Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1883-07-19


plump face.
"Tut, tut, what does that mean?"
and her father set the dipper down on
the shelf by the bucket, and looked at
her in manner that showed he was
quite surprised at the way his little re-
mark had been taken.
She did not wait for him to help
himself out of the mystery, but turned
suddenly and went back the way she
had come.
"Why, mother, what ails the girl ?
1 thought-what does she mean ?" and
the,puzzled old man picked up his hat
and put it on then took it off, and
stood patting out its wide band of
black ribbon.
"Oh, it's nothing; don't you poster
the girl )" and Aunt Rhoda gave her
butter its final pat and walked off with
it, leaving Uncle Obed still stroking
his hat-band.
Prissy went back into the sitting
room, stopping moment longer, this
time to rest her head on fathers arm
chair, and look thoughtfully at the
carpet but In minute more she went
on into the kitchen and down cellar.
where she mixed the cooling drink and
set it out on the "rollway" steps just
as her father came around the corner,
but disappeared before he had time to
speak.
The hands of the little clock on the
sitting-room mantel went round to the
hour Of noon, when Aunt Rhoda took
down the big sunbonnet from its nail
behind the kitchen door and went out
to blow the tin horn.
The men stopped their binding,
looked toward the house with sense
of relief, the last few bundles needed
to top out the load were pitched on
and the wagon driven into the barn,
the grays were unhitched from the
reaper and followed after, and very
soon the men were washing themselves
at the sink and drying their hands on
the long roller towel. Henry was not
here, for the grays had to be taken
care of; but Prissy, taking up the din
ner, saw him coming In at last, saw
him without looking up, for she kept
her eyes on the roast before her, as if
everything depended upon it; and he
joked with Jane Ann till he passed
into the dining-room, where the rest
were gathered around the table.
There was hush while Uncle Obed
"asked blessing" and then the rattle
and clatter of knives and forks COM
menced, and Prissy and Jane Ann car
ried in coffee, and passed around great
plates of white bread; but never by any
accident did Prissy pass Henry a cup
of coffee, or seem to know that he was
there; and he was seemingly as igno-
rant of her presence.
Dinner done, the men stretched
themselves out on the grass for the
"nooning;;" but Henry went back into
the sitting-room and sat down to read.
Prissy, wiping dishes in the kitchen,
did not know this, so, taking her little
work-basket. she passed in there to
sew. She hesitated moment when
she saw who was there, as if to turn
back, but he had looked up, and, see
ing the cold smile in his eyes, she
went in rather defantly. After a
time he looked up from his paper,
making some careless remark, which
she answered just as carelessIy, and so
the time passed till he went out.
The afternoon was like the forenoon,
only the heat grew worse as time wore
on.
Supper time came and passed /; even
ing came, and there was no one left
but Henry, who was to remain all
night. Uncle Obed dozed In his arm
chair; Prissy busted herself at the
work-basket; Jane Aun was enter
tanned by book of pictures; and
Henry, every now and then, at Uncle
Obed's request, read snatches of the
news.
The evening wore on; the cat purred
contented on her rug; Prissy's canary,
curled up into little bunch, stirred
occasionally, uttered a satisfied little
chirp, then settled down into quiet
ness; the plants in the yard showed
dark and light patches as the lamp
shone on them through the open win
dow; and the night air coming in
grew cooler, though it still told of the
heat there had heen. Jane Ann grew
sleepy, nodded over her book for a
while, then passed out into the hall
and up to bed. A moment later and
she was back, her hair flying about her
face, her eyes staring, and her hands
clutching at the calico dress in the
region where she supposed h1r heart
to exist.
"Oh mercyl oh 1 never was so
scaredl oh !" gasping like choked
chicken; :" / can't breathe; 1 never was
SO frightened-I-oh- -the-fire up
stairs p
Uncle Obed's nap ended rather sud
denly Aunt Rhoda dropped her knit
| tinr and wound herself I'm in a ner racf