The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1880-08-19
Aunt Maria's Bargain IN Lace.

IT was JuoC Lioo", u" u"A w."
ready to put upon the table in the
roomy farm house at the foot of Hem
lock mountain. The horn had been
sounded a full quarter of an hour, giving
plenty of time for the men to come from
the field, but they did not appear. Mrs.
Stone took advantage of this fact by
seating herself comfortably in the
kitchen rocking chair, and taking a
snatch of the rest of which her brisk
steps in doing the mornings work had
made her feel the need.
But it seemed to Aunt Maria that the
"~men-folks" should be looked after, and
accordingly she took her way through
the wide hall to the front door. She
paused a moment on the piazza, which
was made delightfully."- shady and entic-
ing by an awning of Wild grape-vines.
The atmosphere was clear, and as she
looked across the valley she saw the tin
roof of a newly built house in the far
distance glimmer and gIisten in the
bright Sunshine like a silver star.
In the front yard her bed of double
portulacas, mixed rcd, yellow and white,
blossomed gorgeously, but just in the
middle Of it, to her great disgust,
cleaned ~provokingly the shining feath-
ers Of Pedro, the old black rooster.
When Pedro presented himself at the
kitchen door every morning after break
fast and demanded the usual cold potato
granted him, Aunt Maria treated him
with Il certain amount of consideration !;
but il the middle of her tiower-bed he
was uncomfortable. Watch was lying on
the piazza, and she tried to urge him to
the chase but he persisted in looking
mp and down the road, never for a nc
ment allowing his gaze to rest on Pedro,
assuming that provoking air of being
really unable TO see what he was ex-
pected TO run after, that a cunning dog
knows so well how to feign. After
many vigorous shakes OF her blue ginc-
ham apron, Aunt Maria succeeded in
starting Pedro, who left the comfortable
hole he had dug and walked slowly away
with oh %untroubled air which seemed to
SAY, aft | never had a worse enemy than
Aunt Maria | may count myself FORUM
ate" All if Aunt Maria and Pedro
had but known But let not coming
events cast shadows.
Pedro once dispersed, Aunt Nara
walked to the gate, from whence she
discovered that Brother Samuel and his
sixteen. year-old son Asa had stopped to
talk with Tom Price, a neighbors son,
which she considered a waste of valua-
BILE time. So she called in an emphatic
tone Of voice, DINNER is ready p as a
hint to Tom 70 be moving OIL, which he
accordingly did.
Asa had hardly set foot within the
kitchen door when he began to relieve
himself of the news Just received from
Tom.
"Going down to see your new neigh
bors p he asked.
"New neighbors Where ? There
isn't All empty house for over a mile
about"
"Well, this kind don't generally take
to houses, at least not when it's warm
weather, so they can camp out. But
there's about forty of 'em down in Dea-
con Prices woods. Tom says they came
there this morning from the other side
of the mountain. The deacon hated
awfully to have EN- there, but he didn't
want TO drive 'em away, ond he s'posed
they'd got To stop somewhere. Tom
sa, $ they're as strange looking a crew as
he ever Jaw dark skins, the blacklist
kind of eyes, and the s~traightest, black
est hair. And they wear led AMI vel
low and such bright colors more than
anything else. And they've got some
splendid horses, and the queerest lot of
wagons and fxings. And there's been
lots Of folks to see 'em this morning,
and we must all so tonight after the
chores are done
Now, in this remote neighborhood
~mong the mountains q real, live gypsy
had ne, err before been seen within the
memory Of the Oldest inhabitant. Even
a tramp was a rarity, and the few speci-
mems who presented themselves at the
farmhouse doors were interviewed With
an energy and thoroughness which must
have gwen very unsatisfactory returns
as regarded the information received.
So taere were many wondering c~oniect-
ures concerning the dark strangers, and
IN agreement was made to lock up the
house and go to visit them in the cool
of tie evening.