Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1882-12-22

leNeTyDOuy else, DeIOTc 80 many Vi GHcin
died, or left the dear, peaceful stupid
old Hollow-and / among them.
And now there is scarcely one left who
would know ne-only Aunt Nancy Daw-
son who would have been my aunt really
now, if Ben and I could have kept our
tempers till the wedding day. All. well,
he has forgotten me, but Aunt Nancy
might be glad to, see me, and--yes, a
dollar and a half viii take me to the
Hollow. I'll go. The room is mine to-
night and sufficient unto the day is the
evil thereof. will trust in the Father
of the fatherless, who leads US on by
paths we know not Of"
Aunt Nancy-Aunt Na-an-cyr'
dear sakesi don't shrek body all
in pieces, you Ben Brindle; what you
after?'' =
The door of the little deep-eyed kitch-
en- flew, open, letting out a scent of
boiling coffee into the clear December
air; blue linsy skirt cleared the open
passage-way, and Aunt Nancy Dawson
popped into the sitting-room, armed
with a broom which she at once pro-
ceeded to devote to the obliteration of
the string of powdery tracks left by her
nephew across the striped rag carpet
r.T'Knowed nthere'd be tracks wherever
Their was man. observed the little
woman, whisking away briskly, ..what
v out so early fer?' r1sls.l xy ba
| "We-el " said the old bachelor,
rather dolorously. you see the long and
short of it is, L m lonesome, Aunt Nancy
-GWfia lonesome. d 1-l ore
"Jest what you orto be,'' returned
Aunt Nancy, with blunt candor, "y' own
fault I've told you to get married
forty times, amt I?'' 80
But-there amt any one left to
marry round here as know Of
"tiddlel amt Their the wider Bar
ley9" ee..
sad Mr.. Brindle, doubtfully, "but YOU
know she does weigh most three hun
dred, and IS kind of curious and cross
grained like
There's Melissy Hicks; lovely
housekeeper-couldn' get better +"
mo; she's too good A Teller could
never get bit of rest long as she could
find straw or raveling to fuss about.
Wants everything in straight rows and
= no crooks nowhere. She'd put strings
TO all the young ones she could find and
run EN- up on poles like butter beans il
she could. Anyhow, Aunt Nancy, ]
don't reckon l could get married right
of to-day. and IOouM kind of like some
one to cook a Christmas dinner for me.
Not that fellow can't pack th6spirit
OF Christmas round in his heart without
4 any dinner, but it would make it seem
Like old Christmases, and want you to
jump right into my sleigh and 60 home
with me, Aunt Nancy, and stay all day.
Hey?"
Il sha'nt." said Aunt Nancy. with nc
waste of empty apology: I'm a2oine
to Jim Dawson's folkses, across the
Branch promised 'em a month ago.
an it's saved me cookin' lot of truck.
|. Old Peppers hitched now, n l. m goin'
to start in just the time it takes me tc
get my shawl an green wooSted sun.
bonnet on. You can 90 along, too. il
you like"
MOI don't like" returned Bache
Tor Brindle. They'll fish out all theil
kin-folks from six counties and have
'em there, and don't know half of EN-
and don't seem to want any crowd to-
day-only just them 1 know I'll &C
home and roast sweet potato in the
/
fireplace; that II be good enough, only
the gravy II be full OF cinders"
Bachelor Brindle drove slowly home
ward, his spirits rather depressed in
spite of the beauty of the day, brigh
J with glad CLEAN of sunshine pouring
J down -goldenly over the flawless white
! fleece of the nights bestowing, vet al
; ready beginning to grow damp anC
, heavy under the warm glow, wher
turning the corner of a fence. where the
drifts we're blown up like blocks of mar
J bic, mis- horse gave startled spring anC
stopped at sight of small. dark figure
trudging along on foot. picture unus
J ual enough to scare any horse in the
! country where not farmers daua liter
; in however moderate circumstances
r will undertake, mile journey at any
, season of the year unless provided will
some shape or form of mag" AnC
MIR. Brindle gazed down with wondel
that grew deep and intense at sight O
, the fair little face with its dark eye
and slightly upturned nose raised toward
| him. .s,f-,.. ... h. e. .-.
NAB Laeyr' he cried; "is it Nal
: Lacy. or Christmas vision?'' .bas-
LIT is Nab Lacy.H she answered
| with little, fluttering laugh. s'Pv,
come back to see Aunt Nancy" 81
Then you've come on as much of /.
wild-goose chase as 1 have" be re
! turned, ruefully. "She's gone gon,
PLAIN to the Branch. Her Old Peppel
beats my Floss woefully, and saw the
gable end of her sleigh shy around the
corner before 1 got TO the end of tn,
,. lanesp @ ---io" - ~
Ion, then what-what shall ICdo?
cried Nab, overcome with the sudder
desperate appearance of her position
and sitting recklessly down upon way
side stump, whose white cap of snow
} was gradually shrinking away and ooz
J ing in drops down its side. 5t-f $500
Don't do, that" cried Mr.. Brindle
with alarmed Sharpness; "you mustn'
sit on wetstump and catch cold jus
! because Aunt Nancy took notion t.
Z 60 cumming around for Christina.
lark. Jump in my sleigh, like sen
tsible girl, aud well see.'n
''What's the use?" walled Nab. tryins
to stop little -rifi OF tears, that, wa.
slipping down her cheek with a. corner
Z of her gray vail II cant go home