The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1879-07-18

I err don't come back; and she's beg
garl this last remark evidently quo
ted, with dramatic little gesture.
Again the dinner bell rang violently.
"Win you tell me where You live,
Evas" asked Dick, paying no attention
10 the summons; but before the child
could reply, . stout. buxom, black-eyed
girl fiew into the shop from the rear
door, and = slight. graceful. fair haired
woman came in ~ the other.
"Dick, Why on earth don't you come
to dinnerP" almost yelled the girl !;
and, EVA. my darling, what are
you doing here?" cried the pretty wo-
man.
81 fought he was my Uncle Robert, :"
said the child. smiling Al the young
workman as she dropped his hand and
went toward her mother
"Hs ~ exclaimed the pretty woman,
scarcely CHANGING 1t him. "Why, he !"
with light laugh and slight inflec-
ton Of scorn, or something very like II,
In her voice" he's carpenter" And
catching the child in her arms, she dis
appeared as suddenly IS she had ar
rived.
"Goodness gracious sakes alive."
said Dicks brown-faced, red-cheeked
sister, with not an infection, but whole
volume of scorn in her voice. "A car
penter. indeed And what IS she'"
"What Is she 20 repeated Dick.
"Oh, come along to dinner, Dick,
and don't bother TIM hungry, II you
amt, " giving him . BY no means gentle
pull
"Stop q moment, Lib jerking
away from her" that's good girl,
and tell me all about it."
"All about IT, Pshawl you men are
all alike. All about her, you mean.
Do you think she's pretty?"
"Well, all about her, them" said
Dick. utterly ignoring the question.
Mother II be hopping mad, and the
I'd better hurry and tell You what !
know ct once, or you'll be Fostering the
life out Of me till do. She's widow
Mrs. Leonard Deming. NJ. ID. ! that
Is, Mr. Leonard Deming was NJ. d. :
and she came here two days ago to live
in the brick cottage round the corner,
with her aunt, old Mrs. Paulding, who
Is always talking Of better days and
boasting that there never has been q
mechanic in her family. And yet she's
as poor as . church mouse, and no one
knows how she manages TO live
" Go on, Lib "-as she stops to take
breath.
"There goes the bell again i"-turn-
ing toward the door.
You shall not stir . step until you
finish your story" says Dick, OBTAINING
her with firm but gentle force
"Oh, Richard Foster, what tease
you arei and only yesterday you was
calling me = gossip, and saying how
women's tongues did run on, and-oh!"
with shrill scream), . what . pinch,
you tormenting thing! Well. her hus-
band was . doctor, and went OF to some
place or other when they'd been mar
ried year or %, and caught the yellow
fever, and died, and LETT her nothing
but his M. d. And she's a. poor as
old lady Paulding, snd Just as proud;
and, oh, Dick, the funniest thing-she's
filed one Of her a1nt's front windows
with wax flowers for sale, Just as though
any one in this place would buy wax
howersl Come along"
I. Lib, think wax flowers are beaHti-
full he had never thought Of them in
his life before, and in fact knew nothing
about them" and wish you'd set the
other folks good example, and buy .
lot Of them fr0m-Mrs. Deming, for our
parlor mantel;- and he thrust bill in
to her hand.
"Dick Foster, are you crazy? Wax
flowers, and mother wanting . new
cook stove this minute the old ones
falling into pieces-and I haven't"
"A stitch 70 your back, says Dick,
smiling. .You never have. But buy
the flowers, Lib dear, and mother shall
have . new stove and new dress be-
fore the weeks out III work nights"
"But, Dick"
But Dick had rushed away at fourth
and most furious ringing Of the ball,
and she wAs fain to follow without an
other word
Day after day Dick Foster set his shop
door wide open. and replenished the
pretty bonbon box that was hidden away
behind some tools on shelf in the cor
ner, in hopes that be might some day
again raise his head from his work and
see the fair haired child standing be-
fore him. But day after day went by,
and June merged into July, and she
came no more.
The wax flowers had been bought .
few days after Dick had 30 suddenly dis
covered how much be admired them,
and wonderful limitations Of nature they
proved to be, but, alas, wanting natures
wonderful fragrance; and they stood
between the china dog and cat, that
Dick remembered from his earliest boy
hood, on the high old-fashioned wood
en- mAntel in the low-ceilinged sunny
parlor.
Lib had come back from purchasing
them with . quick step and . snap in