The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1881-07-30
BY ROSE TERRY COOKE.

:" amt one o that kind, now l tell
ye Ef things to say, say it right
out; but Philindy Beers, she keeps a.
butterin' and a-butterin and smoothin'
down and strolIin' over. Why, there she
is -
Miss Nancy Tyron was tall and gaunt
and lean; scant gray hairs were brushed
back from her angular forehead and
twisted into tight knot behind, severe
ly fastened with a yellow horn comb
her chin protruded little, her black
eyes stared and snapped and generally
expressed themselves in pungent way:
and her tongue-oh, her tongue it was
as untlrlng, as restless, as noisy, but by
no means as useful, as a nail-machine.
She had very little patience and very
little charity, but under her snappy way.
her rapid judgment, her curt decision,
lay thoroughly honest and kind heart,
which she was ashamed to show.
Well, now, Nancy I' said her com
panion, Mrs. Bunnell, who had stepped
IN for a neighbOrly visit, 'you know
you're kinder arbitrary, you alIus was,
an you do like to speak in meetins
whether there's n congregation or not,
you allus did; but L will say fort, your
bark worse'n your bite, /"
Here Mrs. Beers knocked at the door.
"Come in y shouted Miss Nancy, never
stirring fran her chair-a fragrant viola
ton of Stafford etiquette.
" Good-day, good-day WHY, Mis-
Bunnell, how be you? / haven't seen
you for quite spell; and how do you
get along, Mis- Nancy ?"
SOS to be crawlin'," snapped the
spinster, glaring straight at the round,
placid, smiling little figure of the Widow
Beers, who sat down in the nearest
rocker, and put pretty little basket on
the floor by her side. Well, you do
look real spry; I'm glad to see we so
well. And you're usually well, l see,
Mis- Bunnell. | fetched around few
apples offn my Astrykan tree to Soph-
rony Jones; she's real miser'ble."
Serves her right" broke in Miss
Nancy. "What did she go'n' marry a
shif'less, lowl lived teller like 'Lish Jones
for? She might ha' known that them
that makes brier beds for themselves has
to live on thorns"
'Well, she seems to think consider
able of him; | guess he's pretty good to
her SUR as he knows how to be-
HIM his goodness won't go no
further'n hen-hop," shifted Miss Nancy.
And seem l was a-comin' this way"
placldly went on Mrs. Beers, 81 thought
Id fetch few on 'em to you. [ reck'-
lect You set by apples good deal"
''Im obleeged to We, ;" said Miss Nan
cy, still curt and decisive, but not quite
SO fierce.
Hadn't you better set 'em into the
buttery, Nancy?" suggested Mrs. Bun
nell, looking unconscious of a pun, but
Miss Nancy glared at her with honest
wrath.
Mrs. Beers began again in her mild
way. "They do say, up to the Centre,
that Parson Styles is laid up with
dreadful spell o quinsy."
81 guess he caught cold over to the
Ma'shs weddin',' suggested Mrs. Bun
nell. /" 1t did pour down; [ come over
to-day half to see how you stood it,
Nancy"
STOOD what?"
"Why, gettin' home from Mis- Ma'sh's
house a-Tuesday evenin'; the weddin',
We know.
:" hain't been to no weddin'; hes
Desiah Mash made a goose O. herself TO
her time o life ?"
Why, no! mercy sakes not Why
| expected you knowed it; twas Janey
-Janey Tyron an Sam Phelps. 1
sposed, of course, SEEM you was her
aunt, you'd fetch around to see her
married.
Miss Nancy was crimson with rage.
"Jane Tyron an Sam Phelps! l guess
mott | told her year back if | ever
heerd of one o them Phelpr boys a
look to me for no settIn out. Sam
Phelps! of all created critters, b'lieye
them Phelpses is the meanest."
You didn't always think so, did We ?"
sarcastically inquired Mrs Bunnell, who
knew very well what hurt and wrong
had set Miss Nancy against the Phelps
family: how Sam Phelps uncle had
"courted pretty Nancy Tryon, and
then run away with Jason Swift's daugh-
ter, the richest girl in Stafford, and left
Nancy TO make the best of it.
The taunt made poor Nancy speech
less; she looked at Mrs. Bunnen, as
that peace breaking woman afterwards
expressed it, "jest like the unicorn on n
needle-paper a-tarin' at the lion. /
really looked to hev her rise up an paw
round and run her tongue out at me"
But good Mrs. Beers said in her gen
tie way, before Miss Nancy could speak,
Like enough she was to We, an some
how the letter went astray; I've knowed
1t so to be.
Talk! do talk" shrieked Miss Nan
ey. She haintl | know she haint !
enc knowed | wouldn't never go to no
Phelps Weddin'; she done it a-purpose,
the MINK
ooh, guess not, 'purred Mrs. Beers,
"Janey's good girl; she's real feelin'.
| know MIS- Mash has set by her like