The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1875-05-20

IN the dining-roonl, where Aunt Rachel
was bus,ling about and elattering the china
and pnglng the silver; but Aunt Rachel
enly meekiy responded, g I'm sure | do
noaknow. Hannah, hasn't thee got it on
my loot: III was repeated TO the hired
man Zaccheus, who, though like his an.
cestor of old short in stature, was. in
his own estimation, as big as any two or
dinary men, and when poor Hannah. sill
intent on her fruitlesS search, ran plump
into his arms in the woodshed and, all out
! of breath, asked, so piteously, . Oh, Zack.
have you seen my stocking anywhere ~
] that parsonage was up on the stilts of his
! dignity in 2 twinkling Zack, indeed,
] Who do yon think you are talking to? Nv
name amt 2ack, i d inform yoi,; and YOU
ought5o be ssharfed, aicknaming Bible
\ name; but if its the stocking that's got a
big hole in de heel and piece of string
tied round the end to keep your toes in,
Ill just remark haven't. seen it since it
hung ON the clothes line last week, and
| Ben Elderkin was maxim fun of it,'
4 This was tne last drop in poor Hannah's
cup ofgrief, for that was the identical
one, y as she gasped to herself. and to think
tb@t Benz her hearts beau ideal of good
ns nss aha aR HA ana ehaa gse IA Hd senfhfv Rsfh
of fyirmes-to think that Ben, of all others,
| should have seen that stocking and laughed
at III OH it was too bad, and Hannah
! sobbed outright at the thought; " And per-
haps even now he's got it," she sighed.
9 bet Zacchels has stole it and given il
TO Ben, just to spite me for settin' on his
new hat the other day" She seemed to
settle down upon this idea as a fixed fact
| though how Zaccheus could possibly, by
any means or art or sleight-of f-hand per
! formance, have obtained possession of Han
nah's stocking was problem that would
have puzzled pretty sharp lawyer, as she
was sure she took il off and laid ii hy the
side of her bed the night before, and her
door was every night locked with a kew.
| then buttoned, then her bedsead pulled up
against it, and her one window was nailed
down with two nails each side, and She
slept up in the second story at that. But
in her Indignation she never thought of all
these things, but took it as a settled truth
that Zack had stolen her unfortunate stock
ing to set Ben against her, and so she went
about all day, with one stocking off and
one stocking on, and It's no wonder she
felt rather one-sided, especially when
Zack came around. But she never gave
him word or glance, SO great was her
modification to think that anyone should
have seen the failipgs of her stocking that,
for want of the stitch in time" had now
even got past the nine or twice nine to
make it worthy the name. That's why
she flurried round so TO find il, / guess"
said little Patty, hitting the truth exactly,
"causc she was 'shamcd 10 have anyone
else pick il up"
Poor Hannah But the day sped on, and
she carried ii through;
For Hannah found plenty of work to do;
Her heart was alternately heavy and gay,
'TwiNt fearing, and hoping, and wishing all
But of all the dear wishes that strengthened
her then,
The dearest was this-that she might have
Ben.
And so she went about getting supper,
resolving very wisely as she went from
pantry To dining room and back into the
pantry again not to let this little thing
spoil her appetite. But. alas for Hannahi
The butter was down cellar, of course, and
she started, plate and knife in hand, to
get some; but at the top of the stairs a
wee little mouse, frightened half out of
his senses that he was seen SO far away,
from home, ran with all his might TO get
back before somebody should catch him,
and away vent his little cold feet, scam
pering il their hurry right across Han
nah's stockingless ankle. She screamed,
dropped the butter plate and finally
dropped herself downtown, clear down
10 the bottom she went, and then laid still
waiting for somebody to come Somebody
did at last. She screamed SO they couldn't
help it, and she was helped along up the
stairs and put upon the couch in the din
ng-room; and good Aunt Rachel was
there in moment to pacify and prescribe.
" Where is thee hurt, Hannah 2"
Z" oh, my foot, my foot!' groaned Han
nah, kicking the couch alternately with
one and then the other. Aunt Rachel
pulled off her shoe. Nothing the mat
ter with thee here" said she, Then off
came the other one; then the little,
wrinkled hands tugged away at the stock
ing, that poor, matcless stocking, I'm
afraid thy foot is swollen, Hannah" said
she; thy stocking seems so full" But
with another tug, aided by Patty's fat
hands, off il came with Jerk "And oh,
auntie, auntier' said Patty, "iust look4''
And auntie did look where the chubby fin
ger pointed and burst into a very un-
Quaker-like laugh.
g s'pose you'd laugh if / was dyin','
groancd Hannah Dear, dear; this amt
Friday, but it's the onluckiest day / ever
had in my life"
Aunt Rachel had Gained by this time,
save sly twinkle in the soft gray eyes,
and she gently replied to the uncoureous
speech of Hannah: Child, thee has
found thy stocking
. What-has he brought it back ~ said
Hannah, who, with closed eyes, had not
seen the object of the laugh.
"Thee has brought il back thyself, Han
nah, here on thy wounded foot. Thee
may he thankful that thee put them both
on one foot, for il has saved thee bad
bruise. Now if thee will let me put some
Of This arnica linimenl on this little scratch,
thee will in a few minutes be able to rise
and put your stockings on aright-though,
if | were thee L would mend them first
and Aunt Rachel went for the linimcnt,
while Patty went for the kitchen and Han
nah heard her tell Zaccheus: " That stock
ing is found. 1t has just walked home,
and | guess It's hungry hy the way ii holds
Is mouth open" Zack's " Ha! ha! ha!'
grated upon Hannah's ear; but while she
inwardIy resolved she never would jump
into bed with one stocking on again II she
was ever so sleepy she held her peace; for
though she felt somewhat humlliated, yet
this was endurable as she cOmiOrted her
self with the thought that Ben hadn't had
her stocking, after all. However, the lit
tie affair gave her such serious fright
that she never again tied up the holes In
the toes of her stockings with
string, but mended them, in accord
ance with Aunt Rachels timely sugges-
tion and though she doesn't keep house
for the practical little Quakeress any
longer, but has been keeping house and
making stockings for Ben for coupF OF
years, yet among her choicest treasures
she boards a bottle of arnica liniment-a
present from Aunt Rachel when she went
to housekeeping-and whenever they talk
over the past Ben always laughs heartily
while telling where Hannah found her
stocking -RurGL Men YORKER.
A Serious Joke.