Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1883-10-19

help that foolish little woman" thought
Deb, wrathfully, "why couldn't she
have had her wool-picking n week
ago?"
At any other time there would have
been no lack Of neighbors to help tho
widow in her need; but everybody was
taken up with the picnic. In the hard
work-a-day life Of these people. few
pleasures arise; and in all the farm
houses through the Six-mile and the
Nine-mile Prairie this picnic had been
talked about for a month of Sundays.
They were going in buggies, wagons
and on foot; were to fish ia Big-Muddy
Creek; to gather wild roses and black
berries; to light n fire in the climber
so they call the wooded portions of
the fiat country-and make hot coffee
for dinner; and dance under the trees
after the rising of the big yellow moon.
Beyond all these attractions for Dcbby
there wa, one yet more powerful; young
Mr.. Thing Hiram Thing was to be
there. Now Deb was sixteen: and To-
her thinking, Hiram was an interesting
youth.
In fact. everybody. had n good word
for Mr.. Thing. lie had lovely farm.
To begin with. His sheep shea cd ten
pounds To- the fleece; his wheat aver
aged thirty bushels u the acre. He had
n nice house; and since his mothers
death only his crippled little sister Jcs-
~ To take care of il. II was plain To all
the gO,>ips in the country that he need
eel wife. And all the girls liked him.
Alice Preston. with her bright black
eyes; Betty Browning. who could turn
out such Loaf Of bread rs couldn't be-
g mallcd in Perry County: Christy
Wicker. the shy Swiss girl: they would
all be casting a line in Biz Muddy and
smiling ON Hiram Thing. Dcb's very
existence would be forgotten so Deb
thought unless she should be thers in
the white dress with the lluted RULES.
Sho sat out ON the porch looking ND
To the sweet silent stars and thought IL
over In the sitting-rUom her father
dolcd in his chair. with newspaper
over his face to ke"por the night-moths
and the stray lilies that were slccpily
sticking To the ceiling; her mother
nodded over 'his" half-darncd stock
ing. The work for the day was DONE
Nothing between Deb and her con-
science.
She sat there so long, and was so
| still, that finally her mother reused her
self to call: ''Why, Dcbby, child, why
don't you come in? Have your wits
gone a-wool-gathcrin'?
That's just il, motherr' cried Deb.
with u laugh. though she brushed some
thing warm from her ewes rs she spoke.
I've Just about concluded to give up
the picnic and 90 10 the wool-pickin'.n
"Dc3by Hornish! / thought your
heart was plum set on the picnic"
Z" 30 thought myself, but it's little
more set ON hclpin' Mis- Manly cit her
wool out. She is SUch n shif'less little
criitcr' An it'll be- a real misfortune for
her If she don't sell her wool for a good
price. So Ill just go along and bear
my bob with the rest of you. And il
you don't mind, mother, I'll take over
the cakes and things l baked for tho
picnic"
That's good plan. honey, for l
reckon she won't have much of din
ner."
by "sun-up" the next morning Deb
and here mother were off. As they
reached Mrs. Manly's gate, buggy
whirled up in cloud of dust. a voice
called; "Dcb! Dcbby Hornish.'
"Wcll! wcll!" cried Mrs. Hornish,
"lf there amt Hiram and Jessy
Thingr'
why amt you on your way to the
picnic, Dcb?" cried the young girl in
the buggy.
"Oh! YOU know wool-pickin' is such
| fun. said Deb, with droll look, "I
couldn' I resist comm over and lendin'
n hand"
~" Well, you girls are crazy" said Mr..
Thing, jumping out of the buggy;
there's Jessy. nothin' would do but
that she must come TO the wool-pick-
in"
That's natural enough, brother. I
never did want To 90 to the picnic
| much. What could | do on my
crutches amongst lot ~ lively Young
folks. | should just n been "A drag ON
you. But | can pick wool with any
body, So here | am. It's so different,
however. with Deb
Yes, indeed" cried Mr. Thing.
eagerly, land now, Miss Deb, do let
me persuade YOU to change your mind.
You see haven't any company now
that sis has deserted me. I'll be proud
II you'll let me drive you to the pic
mic, and keep company with you to-
/ day."
Poor Debl how handsome he looked
rs he stood there twisting his fingers in
the horses name. Tall and slim. his
eyes rs blue as his calico shirt, and
dancing with fun under his wide straw
hat. How nice, this warm day, To drive
along tho waving wheat fields. meeting
the breeze rs IL ruillcd the young corn:
/ To fish under the shade of n cottonwood
tree. Much. much better than to sit i'm
n stully room. picking brambles out of
wool.
DO GO urged Jessy; ''you know
I'm rs good rs two at wool-pickin'."
Whether young Mr.. Things smile
was too confident. or Deb's own heart
/ approached her. | know not; but at any
rate she said rcsolutely;
'Tll run n race with you in wool
pickin'. JcsSy Thing, and that's all
there Is of that"
In the Widow Manly's house were
| two rooms. One the Kitchen, dininr
and company room with two beds in
the corner; the other slecping-room
for the widow and herchildren. IL was
here too, that she retired To weep over
her miscries; n SOlacc necessary only
too often.
By the time they had fairly got to
work, four more were added To the
party, grandmothers all too old to care
tor picnics. 'Grandma Bixby'' took the
lead; she was rs spry rs girl. and said
she was hundred years old; Mrs. Hig-
gins, noted for having survived three
congcstive chills; Mrs. Harte, doubled
mp with the rheumatism; and n funny
little old woman who. had fifteen chill
dren, and was nicknamed Dame
Thumb by her boys, made up the
party. A great heap of wool was piled
up in the middle of the floor They sat
round il, and peeped at each other over
the top of the pile. rs people do at din
ner-partics over the cper0ne.