Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1883-06-08
IF THEY HAD KNOWN.

said old Mr.. Sewell. "Well, we heard,
you was thinkin' of returnin' to Elm
Mountain. Bad pennies always come
back-ha! hal hal And you didn't
make such big fortune as you caleu-
lated. eh?' -E# MNAaW
Jerome Clay leaned over theold zig
gag rail fence and rubbed his eyes.
Had time stood still all these years
while he had been IN the South? For
here was Farmer Sew ell in the same old
blue-checked overalls, with the same
battered straw hat, the same wrinkles
between his brows, driving the same
old red cows home through the twilight
lane, where the scent of trampled
spearmint came up, and the melan-
choly notes of distant whip-poor-will
sounded family on the purple silence
And yet -a and yet it was twenty odd
years since he had left Elm Mountain,
with all his worldly goods balanced in
a bundle ON his back. He had been a
dashing lad of twenty-one then; there
were silver hairs in his black locks,
now. and he had left dead past buried
under the sweet magnolia groves.
And here was Moses Sewell, just. the
+ same as ever, only tride yellower and
more dried up.
yes Clay said, quietly, "Tve come
back. And you are right when you
say fortunes don't grow on every
bush"
''Goin' to your uncle's house?" said
Mr.. Sewell, leaning over the bars.
"He's dead and buried, poor fellow.
Always had weak chest, you know.
And the gals amt no younger-the
three old maids we call 'em-ha, ha.
hap'
And again the old farmer chuckled
himself into a state of fsemi-suffocation.
"Gome in and see us" said he. my
daughter Aurilla she's come back a
widow and does tailorin' and plain
sewin'. The old woman's stone deaf
but she's dreadful quick at catchin' a
I persons meaningY
And off he trudged over the bruised
patches of sweet-smelling spearmint
his broad figure vanishing into the
gloom like a shadow.
"Three old maids, ch?" repeated
Jerotae Clay to himself. "Clara and
Bess and little Kate, the golden-haired
beauty, the soft-eyed poetess, the bright
littlo sprite who was a mixture of
Undine and Queen Nab. Then, surely,
Father Time has not stood stillp'
The light was shining out, as of old,
from the red-curtained easement, the
great fire of logs was blazing on the
hearth, and the three cousins greeted
the returned wanderer with unaffected
warmth.
Taey were changed, Of course.
What else cold have been expected?
The Beauty had grown sharp and
ireehed, and her lovely hair had lost
y. burniSh, and she was not quite as
tidy as she used to be in the old days
about her ribbons and frills. Soft
eyed Bessie's sweet voice had degener-
atei into a whine; she had grown
round-shouldered and lost one of her
front teeth; and little Kate was stout,
middlv-aged woman, who reminded
one of Undine no more.
But they were his cousins still-the
girls who had romped and firted with
him in due arithmetical progression.
And there still existed a bond Of stead
fast friendship, and he told them the
story of the southern wife who had
been buried for five years under the
magnolias md they all sympathlzed,
and Beauty even cried little.
II have brought my three children
to the North" he said. Il left them in
New York, and if 1 can get some gen
uine, whole-souled woman to take
charge of my home, I'm thinking OF
settling here in Elm Mountain. Clara
dear, yol. used to be fond of me in the
old times! What do you say to under
taking this cIarge?"
The Beauty seemed to grow smaller,
sharper, mora business-like, all IN
second If Cousin Jerome had come
home a millionaire, she would have
jumped into his arms.
But Clara Neely was not romanti-
cally inclined. TO her, love in cot
tage possessed no charms.
"I couldn't, jerome" she answered
quickly. "I'm not very strong, and
couldn't assume any responsibility Oh
this arduous nature Besides, I'm not
fond. Of children. I'm greatly obliged
to you, I'm sure, but I'd rather not
.Iero. IA CLAW bit his lip.