The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1882-01-21
phiny will hev, she's got pooty big slice,

L n feIl voou y -. =. -
Dolly would any Teller dast to ask her ~
inquired seth, aghast at the very idea of such
a trial.
aLor', Eunusn said Aunt Polly, whose
round, rosy face, drawn down that il might
bet er accord with trouble, looked Ike that OF
homesck kitten, 'nothin' dretiul ha MT hap
pened to Delphiny. he's only jest run away,
that's all, she takes after her ma in being pref
BY masterful m when she said she wouldn't
never merry the Elder. she meant it, m l
s'pose she thought tibet wuz the only way to
git eout of it."
Right, Aunt Polly" Delphine came near
saying aloud. But the sight of her mothers
tears moved the girl. Tears were so out OF
character with the hard, worldly woman. she
had never seen her weep before poor motu-
err, she said to herself ''she must suffer to
allow herself to exhibit what she would con-
denim as so much weakness in another. Per-
haps | ought to marry the Elder, after all,
since she has set her heart upon it to such an
extent"
But, no, on a second thought It was not her
duty, 1t could not be her duty, to sacrifice both
herself and Tom because her mothers will or
dained that 1t should be so. There was neither
justice nor reason in 1t. Her mother would,
herself, see the right some day. The Elder
was not only personally repulsive; but he was
OF cold, hard, grasping nature, ignorant
bigoted, domineering. To live with him would
be worse than death.
m drowned herself In the river" replied this
afflicted mother in subdued tones, "she's ez
like her poor dead father ez few peas in some
ways, m he was alwers kinder reckless m
desperate eff things did't go to suit him"
Reckless and desperate, l should think"
exclaimed Aunt Loisy, the indignant sister Of
the deceased. ''Some folks wouldn't wonder
| at some folks bein' kinder desperate A hus-
BAN IS a dreadful reality, anyhow, m hus-
ban you don't keer fur ez wuss Pore girl
II she'd had father she wouldn't ha' come to
thisn
The three other aunts were so startled by
this outburst, that each dropped stitch In her
knitting work and drew a long breath and
glared at the bold speaker in utter silence.
whats the Elder a goin' t. dewl" ques-
toned Aunt Jane after this very emphatic
pause.
Delphine strained her ears to hear the reply
to this direct question 1t was Just what she
wished to inquire herself.
''He says it's his dooty to find her in spite of
everything, for fear if she ha'n't a'reddy, she
should fall under the infiourince of some I'M
converted m ungodly person, m stray eout
ov the fold ov the gospi m the paths of peace"
Here Barbary's sniff echoed loud and dis
tinct from some unseen corner. Mrs Long
started. The four aunts turned and fixed their
eyes upon the ''help" with severity
''What if he can't find herf' queried Aunt
Loisy, swapping her needles.
1.-THE Elders terrible understandn' man,
ez wells good man, I" remarked Aunt Jane as
If she had been contradicted, and with her
stern gaze still fixed in the direction of Bar
barry, quite ignoring Aunt Loisy.
"Hev you looked everywhere raound hereg'
came from Aunt Polly, who evidently feared
open war was near, and was anxious to avert
it.
"Yis, everywhere, they're searchin' in the
woods now, s'pose," sighed the widow dis
mally.
"But, lor she ha'n't there, shouldn't
wonder eff she was merred to Tom Darlington
afore this time" said Aunt Loisy with an ae-
gressive pucker
"Loisy Hutchinson, you never did hev no
sense nor nothin' else," and Mrs. Long indig-
nantly left the room.
The entrance of neighbor prevented any
comments being made on this sweeping accu-
sation.
The neighbor was a wiry inquisitive look
ing man, whose nose looked as If it been
sharpened to fine point by contact with other
peoples affairs.
"Wall," said he, cheerfully, fitting his chair
back against the wall and producing knife |
from his pocket, which he drew backward and |
forwald across the leg of his substantial boot
let seems naow as eff Delphine wasn't no
where. John Randall hez got back, m he |
says the stage didn't take in no new passen- |
gers tell she got way down to Cold Stream. !
There ha'n't no strange team bin along the |
turnpike, nor t'other way acrost the bridgen
81 knowed somethin' was a goin' to happen
in this famerly," sighed Jane, ''fur there wuz
a windin' sheet in the candle night before
las"
"'N' Eunus SEE the settin' fire, eyery
time it's been lit on cool mornin's this sum-
mer, has been baound to burn on one side en-
tirely. There was no coaXin' of it to Green
through t. t'other. That's alters a sign oy
bad luck, you knaow, I've knaowd it to mean
DEATH" said Aunt Mary Ann.
The Elder md his friend d;d ,Dot ,o4,,--
night, and shortly after nine O'Clock, though
there was still light in the kitchen, the house
became comparatively quiet. The slow hours
wore toward morning. Once or twice Del |
phne let herself down from her lofty perch,
and eased her cramped limbs by yalking |
swiftly and noiseessly about the floor But |
she dared not remain long out of the kettle.
for candle burned till morning in the kitchen |
window, and Seth, who was absent, probably |
still in active search, was likely to return at |
any time. She dared not sleep for fear that |
morning should steal upon her unawares, and |
she be discovered with her unfortunate heal |
out of the kettle.
Another lovely, summer-like day crept gold |
emily out of the autumn mist, and settled upon |
the rich harvest fields and the purple hills in |
the distance. The outside door was open,
and sweet puffs of wind bringing fragrant |
woodland odors of pungent herbs and bal
sans, blew in Delphine's face. There was a |
musical tinkle Of cowbells in the air. the faint
rustic of the raft-illed river, the swish of |
scythes In the ripened grain, and now and |
then the lazy roll OF heavy farm wheels.
But all familiar sights and sounds seemed so
strange to the poor girl from her strange
hiding place. The day passed away much as
yesterday had done. The neighbors came In
to gossip and condole to tell what was said at |
the store, what was suspected at the corner,
and to give their opinions over and over again.
She heard her mothers voice at intervals.
now choked with weeping, now harsh
with scolding. The aunts gathered
round the saffron-bed in the back yard. lust
under the chink in the wall, spent a full hour
in solemn eonclave as to what would be done
with her clothes In case she was never heard
from more.
Barbary's significant sniff was of frequent
occurrence. The Elder returned at noon, ex-
ceedingly ruffied in appearance, his smart
clothing spattered with mud and covered with
dust.
Late in the afternoon she heard her moth-j
ers quick, energetic step cross the floor and
pause in the open doorway. For some mo.
ments she stood there quietly The crickets
were singing dsmally under the rude plank
floor A pale amethystine mist had settled
round the distant hills The sun, which was
near its SEEDING, looked like great crimson
wheel through the thin floating haze. Pres
emily another step came clipping the tall weeds
outside, and the Elders voice. thin, high
pitched, solemn, broke the stiffness.
Air yaou alone, Mis- Longl Eff yaou air
ia like to speak with you. Sense to-day was
g..