"Amanda," the other girl said effusively, "what a fine young man! Is he

your beau?"

"No. Certainly not! I have no beau. I've known Martin Landis ever since

I was born, almost. He lives down the road a piece. He's a nice chap."

"Splendid! Fine! Such eyes, such wonderfully expressive gray eyes I

have never seen. And he has such a strong face. Of course, his clothes

are a bit shabby. He'd be great if he fixed up."

"Yes," Amanda agreed mechanically. She was ill-pleased with the

dissection of her knight.

Mrs. Reist, with true rural, Pennsylvania Dutch hospitality, invited

Isabel to have supper with them, an invitation readily accepted. At the

close of the meal Isabel said suddenly to Mrs. Reist, "How would you

like to have me board with you for a few weeks--a month, probably?"

"Why, I don't know. All right, I guess, if Millie, here, don't think it

makes too much work. Poor Millie's got the worst of all the work to do.

I ain't so strong, and there's much always to do. Of course, Amanda

helps, but none of us do as much as Millie."

"But me, don't I get paid for it, and paid good?" asked the hired girl,

sending a loving glance at Mrs. Reist. "Far as I go it's all right to

have Isabel come for a while. Mebbe she can help, too, sometimes with

the work."

"I wouldn't be much help, I'm afraid. I never peeled a potato in my

life."

Millie looked at the girl with slightly concealed disfavor. "Why,

that's a funny way, now, to bring up a girl! I guess it's time you

learn such things once! You dare come, and I'll show you how to do a

little work. But why do you want to board when your folks live just in

Lancaster?"

"Father and Mother are going to the Elks' Convention and to California.

They expect to be gone about a month. I was going to stay in Lancaster

with my aunt, but I just thought how much nicer it would be to spend

that time in the country."

"Well, I guess, too!" Millie was quick to understand how one would

naturally prefer the country to the city.

So it was settled that Isabel Souders was to spend June at the Reist

farmhouse. Everybody concerned appeared well pleased with the

arrangement. But Amanda's heart hurt. "Why did I take her for those

moccasins?" she thought drearily after Isabel had gone back to the city

with her precious flowers. "I know Martin will fall in love with her

and she with him. Oh, I'm a mean, detestable thing! But I wish she'd go

to the coast with her parents!"




readonlinefreebook.com Copyright 2016 - 2024