The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1883-04-26
CLOcK-WORK.

~ -
pans.
Frank says, when John wrote hin
TO come and stay over day in Boston
You'll be AFRAID, mother, with al
Lindy's presents in the house. An'
he was real put out at first because
wouldn't have some of the neighbor
come in to Sleep"
"Well, l don't blame you, Ell yol
feels eff you could sleep-ony tws
women folks" said the caller, sharp
featured Miss Haines, with prominen
! elbows and emphatically clean calico
"It 'ud only amount to maxim up ;
bed for nuthin'."
"Yes," Mrs. Poysett went on, &C
companying the slicing of apples fol
pies with the regular swing of hel
Eocking.chair, while shenow and then
placed a particularly thin and inviting
piece of the fruit in her mouth, "that's
what I thought. Ten.-'leven-Lindy,
when you 60 into the other room ]
wish you'd strike that clock round. II
strikes one too many"
"Yes'm," said brisk Linda, and then
trying to eytricate the recipe for COM
position cake from inevitable dreams
about her wedding day, she forgot the
clock and made an incident for this
story.
IS Your presents are handsome, Lin.
dy, there's no mistake about That, said
the visitor, turning the conversation
skillfully to the quarter toward which
the town interest was just then tend.
ing.
Yes answered Linda. blushing a
little. She had grown used to blush.
ing oflate. "People have been very
kind to me-"
No more'n you deserve said Miss
Ha;nes, oraeularly, and with an empha-,
sis that left no Eeossif for denial.
slay TO John 'IWiaey's been
pretty stiddy 10 81 5Uut West and MAKE
ahome, n then come back n marry
the girl he's been with ever since they
was child'n.' But I 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 heI
cooking table laughing, and still
gratefully rosy over the sense
that everybody in general was
far too good to her. It was a case ii
the smooth running of deep waters,
She and John Wiley had been pro-
saicauy faithful to each other fol
years before he asked her promise to
marry him. Eighteen months ago he
had gone West to set up in business as
"a carriage-builder, and now, having
prcspered, 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
fora-day's sightseeing and an evening
at the theatre.
"I don't know what I shall do with.
out you, Indy" said the mother, put
ting down the knife to wipe away a
furtive tear with her apron. "Im
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
equable temperament that sometimes
accompanies rotundity Of form and a
double chin, and Linda, besides being
sensible, could not keep miserable very
long at time.
Meanwhile, everybody in the town
ship 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 Hayden, who
lived down in Tan Lane, was poor and
savagoly discouraged. He made shoes
ordinarily. but that winter there were
no shoes to be had. His was fine
and practiced hand; he could do all
sorts of jobs, from cleaning a watch to
building chimney, but nobody saw fit
to have making or mending done.
There had been only four or five pieces
of work since fall for Tinker Pete, for
none of which could ne, in conscience,
ask more than fifteen cents His wife
fell sick, the children's clothes were
too shabby for school, and just then
some one tapped him on the arm and
tempted him.
One morning Il stranger strolled into
town and stopped at Pete's little shop
to ask mis- way. He was travelling to
Southiield, so he said.
"Where had he becn:"
'"Oh, anywhere airily and jauntily
"traveling about the country. Might
take up with work somewhere, if /
found any worth doing"
Hard times" said Pete, looking
moodily at the little red stove. "What's
your trade?"
"Ive been a sailor" said the man,
filing his pipe---a process Pete watched
greedily, for his own tobacco box was
empty. "Twenty years before the
mast. I should have been captain
before this time-but there's jealousies
So got sick of it. I call myself ?
landsman now"
"You don't have the look of a
sailor,' said Pete, his eyes travelling
from the shabby fur cap and the dark
face with rather narrow, bold, black
eyes down lover the shabby suit OF
brown.
The man gave a slight start and
glanced at him keenly: "You don't
think so? Well, I've ben on land
soma tine now. Salt waters easy to
shake of. What might your name be?
{ Haydon-Pete Hagdon."
aAnd mines Job Whettles. Quees
name, ain'tit? Don't believe there's
another like it in the country. Good
day, mate. If I'm round this way
again III look in on you.
And he did.
One day, as Pete was soldering :
m;ik-pail for Mrs. Burge, this time
Hhistlina a little. having work e