The Republican journal., 1882-11-23

SLIT whispered l QlunG pause 10 ask. lt
seemed illogical and unnecessary in the
face of her own hypothesis, but she GER
tainly did whisper. Disturbed by this
idea, piled the knocker four or five
time successfully, and then paused,
startled at my own rashness,
"Nothing but the fact Of the house be-
ing on fire could excuse that" said Dot,
decisively. We waited few minutes
we heard some one coming around the
house. A small girl appeared, hatless
and shOelesS, but neat and very pretty.
smiled in a weakly way, in order to in
gratlate myself if possible, but she SEEM
ed to be little influenced by such forced
cheerfulness.
Ma says if twas YOU as knocked, you
ken step round to the other door," she
observed at length.
| gave Dot despairing glance. This
was to be the end Of it, then the other
door, after all Dot was maliciously
amused, but we both stepped around.
\ pleasant looking woman met US.
Wa'al, ! declare fort, there was
somebody there, warn't there 2" she
said, with smile. don't pay much
attention TO that front door, but Hattie
she lowed there was some one there
Been tryin' the knocker, amt ye That's
the biggest knocker there is in these
parts, | guess. Won't you walk in and
set down 2"
! saw by Dots expression that the bur
den Of the conversation was to be left en-
tirely to me, and felt the full consequence
eS OF my temerity. walked IN, therefore,
to gain time. The kitchen which we en-
tered was like all kitchens familiar to
country visitors. There was an old clock
in the corner, an ironing table, a small
cooking stove, the necessary cooking
utensils, and little else save that in
what would have been the chimney
corner but for the ugly stove sat very
old woman. She was not knitting; she
was looking straight before her, and she
took no notice of our entrance.
"We don't hardly ever use that knock
cr," went on our hostess, who seemed
really rather pleased to see us. "There
don't anybody hardly ever 60 to the front
door anyway Its 50 much handler to
come right round here.
"Can we have a glass of water?
asked. meekly "it's so warm driving"
As d matter of fact it was not very
warm driving, but neither of US thought
Of that AS she bustled off to draw the
water for us at the well, Dot said, with
an ait Of malevOlent triumph
III knew you would have to come toit ::
| was sure you couldn't think Of anything
else, and drinks Of water are always IN
order
Like to have you set awhile" was the
invitation extended to US
Law sakes no, you amt keepin' me
from anythin' All chores are done long
ago. Been workin on this carpet more
for suthin' to do"
THAT is your mother, suppose said
Dot, respectfully designating the old lady
in the corner.
"No, she's my grandmother. She's
now She's done a power
OF knitting in her time-'most always see
her With i ball OF yarn-but She amt
touched it now III over a week. She can't
hear ye, nor me either She's deaf as an
adder. You have to hoIer 10 make her
hear anythIn', but hollerin' amt done it
lately. She's been just as you see her
now, hardly moyin', sence week ago
But aren't you anxious about her ?"
inquired Dot.
''No Grandmother II come round
pretty soon. It's nothin but kind Of Il
shock she's had. She was always easy up
set, grandmother was, sence she was a girl,
and She never wanted anybody ter take
notice OF her, and she always come round.
She was kind Of shook up this time, |
guess"
WAS this shock anything like paral-
ysis 2" asked Dot, sympathizingly.
"No; twas suthin' she read out Of
and it seemed to strike her
all Of heap just like that"
Dot and | maintained a discreet sill
ence, but our curiosity was oVerWhelm-
ing.
"Cur'ous, too, should strike her that
way. P'r'aps va like to hear the story ?"
Eve should, very much, if YOU wouldn't
mind telling u.s.
Law, no, wouldn't mind telin' We,
and grandmother wouldn't mind hevin'
me. 1t amt much of a story, but it's
sort OF curious the way it come out. |
heard the first part of it from my mother,
and it's a sort OF a pity she couldn't have
known the endin ont. Wa'al, when
grandmother was a young Woman-hev
to begin quite spell back, you see She
was hans0me, they said, as any pcter
you'd want to see, and she had a sight of
young men arter her. She was pretty
good friends with 'em all, | guess, and
Warnt in no partic'lar hurry bout pickin,
any on EN- out. Law sakes. WHY should
l,a 40 Jar
ter, no wonder she warn't in any hurry !"
And her granddaug hter sighed little
she was rather hard featured
herself, and very likely had had no such
wide field for selection.
There come a time when she didn't
seem to want to wait nc longer, though,
and the man she picked kinder s'prised
her folks and most everybody else
Likely enough young teller, too guess
bur he didn't seen to be that much better
than any OF the rest. He was real good
Iookin', and sorter capable, too, and
seemed drcttul fond of grandmother; but
he Warn't-Wa'al he warn't forehanded,
and didn't seem to be that to be depend
ed on somehow ; had never failed ANYBODY
as know on, but he seemed sorter onset
tied. He Warn't raised round here, but
he'd come here to live without any Of his
folks comm with him, and he was always
pleasant spoken, and folks liked him we'll
arter all they was s'prsed
But grandmother she set great store by
him, and arter they'd kept company for "a
while they set the day for the weddin"
II was very strange for us two girls to
be sitting here in this Old fashioned
kitchen, looking at this old, silver haired,
silent woman, and listening to the story
)f her young romance, while she sa. by
lnhearing and unheeding what was once
the breath and beauty Of her life.
''TWas goin' to be quite a weddin'," went
ln this practical woman before us, who
had taken up the rag carpet again, and
worked as she talked, while the old clock
licked away the minutes just as it had
flcked the swift moments Of that court
ship when in this very kitchen probably,
those two figures of the dim past were
keeping company. En- passant, we would
like to ask why it is that the temptation
to moralize about clock is so irresistible
"Qulte a weddin' as weddins went then,
and grandmother had new dress sent
down trpp, pilloFnrl "A -