carol, and, desirous of seeing It through, she followed the big farmer without demur. Ho drew a snug chair to his henrUi, and threw a bashful glance at her feet; then bo brought forth a pair of capacious capa-cious slippers. "Vou might get four feet into them, at a plnchl" he cald, humorously! nnd plunged Into the buMncss of breakfast. With a restrained ripple of girlish laughter, Hose changed her sodden boots nud placed them to dry. This done, she sat nud watched the man filling the breakfast table. She was quick to guess bis single blessedness (J) Polly must be his servant. ser-vant. It was very nuiustiig to see this big man "doing for himself" and n guest. Hut when he stnrted to slice a new loaf of bread she could contain herself no longer. It was nwkwnrd, moving In those ridiculous slippers, but she got to the table without mishap. "Allow me to help you," she said, with n smile. He surrendered the knlfo with alacrity. alac-rity. "I'm no hand at Hint sort o' thlngl" In disgust. Georgo had never felt the want of a wife until that moment, until he saw Itosc preside nt his table; then his heart was filled with passionate longing. long-ing. They sat down to breakfast for all the world like man nnd wife. Suddenly the woman hurst out Irrepresslbly. George, with n full mouth, looked up guiltily. "It Is so exquisitely funny!" laughing tenrs In her eyes. "What Is?" self-consciously. "All of It. Poaching! Capture! Prosecution almost! Oh, denr! oh, dear! I say, Mr. look you, I am Ignorant Ig-norant even of your name!" "Meadowon George Mcadowson." "Mr. " grnvoly. "Georget everybody calls me George, young nnd old." "George," shyly "do you consider this nt nil proper qulto tho thing, you know being here, alone? Don't you think I ought to go?" "No." There was something embarrassing In tho farmer's decisive negative. Her lashes drooped, and sho fidgeted nervously ner-vously with her teaspoon. "Vou might tell me your nnme, miss," said George, nfter a space, with a boldness bold-ness that surprised himself. She murmured It very softly. "And Hose wns my mother' namol" be cried. There seemed destiny In this romantic roman-tic meeting. He stood up In n sort of triumph; bis heart was drumming, and his blue eyes beamed. "Hose!" he snld, Impetuously. Then ho sat down, looking ridiculous, and lashing his presumptuous heart with scorn. What a mad fool ho wasl They stood In tho lane. Hose put out her hand, nnd It was burled In a big, warm grasp. "What sort of n bear do you tako mo for, Miss Carol?" "Well, rather n nlco sort of bearl" "Do you know," abruptly "I've come to think, nil nt once, that I ought to got mnrrledl" Tho Imprisoned hand made nn effort townrds freedom. "You want n woman In tho house," Hoso granted. "Polly's neither ono thing nor tho oilier!" hopelessly. "How old nre you?" curiously. "Old enough to bo your father, I reckon thirty." "Your' not too old to marry l" pro-voklngly. pro-voklngly. "Nil despernnduml Vou may get mnrrled some day, there's no telling. tell-ing. "I'm" carelessly "slx-nnd-twcn-ty." "Not much difference," meditatively. "I must go!" hastily. "Hut you've not told mo how wicked you think me?" "Hose," tenderly, "I'm Just thinking you'ro about wicked enough to make mo n good wife!" "Ohl" nud tho llttlo woman drow close. "You'ro so big!" she murmured. "Hut Pvo kind eyes!" "Let mo look," and she held up her sweet, blushing face. Nn wonder he kissed her. She broko loose, with n sudden cry: "My mushrooms!'' Tho basket which had brought them together had been left behind. New York News. |