Northwest enterprise. [volume] (Anacortes, Wash. Ter.) 1882-1887, 1883-01-13

and failing, gave her broom like head
random rub with the soap, and
answered:
New feller comm tomorrow; and
Miss Malone sayed as how you hadn't
paid yer rent this week, an bein'
gentlemen preferred-'cause they
don't muss things up a-cookin' in
their rooms, an not wantin' to lose a
shore payin' roomer, an'-an'-,"
But, Peggy, to-morrow's Christ
masw Nab sat down on the strange
trunk, clasping her damp, gloved
hands in helpless bewilderment.
That's what l know" said Peggy,
rubbing her ear with the soap, but
Miss Malone she says how the rent
amt paid"
'But L was going to pay it next
week, and would have last week if [
hadn't been sick and not able to Work,
as | told her."
"That's so. But Ireckon the amt
no use in raisin' a fuss" said Peggy,
philosophically, "he's done paid her
months rent and she's tuck it, She
sayed anyhow. she reckoned you was
more of q lady'n to want to stay where
you weren't wanted. But he won't
come till mornin'; you can stay to-
night"
'But what am / going to do then 2"
Room rentin' agency down yam
der" said Peggy, indicating the di-
rection by firt of the floor cloth.
Nab opened her fiat little pocket
book and shook its contents into her
lap. Peggy" said she, how many
rooms could 1 rent for dollar and a
half?'
Dunno" answered Peggy, with
easy vagueness as she picked up her
bucket of suds and departed.
Nor care" added Nab to herself,
leaning her head against the cold,
white wall of her little bedroom,
neither does any one else in the
world. How different from the old
Christmas ewes in the country, where
royal fires roared ON every hearth,
and everybody was kin to everybody
else, before SO many of them died, or
left the dear, peaceful, stupid old
Hollow-and 1 among them. And
now there is scarcely one left who
would know me-only Aunt Nancy
Dawson, who would have been my
aunt really now, if Ben and l could
have kept our tempers till the we'd
ding day. All, well he has forgotten
me, but Aunt Nancy might be glad
to see me, and-yes, a dollar and
half will take me to the Hollow. I'll
GO The room is mine tonight, and
sufficient until the day is the evil
thereof. L will trust in the Father
of the fatherless, who leads us on by
paths we know not Of"
* ~ = IS
@Aunt Nancy Aunt Na-an-cyr'
"Dear sakesl don't shrek body
all in pieces, you. Ben Brindle; what
you after"
The door of the little deep eyed
kitchen few open, letting out scent
of boiling coffee into the clear De
cember air; blue linsy skirt cleared
the open passage-way, and Aunt
Nancy Dawson, popped into the sit
ting room, armed with broom
which she at once proceeded to de-
vote to the obliterationof the string
of powdery tracks left by her nephew
across the striped rag carpet.
"Knowed there'd be tracks wherever
ther' was man." observed the little
woman, whisking away briskly,
'what v out SO early for?"
"We .el,D said the old bachelor
rather dolorously, "you see the long
and short of it is, I'm lonesome,
Aunt Nancy-awful lonesome"
"Jest what you orto be-" returned
Aunt Nancy, with blunt candor, 'y'
own fault. I've told you to get mar
ried forty times, amt II"
''But there amt any one left to
marry, round here as 1 know of"
"Fiddlel amt there the, wider
Barley?" -.
"Y es, there's the wider Barley"
said Mr. Brindle, doubtfully, 'but
you know she does weigh most three
hundred, and is kind of curious and
cross grained like" -
There's Melissy Hicks; a lovely
housekecper get better"
"N-o; she's too good. A fellow
could never get a bit Of rest long as
she could find straw or a ravelling
to fuss about. Wants everything in
straight rows and no crooks nowhere.
She'd put strings to all the young
ones sdo could find and run'em up
on poles. like butter beans if she
could. Anyhow, Aunt Nancy, I don't
reckon l could get married right off
to-day, and I would kind Of like
some one to cook Christmas dinner
for me. Not that fellow can't pack
the spirit of Christmas around in his
heart without any dinner, but it
would make it seem like old Christ
masses, and I want you to jump right
into my sleigh and go home with
me, Aunt Nancy, and stay all day.
Heya"
II shan't," said Aunt Nancy, with
no waste ef empty apology; "Tm
going to Jim Dawson's folks, across
the Branch promised 'em month
ago, an it's saved me cookin' a lot of
truck. Old Peppers -hitehed. now,
N I'm goin' to start; in just the time
it takes me to get my shawl an
green worsted sun bonnet on, You
kin go along too If you like"
''No-I don'tlike," returned Bach
elor Brindle. They'll fish out all
their kin-folks from six counties and
have 'em there, and / don't know half
of 'em, and don't seem to want any