Sharp County record., 1879-07-31

ted, with a dramatic little gesture.
Again the dinner bell rang violently.
"Will you tell me where you live,
EYa?" asked Dick, paying no attention
to the summons; but before the child
could reply, a stout, buxom, black-eyed
girl flew into the shop from the rear
door, and a slight, graceful, fair. haireA
woman came in at the other.
"Dick, why on earth don't you come
to dinner?" almost yelled the girl;
and, eva, my darling, what are
you doing here?" cried the pretty wo-
man.
"I fought he was my Uncle Robert, ="
said the child, smiling at the young
workman as she dropped his hand and
went toward her mother.
"He?" exclaimed the pretty woman,
scarcely glancing at him. "Why, he :"
with a light laugh and slight infec-
ton of scorn, or something very like it,
in her voice" he's a carpenter" And
catching the child in her arms, she dis
appeared as suddenly as 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. ga car.
penter, indeed! And what is She?"
"What is sheP" repeated Dick.
"Oh, come along to dinner, Dick,
and don't bother. I'm hungry, if you
ain't," giving him a by no means gentle
pull.
"Stop a moment, Lib jerking
away from her" that's a good girl,
and tell me all about it."
"All about ii? Pshaw! you men are
oil alike. All about her, you mean.
Do you think she's prettyP"
"Well, all about her, then," said
Dick, utterly ignoring the question.
"Mother ii be hopping mad, and the
victuals III be stone cold, but s'pose
I'd better hurry and tell you what l
know at once, or you'll be pestering the
life out Of me till do, She's q widow
MRS. Leonard Deming, M. D. that
is, Mr.. Leonard Deming was m. 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
boastipg that there never has been a
mechanic in her family. And yet she's
as poor as a church mouse, and no one
knows how she manages to live"
$50 on, Lib "-aS she stops to take
breath.
"There goes the bell again!''-turn-
ing toward the door.
you shall not stir a step until you
finish your story" says Dick, OBTAINING
her with firm but gentle force.
"Oh, Richard Foster, what tease
you are! and only yesterday you was
calling me a 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 a doctor, and went off to,som3
place OF other when they'd been mar
ried year or so, and caught the yellow
fever, and died, and left her nothing
but his M. D. And she's as poor as
old lady Paulding, and just as proud;
and, oh, Dick, the funniest thing-she's
filled one of her aunt's front windows
with wax flowers for sale, just as though
any one in this place would buy wax
flowers! Come along"
LIB, l think wax flowers are beauti-
full "-he had never thought of them in
his life before, and in fact knew nothing
about them" and l wish you'd set the
other folks good example, and buy
lot of them from-Mrs. DemiDg, for our
parlor mantel;" and he thrust a bill in
to her hand.
"Dick Foster, are you crazyP Wax
flowers, and mother wanting q new
cook-stove this minute the old ones
falling into pieces-and l haven't"
"a stitch to 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. I'll work nights. :"
"But, Dick"
But Dick had rushed away at a fourth
and most furious ringing of the bell,
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 he 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 q
few days after Dick had so suddenly dis
covered how much he 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
on msntel in the low ooilinpod e,,ppu