The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1882-04-13

| LTypnOSp-Dub l. V6 uaue Dellefe WbS
a girl again. And that's why I had this
green silk"
"And that's why you've been putting
posies In your hair. Well, it beats all
what difference there is in folks. Now
spring puts me in mind of house.
cleanin' and soap bilin' and bitters-
Land sakes ii there amt Parson Gree
ley a-comin' up the walk, and nothin
but the old cropple crown for dinner,
and all skin and bones at that, and he
a-comin' in the yard this blessed min
utep
Miss Cordelia whisked the green silk
out of sight, and smoothed her crimps
demurely down, as she fastened to
greet her visitor.
1t happened that Miss Polly Watkins,
who went about the village peddling q
concoction known as Watkins Unap-
proachable Liniment, was so fortunate
as to be passing just as the minister
opened Miss Cordelia's front yard gate
"Therel 1 knew we'll that there
WANT never so much smoke without
some fire. Miss Badger needn't think
she could make me believe that green
silk gown with q train didn't mean
something. So it's the minister. WE'LL
men-folks is terrible short t-sighted Gre
ters. There is them in Westfeld that
would make him good sensible wife !"
Miss Polly was SO unhappy as to go
on for nearly quarter of mile before
she met anybody to whom she could
tell her news, and then it was only Dr.
Ramsay, jogging along behind his old
white horse, and between him and Miss
Polly "there want" as she expressed
it, "no great likin', no more'n there was
apt to be between two Of trade" But
still news was news, and Miss Polly
could not resist the temptation of an
opportunity to share it.
"Well, things do turn out queer |"
said the doctor to himself, meditatively
Ticking q fly off his old white horse as
he logged along again. "I wouldn't
have thought she would have had any
body, let alone the old parson. If had
thought Why, I'm ten years young
er'n he is and a sight better calculated
to please the fair sex. And that's O
snug bit of property of Miss Cordilly's,
and she's a wholesome-looking, good
tempered woman, to say nothing of be-
ing handsome, which don't signify.
believe 1 can cut out the parson if 1
try. I always said 1 would die bach
elor, but it's wise man that changes
his mind.o
And the doctor actually whipped his
hcrso ut of his accustomed jog into O
lively trot, and everybody ran to the
window, for the doctor in hurry was
sight that the oldest inhabitant had
never seen.
In the meantime Miss Polly had met
Abner Phillips, one of the "black folks"
who lived three miles from the village
But Abner could not have been more
interested in Miss Polly's news if he
had lived next door to the possessor of
the green silk.
His homeward way led him past John
Parmcnter's house, and John was hoe.
ing in his garden.
"Wa'al, now, Parson Greeley is goin'
to do pretty good thing for himself,
amt hep drawled Abner, after the
usual comments and inquiries C c)ncern.
ing crops had been exchanged. "Ha
knows which side his bread is buttered
on. Parsons ginerally doos."
"What is he going to do ?" inquired
| JOnn Earmenler'
"You don't mean to say you hain't
heard2 Wa'al, 1 declare, you DON'T
know what's goin' on so we'll as black
folks docs He's a.goin' TO marry Miss
| Cordilly Brewster. He's turrible tejus,
the old parson is, and she'll have to
step around lively to fetch up them
boys. But women-folks always docs set
by minister"
After Abner had gone John Par
menter dropped his hoe and stood
wiping his forehead with his handker.
chief with q bewiliered look.
Il don't know why l shouldn't have
expected she'd marry, but somehow l
didn't. I never thought of such a thing.
l don't know why should feel so about
| it. If l hadn't the courage to ask her
when I was young and prosperous surely
couldn't now. l always began to be a
coward the minute I came in sight of
her. 1 never felt so before any other
woman; but then I never cared any
thing about any other. Anyway, can't
rest until find out whether its true or
not. Cordelia can't object to telling an
old friend. Madame Rumor rules this
village. and she's very apt to be mis-
taken"
So John set out to call on Miss Cor
della. AS he passed the bed of cinna-
mon pinks he found that, although it
was early in the season, three had bios
somed that very morning, and he made
them into a little nosegay with some
sprays of fragrant southernwood And
he was in such haste that he forgot to
conceal them from the public gaze by a
bit of paper, as-feeling that it was
somewhat ridiculous for a stout old
bachelor of forty-fve to be carrying
about little bouquets-he had done on
other occasions.
The doctor was driving away from
Miss Cordelia's door as John approached
it, the horse going at his old-fashioned
jog, as if there were nothing in the
world that was worth hurrying for.
81 hope she isn't i'll !" thought
John, and then sudden suspicion
seized him. Here might be another
rival, and a more formidable one than
Parson Greeley. Were rivals spring.
ing up around him like mush.
rooms, when he had never thought oi
the possibility of the existence of one
Mis- Cordelia's cheeks were much
flushed, and they grew redder still al
sight of Johns nosegay.
John, strange to say, did rot blush
or stammer as he presented it. Rivals
seemed to lie wonderful stimulus tc
his courage.