The Canton advocate. [volume] (Canton, D.T. [S.D.]) 1877-1897, 1881-06-02
THE MISTAKE GARNET MADE

was commonly called by the inhabi-
tants of Linden. Here, since the de-
parture of her niece, Garnet, her
brother Roberts child, for the city to
learn the dressmaker's trade, which
event occurred a couple of years ago,
she had lived alone, .subsisting on the
few acres of ground attached to the
cottage, which she managed to sell or
barter away for groceries at thriving
town three miles distant.
Day was fast verging into dusk, In
deed, for some time, twilight had lain
gray upon the scene, and only silver
line kissed the purple tops Of the dis
tant mountain. The Widow barley
sat by the window busily engaged in
darning wetched-looking stocking over
a mammoth mock orange, bemoaning
with her every stitch her recent attack
Of rheumatism which confined her to
the house, when she was thor
oughly conscious of the fact that her
services were needed out doors. Now
was the time to dig her potatoes, now
the time to gather certain apples, and
do everything in fact and here she
was, not only unable to get about, but
SO heavily trammeled by debts that she
found it impossible to secure the as
sistance so much needed.
"Well, l declare ~
This exclamation was caused by the
rumbling old stage coach, that daily
passed her house, stopping at the front
gate, from which alighted her niece,
who ran lightly up the walk and into
the house followed by strongly-built
man, bearing on his boulder good
sized trunk, which he deposited in the
hall ere making his exit.
Glow dye do, Aunt Susan?" with a
hug and kiss. "Not slave to rheu-
matism, hope?"
Yes" replied Widow barley, who
by the way, was tiny woman Of fifty,
with a face not unlike the wrinkled ap-
pies that grew on the tree in the garden,
"the monster has me again in his
clutch. But, whatever brings you
home? You haven't surely been sent
adrift?"
eyes, aunt" a tremor of pain thread
ing her voice in spite of her efforts to
appear unconcerned. "times are dull,
and Madam Brown has so little work,
that she deemed it expedient to dispense
with the services of those girls who
proved the most incompetent. I, being
the least skillful of all her apprentices,
was discharged without regret. Most
summarily she dismissed me, withhold
ing the few quaint words of commenda-
ton she grudgingly bestowed upon the
others. Ihave no taste for dressmaking,
and am termed a regular botch. Not a
very good recommendation 70 help Sc
cure another situation, Ell? But, never
mind, aunt! l see l am needed at
home. How are things prospering?"
"Not at ALL" in her most dolorous
tone; "the place is fairly weighed down
with mortgages, and, for aught l know
to the contrary, Mr.. Lincoln may fore
close any day. Yes. any day may find
us without shelter. Our larder is about
empty, and there is no money to replen-
ish it; all of the flour has been craped
from the barrel, and to-day was obliged
to borrow a pailful from Jane Gray;
then, too, there is not tea-leaf in the
caddy, and l do not know how to exist
without my cup of tea. had meant to
have dug a few bushels of potatoes and
got Mr.. Denvers horse to 60 and obtain
some Of the things l cannot get along
without, but I am good for nothing
good for nothing" with profound
sigh.
"Never mind, aunt, don't worry. III
see what can be done in the morn
ing"
Next forenoon, about 10 O'Clock,
with hoe swung over her shoulder, and
a halfbushel basket in her hand, in
which reposed half dozen potato bags
and a dainty repast done up in a news
paper, she trudged to the potato lot, to
see what could be done; for the widows
niece, Garnet Embers, was a girl equal
to any emergency. She was slender.
graceful girl, neither blonde nor bru-
nette, but q combination of both, as
pretty a creature as one would care to
see, with her wonderfully fair complex
ion, tinged with the merest flush of pink.
her dark eyes, almond-shaped, and full
of vim, Swallowed by black, curling
lashes, and superb abundance of red
brown hair, coiled low on her well
shaped head. She had donned dun
hued calico dress, which she had fast
ened up on all sides to keep clear of the
dirt, thereby displaying a foot arched
and slender as an arabs; and over her
head, hiding her wondrous hair, was
one of her aunt's sunbonnets, making
her look, as she declared, a regular guy.
She reached the lot and set to work in
earnest, but somehow she made little
progress. Oh! if some strong-handed
masculine creature were but around!
What short work he would make Of
that job.
AT this juncture the report of gun
sounded near, and Garnet looked Xp
Just in time to see a chipmunk, ruphing
along the fence dividing her LOT from
Mr.. Denver's, topple over. and an in
slant after man in gray, muscularly
framed ard handsome as Apollo, with
wide sombrero shading his face, appear
ed in sight. How propitious the fates
were! What she had devoutly wished
for was yonder-a man. Mr.. Denvers
hired IMAM, without doubt. She sus-
pended operations, and with her hoe
raised alott. cried out.
"Here, young man. come here! |
want you to help in digginga few BUSH
els of potatoes. l will see that you
do not incur Mr.. Denver's displeasure
by doing as l desire. And, indeed, for
that matter, you mightas we'll be work
ing for me as to be idling away your