Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1883-04-20
CLOCK WORK.


My no Y said Mrs. Poysett, laugh
ing at the very idea; 1--WE amt afraid q
stay in the house one night thout me
folks. BE we, Lindy?'
Z" guess not, said black-eyed Lind i
cheerily washing her hands as pre-
hminary TO putting the bread in the
pans.
Frank says, when John wrote him
TO come and stay over day in Boston
You'll be AFRAID, mother, with al
Lindy'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, don't blame you, eff you
feels Ell you could sleep-Un'y two
women folks said the caller. sharp
feature Miss Haines. with prominent
elbows and emphatioally clean calico.
lit 'ud on'y amount to maxim up a
bed for nuthin'."
Yes" Mrs. Poysett went on, ac-
coompanying the slicing of apples for
pies with the REGULAR swing of her
rocking-chair. while she now and then
placed particularly thin and inviting
piece OF the fruit in hermouth, "that's
what thought. Ten 3Ieven-Lindy.
when you go into the other room |
wish you'd strike that clock round. 1t
strikes one too many
Nes'm, said brisk Linda.and then.
Trying to extricate the recipe for com
position cake from inevitable dreams
about her wedding day, she forgot the
clock and made an incident for this
story.
our presents are handsome. Lin
dy, there's no mistake about that" /" said
the visitor turning the conversation
skllliully 81 TO tue quarter toward which
ing. '0i''7
! es, answered Linda h,nss;.- :
ing of late. People have been very
kind to me-"
"No more'n you Deserve" said Miss |
Haines, ,oracularly, and with an empha-
sis that left no room for denial.
" Folks say to me. John Willey's been
pretty stiddy to go out West and make
a home. n then come back n marry
the girl he's been with ever since they
was child'n.' But l say to 'em, No
credit to him. No more'n he'd orter
done. Lindy's pure gold, and he's got
the sense to see it," And she finished
her eulogy on the doorstep, perhaps to
avoid having the matter disputed
while Linda went back to her
cooking table laughing, and still
gratefully rosy over the nse
that everybody in general was
far too good to her. 1t was a case of
he smooth running of deep waters.
She and John Wiley had been pro-
saically faithful TO each other for
years before he asked her promise to
marry him Eighteen months ago he
had gone West to set up in business as
A carrage-builder, and now, having
was coming East for his
wife. Within two days journey of
home he had written to ask Frank,
Linda's brother, to meet him in Boston
for days sightseeing and an evening
at the theatre.
Il don't know What shall do with
out you, Indy" said the mother, put
ling down the knife to wipe away a
Lurtive tear with her apron. "Pm
sure | don't know"
Linda was at her side in an instant,
with a tear Of her own, and the two
women kissed, laughed and went on
with their work, as they had done a
hundred times within the last fort
night. For Mrs. Poysett had the
aquable temperament that sometimes
accompanies rotundity Of form and a
loublc chin, and Linda, besides being
sensible could not keep miserable very
ong at q time.
Meanwhile, everybody in the town
ship was not rotund and possessed of
louble chins, not all the houses were
keepers of new and shining wedding
yifts, and, strange to say, not every
)ody was happy. Pete Hayden, who
ived down in Tan Lane, was poor and
,avagely discouraged, He made shoes
but that winter there were
10 shoes to be had, His was a fine
md practiccd hand: he could do all
iortS Of jobs, from cleaning a watch to
chimney, but nobody saw fit
o have making or mending done.
There had been only four or five pieces
If work since fall for Tinker Pete. for
lone of which could he, IN conscience, I
'sk more than fifteen cents His wife
ell sick, the children's clothes were
90 shabby for school, and Just then
some one tapped him on the arm and
,emptcd him.
One morning a stranger strOlled into
own and stopped at Pete's little shop
o ask his way. He was travelling to
5outhncld, 50 he said.
"Whero had he been?"
"Oh, anywhere. airily and jauntilv;
travelling anout the country. Might
axe up With work somewhere, if |
found any worth doing"
lizard times" said Pete, looking
at the little red stove. whats
your trade"
I've been sailor" said the man,
illing his pipe Ia process Pete watched
greedily, for his own tobacco box was
empty, "Twenty years before the
mast. should have been a captain
before this time-but there's iealousies.
So | got sick Of it. l call myself
andsman now"
you don't have the look of a
sailor" said Pete, his eyes travelling
from the shabby fer cap and the dark
face with rather narrow, bold, black
eyes down over the shabby suit of