Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1880-05-27

and she would have moved the canton
china out Of that cupboard into an
other in the "squarc room if she had
only dared. But some strange feel
ing Of which she was more than halt
ashamed. seemed to stay her hand
1t vas Tom who haG first placed tne
cups and saucers there; Tom who had
spent an hour or more on the morning
after wedding in deciding where each
particular diSh should stani. They
had been taken down and used now
and then, and washed and wiped, and
put carefully back in the same place
during the ton years Of her married
! lie. For five year. she hal been
what the ncishbors call grass Wild
ow, and the cups and sauvers stood
! there vet. If ever she thought sell
ously Of moving them, Il handsome,
grave face seemed to rise up suddenly
before her, and a pair of deep blue
ewes looked into her very soul the
eyes, the face OF Tom pArke as her
! lover hu.b.n twenty years ag" was
it any wonder that the Canton china
remained there still untouched?
On the night CT which write, Mrs.
! rarke sat a!on. in the kitchen, listen
ing to the sighing and "sonShlns OF
tic ris!nc winds among the maple
trees and thc orchard on the garden
side. There vas no FIRE in the great
cook stove, bnt on the broad brick
hearth bright blaze snapped and
cracked, much 10 the content and
pleasure Of .hc old tubby Cat chlied
up in "a heap before it, with her kitten
AS pillow. The freight danced and
Aick,rel in every nook and corner Of
the room, showing the clina behind
the glass doors Of the cupboard; the
sly windsor chairs and the saken din
ing table, with its cloth and tray neat
" folded on the TOP, 1t sparkled on
the open wo,kbox that stood on the
little s.Y.lug stand by the widow $
sils snl gldel the red peppers
banging in strings above the chimney
piece.
More than All, it shone fairly and
broadly on the widow herself, ~ che sat
looking thonghtfniIy into the bI"z',
and showed woman Of thirty i've
lair, buxom and comely, with deep
GRAY ewes and soft brown hair. a beam
ing cd ltempered look, and yet mouth
that closel somewhat firm Y in spite
Of the ripe lips and fre'h color. Not
bad looking lAma, by any means,
Vas Mrs. parNe; and when YOU re
metnber that the farm Of seventy
acres vas ali her own, together with
he comfortable house and al It's pIcn-
isaing, YOU Will not be surprised tc
hear that il Tom pAlka had bat been
taken to the spirit world snitors wllh
out end woui have apple! TO take
the land and all things e'se Of value
"at the halves" provided the good.
looking mistress Of the house was IN.
cluAed in tie argaln.
Every one said AMI thought that
it was great pity Tom pnrke conId
not step ont and give his wife a
chance to try her lack again. Did
Mrs. park thiNk 50 too? No ore knew
! No one hal ever heard her say.
Tom Par!,e had been handsome
careless sailor waeE he married her,
and he grew handsomer and more
careless as the days and years went
bv Whose fault it was ncne but the
married pair could really say, but the
new home WAS not long a happy one
and as no children came to bind them
nearer together, husband and vile
fell farther and farther apart, and at
last separated by free and mutual
consent. Tom Parke went TO sea
once more, and cru.ed here there ,aEc
everywhere, as his fancy led him
Mrs Parke stayed quietly on at tha
, farm, and with the help Of her uncle
who lived in The house with her, man
:. aged things SO admirably that She
, became quite rich. And FIVE scar:
went by without word Or Lire t'o1
Tom. No one knew certainly thai
lie was alive No one could swesI
that he was dead. Two more yea"t
and his wife or widow might legally
/ sl,uose bin gone 10 "Davy JoDe