Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1878-06-20
The Sturp Tellet.
WIDOW COBB.

80
ton of the blaze, wrinkled his black nose ap-
provingly, and turned his hind feet where his
fore feet had been.
Over the chimney hung several fine hams
and pieces of dried beef Apples were fes.
tooned along the ceiling, and crooked-necked
squashes We'd with red peppers and slips of
dried pumpkins in garnishing each window
frame. There were plants, too, on the win
dow ledges-horse shoe geraniums, and dew
plants, and monthly rose just budding, to
say nothing of pots of violets that perfumed
the whole place whenever they took it into
their purple heads to bloom.
The floor was carefully swept-the chairs
had not speck Of dust upon leg or round ;
the long settee near the fireplace shone as if
it had Just been vanished, and the eight.day
clock in the corner had had its white face
newly washed, and seemed determined to tick
the louder for it. Two arm chairs were
drawn up at cosey distance from the hearth
and each other; a candle, newspaper, a
pair of spectacles, dish of red-cheeked ap.
Piles and pitcher of cider, filled little ta-
BILE between them.
In one of these chairs sat comfortable
looking woman of about forty FIVE, with
cheeks as red as the apples, and eyes as dark
and bright as they had ever been, resting her
elbow on the table, and looking very thought
fully into the fire. This was Widow Cobb
"relict" of Deacon Levi Cobb, who had been
moldering into dust in the Byton church
yard for more than seven years. She was
thinking of her dead husband, possibly, be-
cause-al her work being done, and the SER
want gone to bed-the sight of his empty
chair at the other side of the table, and the
silence of the room, made her little lonely.
"Seven years." 80 the widows reverie ran.
at seems as if it we're more than fifty-and
yet I don't look so very old. either. Per-
haps it's not having any children to bother
my life out as other people have. They
may say what they like-children are more
plague than pro6t-that's my opinion. Look
at my sister Jerusha, with her six boys. She's
worn to shadow, and I am sure they have
done it, though she will never own it,
The widow took an apple from the dish
and began to peel it.
"How dreadful fond Mr.. Cobb used to be
of these CRAFTS He will never eat any more
of them, poor fellow, for don't suppose they
have apples where he has gone to. Heigho !!
remember very we'll how | used to throw
apple parings over my head when l was a
girl. to see who was going to marry"
Mrs. Cobb stopped and blushed. For in
those days she did not know Mr. Cobb, and
was always looking eagerly to see if the peel
had formed capital IS" Her meditations
took new turn.
"How handsome Sam Payson was p! and
how much I used to care about him won.
,hof hoo ~ cbo
he went away from our village just after |
did, and no one has ever heard of him since.
And what silly thing that quarrel was! If
it had not been for that"
Here came long pause, during which the
widow looked very steadfastly at the empty
arm chair of Levi Cobb, deceased. Her fin
gers played carelessly with the appe-paring
she drew it safely toward her, and looked
around the room.
"Upon my word it is very ridiculous, and
don't know what the neighbors would say
if they saw me-"
Still the plump fingers drew the red peel
nearer.
"But then they can't see me, that's com,
fort, and the cat and old Bowse never will
know what it meas. Of course, I don't be-
lieve anything about it,
The pairing hung very gracefully from her
hand.
"But still 1 should like to try it.; it would
seem like old times, and"
Over her head it went and curled up very
quietly on the floor at a little distance. Old
Bowse who always slept with one eye open
saw it fall, and marched deliberately up to
smell Of it,
"Bowse-Bowse-don' touch it," cried his
mistress, and bending over it with beating
heart, she turned as red as fire. There was
as handsome capital "S'' as any one could
wish to see.
A great knock came suddenly at the door,
Bowse growled, and the widow screamed and
snatched up the apple pairing.
"It's Mr.. Cobb-it's his spirit come back
again, because I tried that silly trick" she
thought fearfully to herself.
Another knock-louder than the first, and
mans voice exclaimed:
"Hillo! the house!'
"Who is it? asked the widow, somewhat
relieved to find that the departed Levi was
still safe in his grave upon the hillside.
"a stranger" said the voice.
"What do you want?"
"To get lod ging for the night
The widow deiberated.
"Can't you 60 on-there's house half a
mile further, if you keep to the right-hand
side of the road and turn to the left after you
get by"
"It's raining cats and dogs, and I'm very
delicate" said the stranger, coughing "I'm
wet to the skin-don't you think you can ac-
commodate mel don't mind sleeping on the
floor"
Raining, is it? I didn't know that" and
the kiud-hearted woman unbarred the door
very quickly. "Come in, whoever you may
bel only asked you to 60 on because am
lone woman, with only one servant in the
house."
The stranger entered shaking himself like
Newfoundland dog upon the step, and scat
terng little shower of drops over his host
ess and her nicely swept floor.
"Oh that looks comfortable after man
has been out for hours in storm" he said
as he caught sight of the fire, and stridiug
along toward the hearth, followed by Bowse
who shifted suspciously at his heels, he sta
toned himself in the arm.chair-Mr. Cobb's
arm. chair, which had been kept sacred to his
memory for seven years. The widow was
Mortified, but her guest looked so weary and
worn ont that she could not ask him to move