The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1883-06-28
CLOCK WORK.


at the very idea; I'VE aint afraid to stay
IN the house one night 'thout men-folks
Are We Lindy?"
ST guess not" said the black-eyed
Linda cheerfully, washing her hands as
n preliminary to putting the bread in
ahe pan.
"Frank says when John wrote to him
10 come and stay over day in Boston,
ay's presents in the house. And he was
real put out at first because l wouldn t
have some Of the neighbors come in to
sleep"
well, don't blame you, ef you feels
ef you could sleep-only two women
folks" said the caller, white featured
Bliss Haines. with prominent elbows and
emphatically clean calico. "Itud ory
amount to maxim up bed for nothin. y
"Yes, Mrs. Poysett went on, accom-
Papying the slicing of apples for pies
With the regular swing of her rocking
chair, while she now and then placed a
particularly thin and inviting piece Of
she fruit in her mouth; that's what
thought. Ten-1eveu-Lindy, when
you go into the other room I wish you
would strike the clock round. It strikes
one too many"
'Yesm." said brisk Indy; and then,
Sying 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 4;
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 Indy, blushing a
little. She had grown used to blushing
OF late. People have been very kind to
me-"
''No more'n you Deserve" said Miss
Haines oracularly and with an emphasis
that left no room for denial. "Folks say
10 me: John Willey's been pretty stiddy
10 60 ont west and make q home, n then
come back n marry the girl he's been
with ever sence they was child'en.' Bot
/ say to 'em, mo credit to him. No
nore'n he orter done. Lindy's pure
gold and he's got the sense to see it,. !"
And she flashed her eulogy on the door
step, perhaps to avoid having the matter
disputed, while Linda went back to her
cooking table laughing, and still CRATE
fully rosy over the sense that everybody
IN general was far too good to her. It
was q case of the smooth running of
deep waters. She and John WilleG had
been prosaically faithful to each other
for years before he asked her pro mise to
marry him. Eighteen months ago he
had gone west to set up in business a. q
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
CT, to meet him in Boston for q day 8
Sightseeing and an evening at the thea
Ter. Perhaps you would say that the
ideal lover should have FASTENED to his
lady on the wings of the wind or with all
the power OF steam; but Linda thought
differently.
ait was just like him-wasn't it, moth
sr?"-she said that very morning after
Miss Haines hal gone, ito think that
Frank would be the better for a change.
I'd rather have him go to Boston for a
good time than to see John one day
sooner. And I'm sure nobody could
speak stronger than that; could they,
mother
II don't know what shall do without
you, Indy" said the mother irrele
vanity, putting down the knife to wipe
away q furtive tear with her apron. Tim
sure don't"
Linda Was ut her side in an instant
with tear OF her own, and the two wo-
men kissed, laughed and went on with
their work. a. they had done . hundred
times within the last fortnight. For Mrs.
Pcysett had the equable temperament
that sometimes accompanies rotuudity OF
form and d0ble chin, aud Linda, be
sides being sensible, could not keep mis-
eeAble very long ct time. Thus you
perceive that circumstances we're render
ing it rs easy ~ possible for them to
weather the gale OF the coming separa
ton.
Meanwhile every body in the township
was not rotund and possessed Of double
ehins; 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 ard savagely discour-
AGED. He made shoes ordinarily, but
that winter there were no shoes to he
had. He Was fine and prscticed hand
be could do all sorts Of jobs. from clean
ing watch to building chimney. bnt
nobody faw fit to have making or mend
inr done. There bad been only four or
Ave pieces OF work since fall for Tinker
Yets. for mono Of which coald he in con
apzsncs ask more than fifty cents. His