The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1879-07-03
OUR STORY TELLER
THE OLD CREAM JUG.

"Stuff and nonsense" said the Widow
Wallis, austerely, "haven't Syou. got
your work to do-milk to skim butter
to work over, dishes to'wash, and two
dozen shirts Just sent In from the'laun-
dry to finish of before dinner-time7
Go about il ut once, and don't let me
hear any moN folly about apple-blos-
For Mrs. WalIk belonged TO the work
ing brigade Of The world aud did not
believe in % Jthetics of any kind
Buttercups and red sunsets and many
tinted rainbows had always been a
standing problem to her, and she could
not understand how a man of any sense
could possibly prefer golden hair to red,
or daisy pink complexion to honest
freckles. 20 -
And her two eldest daughters, Naomi
a1d Miranda Ann, agreed with her en-
tirely on this as on all other subjects.
But Ruth was different. Ruth treasured
up ha'f-open yosebuds 10 surreptitious
glasses of water, sowed flower seeds
under the dairy window, read poems in
her own rooms, and cried when the
hohey 'uckie vine was razed from before
the porch pillars.
"Rotting all the posts and harboring
earwigs aud SPIDERS" said the widow,
severely.
"But the flowers are so pretty.
pleaded Ruth s
Pretty" snorted the widow, as If
the terms were a synonym for all
absurdity and weak-mindedness. II do
think, Ruth, you are almost fool"
So upon this golden May morning,
when the lilacs were nodding their
purple plumes and the apple blossoms
spread their sheets of billowy pink over
all the orchards, Ruth was condemAed
TO milk-skimming in the dairy and the
finishing Of the shirts in the kitchen.
She was standing in front of the milk
room window, busy with her shining
paus- after all there was a certain
poetry in the oocupdtion-when all of a
sudden whiekered and mustached
face presented itself, all framed in the
easement.
Goodness men cried Ruth, with a
violent start which nearly upset one of
the vessels, and then recovering her
presence Of mind she added: What
do you wantT
I" j beg your pardon" said the appari-
tion-and Ruth began to perceive that
IL hal rather fine eyes, and was no
longer very young apparition-"I am
afraid ! startled you"
Yes, you did-rather," admitted
Ruth. But il you're a tramp, please
go on, for we never give to tramps.
And IL you're a sewing-machine agent,
or anything else Of that sort, it's no use.
And"
"You are mistaken" said the owner
of the dark eyes, with comical curl of
his lips. II am none Of these. am
in the china business" -
oh" said Ruth, beginning to COM
prehend. "Vases, and little dogs and
parrots, for cast off clothes. But we
wear all our things out, and mother
makes rag carpets of them afterward."
"Very laudable of her. l am sure -
nodded the stranger. But-may ask
what you will take for that twisted
cream-pot on the shelf just over your
neadT' .g - I'd.
Ruth glanced up with startled eyes.
"lt was my grandmother Crocus's, /"
said she; land it's so old-fashioned-w we
never use il. Mamma keeps radish seed
Exactly" said the stranger. ait il
very old, and that is the reason
want It,"
Ruth thought of the Jews who had
been traversing the country In search oi
antiques, old furniture and articles
of vertu.
Gould this be one of themf But his
nose was certainly straight and slender
and there was no unusual utterance In
his voice.
No, she decided within herself that
he could not be a Jew.
"t's NINE" she said, coloring deeply,
My grandmother Crocus left it TO me
in her will."s 80
Wouldn't you rather have ten dol
lars to buy yourself new hatT said
the stranger. coaxingly. 80
"Oh, a thousand times" cried Ruth
eagerly.
"Then il is bargain" said the gentle.
man, taking out a pocket-book which
seemed to be perfectly apoplectic with
bank notes.
ono, it ian't" said Ruth. "I-l
couldn't sell it, indeed"
"Ah," said the stranger, "perhapi
there are old family relations connected
with it2' ~ : ... -
ooh, no, I never saw my grandmothel
Crocus, Ruth replied rather bewildered
Say twenty" said the stranger
coaxingly. r ...
cts Of no use," declared Ruth; al
cannot sell it."
You are devoted to old china, then.
The face came nearer, the eyes sparklet
a. IL their owner was convinced that h,
had found kindred soul.
"I Ihate it," said Ruth.
The dark eyes recoiled pace or two
Then you'll let me have the ole
oream-pot for twenty dollars7" said h,
persuasively.
But Ruth would only reiterate, with
downcast eyes and deepening bushes
&c cannot sell it,"
Mr.. Wynfeld Napier walked away
pulling his long mustache, and ponder
ing over the piece of old English war,
which had so attracted his attention.
ri sit down formally before tha
cream-pot," said he. "Pll besiege II
IL shall be mine, or I'll know the reason
why" l..' ......
For Mr.. Napier was connoisseur /,
ceramics, and the moment his idl
glance, cast upwards through Mrs
Wallis's milkroom as he drank n glass O
water mt the well, had fallen on tn
piece of old English china, his soul ha,
coveted it. fsf2 .......
"Pve Just month TO stay here be
fore must be mack in my dingy oil
law Office again." meditated he.
mau eau do great deal In MONTH"
Aud he set himself regularly to wor
q win the tire ,sure which he yearne
for 10 deeply. 44.t
Day after day he strolled to the oil