The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1882-12-23

ohC uiuI IWdnC Ine mousse 10 look gloomy
to me, outside or in. 1t was all dark
enough now.
81 rec lected how purity she used to
look, sett n n there, rockin' the baby,
an I'd stand outside and look in a bit
fore I'd open the door.
II have to stay outside o. her house
till the end o time now, and another
Teller had the right to go in. My own
fault, too.
"Sam, the cold misery at took a grip
at my heart then l hope Il never ketch
you,
Il couldn' tstand still. / started again,
got as fur s the corner, when it came
over me-queer how you'll remember
things you didn't seem to notice at the
tlme-lt come over me that I'd seen
something move in the shadow of the
front doorway, an whirled an went
back. None too soon, either. Jest as
! got to the gate out come woman. The
moonlight wasn't turned on yet, an
couldn't see plain, but ! stepped in front
of her, an says |, Maran She tried to
run, but grabbed the fringe of her
shawl, an she stood still. Maria saws
|, what we dom here without Mr..
Bemus? Mr., Bemus is on the train
goin' to Amity, reckon. | don't know
nor care says she. Ain you married
to Widder Folsom, putty-faced thing,
James McJimsey?" mo, I amt, nor
L don t ever expect to be- An, with that
my arms were round her an her head
on my shoulder quicker it takes to tell
1t. Made up first an explained aft wards,
| you see.
Not that the ever was much ex-
plainin'. We couldn't stand in the street
behayin' in that ride lous wav-folks
might come alQng-so we went into the
house an | lii the gas. The wasn't
ony one chair on the premises-but one
chair was enough.
"'When | saw You an wilder comm
down the steps o the church thought
may be you was just married, an aft
wards in the store you looked so kind O.
soft it made me sure of it, says Maria,
after spell.
1.-The widder's scary little body
says |, AN she asked me wouldn't |
walk down with her while she tended
to an errand she'd forgot 'Scaryn says
Maria. Her scary? There amt no man
on the face o the yearth at she's 'fraid
of. Bold thing! Just like her to ask we
to go with her-the old cat
1T done me good jest to hear Maria
go on once more. knowed she did the
wilder onjustice, but it showed she still
thought heap O me. | didn't think
the was any use in harrerin' up her
teeltn's by going into pitchers, for
| instance, of the circumstances under
which I'd left the lady we was talkin'
of. Weemen never look at such things
in the right light.
CAS- for lookin' sheepish. I dom
know l says, but how about you an
Bemus a galliyantin' round?''
''She got kind O red at that There
was no gallivantin. He happened to be
on the kyars comm up she says quick,
AN he asked me wouldn't | help him
pick out some notions for his children
Christmas. | won't deny at he's been
a-tryin' to make up to me, but l was
raised decent, and | couldn't abide to
have any other man hangin' round while
! had a husband livin'. The divorce
| didn't seem to makeno difference in that
feelin'. After saw you an that old
Mis- Folsom I'd come up to see, if the
stories was true I'd heard about ye),
thinks well, no matter what thought.
The Captain he said he was comm to
see me soon's | got home, an II told
him he could come.
. 'Pll 90 with YOU says l, AN I'll
tend to his case durn his impudence.'
"Just then Maria jumped up, an says
she, James McJimSey, this is perfectly
scand lous, me a scttin' here with you
an not married to you What would
the neighbors say?' an then she begun
to cry.
''lf | hadn't been such silly goose,
such a heartlesS woman, such a down
right fool me an you might a been
happy all this year, an she sobbed like
a baby.
" was the fool says 1, No, me-
says Maria
"Well, then, we'll do the best two
fools can. Well get married over, an
there amt no lvin' man at can set us
to driftin' apart again.
See here, Sam, | don't see no occa-
sion for you shakin' my hand till the
shoulder 5 out O Tint. The folks lookin'
out O that winder'll think we're dumb
idiots.
Eyes, of course, | married Maria.
Have We listened to this long-winded
yarn an only jest now gathered at l
amt married to Wldder Folsom.
"Christmas? o, yes. 1t was too late
to get a license that night, SO | took
Maria to the place where she was a
stoppn'. Hated to let her 60 out o my
sight for fear | wouldn't never see her
again. was up bright an early on
Christmas mornin', though, You bet, an
the way | hustled the clerk away from
his buckwheat cakes an sassiges was
caution. Me an Maria, we walked
around to the old Campbellite preachers
at had married us before, an he tied
double an twisted sailors knot at
wouldn't allow of no driftin'. He
throwed in neat little lecture into the
bargain.
The wilder? What do We keep a
harpin' on the wilder fer? If YOU want
to be her business manager, I'll take We
up an interduce We. Mebby She 5 waitin'
in the parlor yet ."-Anna Nicholas, IN
indianapolis J0urRn5
A Marvellous Palm.
In the Village OF Pedur. in India,