The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1883-06-16
CLOCK. WORK.

IN the mouse one night tnout men.tolkS.
Are we Lindy?"
ST guess not" said the blaek-eyed
Linda cheerfully, washing her hands as
q preliminary to putting the bread in
the pan.
Frank says when John wrote to him
to come and stay over day in Boston,
You'll be afraid, mother, with all Lin
dy's presents in the house. And he was
real put out at first because wouldn't
have some of the neighbors come in to
Sleep
Well, I don't blame you, ef you feels
ef you could sleep only two women
folks" said the caller, white-featured
Miss Haines. with prominent elbows and
emphatically clean calico. "It'ud on'y
amount to maxim up bed for nothin'." !"
"Yes, Mrs. Poysett went on, accom-
panying the slicing of apples for pies
with the regular swing of her rocking
chair, while she now and then placed q
particularly thin and inviting piece of
the fruit in her mouth; ''that's what I
thought. Ten-'leven-Lindy, when
you go into the other room I wish you
would strike the clock round. It strikes
one too many"
"Yes'm," said brisk Lindy; and then,
trying to extricate the recipe for compo.
sition cake from inevitable dreams about
her wedding day, she forgot the clock
and made an incident for this story.
"Your presents air handsome, Lindy;
there's no mistake about that" said the
visitor, turning the conversation skill
fully to the quarter toward which the
town interest was Just then tending.
''Yes," answered Lindy, blushing q
little. She had grown used to blushine
of late. People have been very kind to
me-"
mo more'n you Deserve" said Miss
Haines oracularly and with an emphasis
that left no room for denial. "Folks say
to me: John Willey's been pretty stiddy
to go out west and make home, n then
come back n marry the girl he's been
with ever sence they was child en-. But
I say to 'em, mo credit to him. Nc
more'n he orter done. Lindys pure
gold and he's got the sense to see it.
And she finished her eulogy on the door
step, perhaps to avoid having the matter
disputed, while Linda went back to her
cooking-table laughing, and etill CRATE.
fully rosy over the sense that everybody
In general was far too good to her. It
was case OF the smooth running OF
deep waters. She and John WilleG had
been prosaically faithful to each other
for years before be asked her pro mise to
marry him. Eighteen months ago he
had gone west to set up in business as a
carriage builder, and now, having pros
pered, was coming east for his wife.
Within two days journey of home he
had written to ask Frank Linda's broth
er, to meet him in Boston for a DAYS
sightseeing and an evening at the thea
ter. Perhaps you would say that the
ideal lover should have hastened to his
lady on the wings of the wind or with ali
the power of steam; but Linda thought
differently.
cit was just like him-wasn't it, moth
er?"--she said that very morning after
Miss Haines had gone, ''to think that
Frank would be the better for a change.
I'd rather have him go to Boston for q
good time than to see Jchn one day
sooner: And I'm sure nobody could
speak stronger than that; could they,
mother?"
''I mt know what shall do without
you, Lindy," said the mother irrele.
vanity, putting down the knife to wipe
away furtive tear with her apron. "I'm
sure don't"
Linda was at her side in an instant
with tear OF her own, and the two wo.
men kissed, laughed and went on with
their work, as they had done q hundred
times within the last fortnight. For Mrs.
Poysett had the equable temperament
that sometimes accompanies rotundity of
form and a double chin, and Linda, be-
sides being sensible, could not keep mis-.
cradle very long at time. Thus you
perceive that circumstances we're render
ing it as easy as possible for them to
weather the gale of the coming separa-
ton.
Meanwhile everybody in the township
was not rotund and possessed of double
chins; not all the houses were keepers of
new and shining wedding gifts, and,
strange to say, not every body was happy.
Pete Hsydon, who lived down in Tan
Lane, was poor and savagely discour-
aged. He made shoes ordinarily, but
that winter there were no shoes to be
had. He was fine and practiced hand;
he could do all sorts of jobs, from clean
ing watch to building chimney. but
nobody faw fit to have making or mend
ing done. There had been only four or
five pieces of work since fall for Tinker
Pete, for none of which could he in CON-
SCIENCE ask more than fifty cents. His
wife fell sick, the chjldren's clothes were
too shabby for school, and just then some
one tapped him on the arm and tempted
him.
One morning stranger strolled into
town and stopped at Pete's little shop to
ask his way. He was travelling to South
field, so he said.
"Where had he been?"
"Oh, anywhere" airily and jauntily:
travelling about the country. Might
take up With work somewhere, If found
any worth doing"
ssHnrd times" said Pete, looking
moodily ct the little red stove. Whats
your trader"
sI've been sailor" said the man ,fill-
ing his pipe-a process Pete watched
for his own tobacco box was
empty. Twenty years before the mast.
I should have been captain before this
but there's iealousies. So got sick
Uf it. I call myself landsman now"
You don't have the look of sailor,
said Pete, his eyes travelling from the
shabby fur cap and the dark face with
rather narrow. bold, black eyes down
over the shabby suit of brown.
The man gave q slight start and
glaEced at him keenly. "You don't think
80? Well, I've been on land some time
now. Salt waters easy to shake off.
What might your name be7"
"Haydon-Pets Haydon."