The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1883-06-14
BARRY.


old maid, who lived in little brown old
woman-of all-work, Prudence, sharp of
tongue, long of visage browncr and
older tlan the mistress herself. There
was nothing of grace, nor beauty, nor
sweetness about Miss Ablgail'S life;
everything was dry. and hard, and
husky. Indeed, some people were so
uncharitable us to say that her heart
was like a very much dricd-up kernel IN,
nutshell, and would rattle if she were
to he shaken hard enough. But never
quite believed that. Ialways said there
was soft spot in Miss Abigail's heart,
to be found when the time came to find
it.
One spring twilight boy opened
Miss Abigail's garden gate and walked
up the path between the rows of Strag-
CLING lilacs. lie was not boy who
lived about Caperstown or he would not
have dared venture, [ am sure, for
Prudence's sake, besides having noth-
ing to venture for. lie was an un-
kempt, starved-looking little specimen
of humanity. His coat was Il world too
long and patched at the elbows; and
his trousers were world too short and
patched at the knees. His hat was
guiltless of brim, and through hole in
the crown bobbed a~litte tuft Of hair
which had once been brown, but was
now wofully faded. lie went straight
up to Miss Abigail's porch steps. Miss
Abigail was sitting on the porch in her
high-backcd rocking-chair SO intent on
binding off her stOcling-heel that she
heard neither the click Of the gatc-latch
nor the footsteps on the hard-troddcn
path, and she did not look up until the
boys figure interpreted itself between
her work and the fading sunset light.
lie dOffed his tattered hat-crOwn.
eff you please, ma'am, will you-
may l have something to eat?"
1t was mot at al y tramp's manner of
asking; there was a manliness in the
voice which Miss Abigail could not help
but notice. Perhaps that was the reason
she looked at the boy sharply for Il
moment before she answered. In that
moment, Prudence, tall and angular,
stood in the door, with shawl thrown
over her hoad, and her right hand swath-
ed with soft cotton.
"I'll have to git Jonas Barrow's man
to do the milkin'," SAID she. | can't.
I've burned my hand that bad"
The boy looked up quickly. "Cm't
l-cOnld L milk Tor your"
AS I have intimated, Prudence did
not like boys; and that she sometimes
expressed her dislike in a very forcible
manner many of the village urchins
could testify. Now, she surveyed this
boy, standing by the porch steps, from
his bare brown feet to his brown head,
not forgetting the faded little tuft, in
dumb aStOIiShment.
''You might let him try, Prudence, -
said Miss Abigail, thinking rather dubi-
ously OF the nervous, mousc-colOred AL
derney in the yard.
81 chored Oh farm all last summer, -
explained the boy, eagerly, glancing
from mistress to maid. 81 want some
supper, and I'll be glad to do something
to pay forit it,"
"Well, you kin try 1t, said Prudence
after momentary de:iberation. It's
better'n begging a favor, anyhow"
She led the way to the kitchen, and
took a shining tin pail from the dresser.
''IIere's the milk-pail," she said to
the boy, who stood waiting; "an' the
cows in the yard yonder. Payday
comes when the works. donc.'
And Prudence smiled grimly as she
went about setting out lunch of bread
anu Dutlef anu cOlu meaC SnC fclt
morally certain that the tlighty Alderney
hcifer, used only to woman-kind, would
bo much more likely to spread pair OF
bovine wings and fly away than allow
herself to be MIXED by boy.
''IIe can't do it," she said to Nj iss
Abigail, who presently brought her knit.
2 ting work in the kitchen. "Ihc hcifer'l
! send him sky-high.
But he could and he a. Soon he
appeared III the doorway, his pail brinl.
ming with snowy foam.
"Well never" calculated Prudence
"You didn't think could2n said the
boy, smiling. brightly.
No, 1 didn't" admitted Prudence
and straightway, in hen astonishment
she added to his fare a segment of rhu
barb pic.
'Wasn't there bit of cheese lef,
from teap" asked Miss Abigail.
Il Prudence thought there was, ant
while she was fetching it from the Gel
lar the boy gave himself a healthy scrub
blng at the pump, coming in from his
& ablutions fresh and ruddy asarose. III
was very hungry, there was no doubt o.
that. He looked at Miss Abigail with
,fe lanrncatinp ar,tla no Dr,,ryo,,o 90 no ~; of