The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1884-02-06
wINNIE'S DEFENDER.

WINNIE'S DEFENDER.
Ye may entertainangels unawar as.
"Why, as | sat there, my de ar,
a-seeming to look at you, | as
a-looking years back at your ma Ii
ma, when she was no older than y ou
are, and thinking how she entertai n
ed an angel Hnaweres once. Oh, y, ~
needn't laugh. 1t hadh't win g
tucked away down ;ts back, no b lt
what | mean is something sent | y
ths Lord to do you good-an ang el
in that sense. I'm plain old W D
man. l hadn't had any educatio n
| was nurse girl first, and then
minded children, and then | wei II
To your grand Aa's to take care I,
Miss Winnie, that's your own de; j
ma, Miss Gussie, now, and | ain I
learned and bOok-read like som I,
but I've got my thoughts and bles :
you, Nero was an angel, and We ell
tertained him unawares. To be sur 2
he didn't look like one, with his
black nose against the window and
his big eyes a-staring in through the
glass. Well, | was younger then,
you see. suppose | was twenty
eight and your ma was Just fifteen
She was as fair as as lily and
smaller than you-and you never
saw anything so happy. Your
grandpa had been pretty rich, and
he grew very rich afterwards, as you
know but just about that time
there'd been a failure or something,
and we'd moved from the great city
house to little place out of town
and | was the only servant kept. a
washerwoman came to do the
clothes, and | did all the rest. Why,
| wouldn't have left your grandma
Tor all the world, and though it was
harder to wait on Miss Winnie, and
mend and make for her. bless you
was glad enough to stay. They'd
been liberal in old times, and | had
my savings too Ia my bureau draw
er. Well, | didn't know then but /
might step off some day and need
dowry, but | never meant to have
John Connor"
who was John Conner? Well, |
didn't know then as well as | knew
afterwards, but he was thick set.
beetle-browed fellow and called hinI-
self a blacksmith, how is a girl to
know? and said he'd like to marry
me: and huff him as | would, be
came a-courtiD'. Well. bless your
heart, though | always iaucied fair
man more eutspoken, | didn't hate
John, and | had a long tongue OF
my own, and told him al that went
on, suppose. And WHY should /
keep it from him that master and
mistress had gone to tt e city that
winter night when he C anne to take
CUP of tea with me? Your grand
ma gave me leave. | was never one
to 90 things sly. Oh, | didn't tell
you there was some law business up
and that master and mistress had
gone 10 swear TO SOM 'etning at the
court. and must STAY for three days.
Thev'd drive off after dinner, and
10th they were to go. '1oul II be
lonesome and afraid said the mas
ter. but we both said Moved take
care Of each other. and De safe; and
! can see Miss Winnie now kissing
them both.
You've got over being afraid OF
the dark says missus, laughing,
and the burglars don't know about
my rag-bag, so they won't trouble
YOU" With this they were off.
"What about the rag bag?" you
say. Well, my dear, your ma had
way of thinking that the best way
OF hiding money was to put ii in
some odd place, where no one would
think of looking; SO, what money
she had, and some Diamond earrings
and that. she kept hid away at the.
bottom of calico rag-bag. And Ia
taken the idea, and kept my savings
in roll of old pieces in my top
drawer.
That's wnat she meant. yeu see.
and it put it into my mind, so that
when John Connor came tina. night
and bearing that the master and
mistress had gone away, asked me II
| was afeared, and turned up his
nose with the speech that there
wasn't much to take, he supposed,
|, feeling my temper rise. and being
up about the family says, says [:
} Outside don't show everything,
John, and 'tisn't mapy ladies has
diamonds as fine as my lady keeps
in her rag bag.
Whats that nonsense ?" SAYS
be.
"Well. says |, no nonsense at all
but my lady has the finest of dia-
monds that she has worn, and will
wear again some day worth great
deal of money-thousands, I've
heard her say, and for safety she
hides them in her rag-bag, in the
.ong pantry. And for the matter o.
that I've enough in my roll of patch
es in my chest of drawers 10 make
worth a burglars while to break
: in"
"Very we'll" says he. "Ill be
lieve you, if / like. Many a lad,
has bits ef glass set in rings anC
things. and much you'd know the
difference.
They shine like stars" says |
IL m no fool TO take glass fer dia
e monds. More and betoken they
j were wedding presents from a rela
. tien. I've heard her say, but for tina
r she'd have sold 'em to help master
!, But well live in style again. Johl
Cennor," says /, "I've heard maste