The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1884-07-17

fairs in lieu of larger ones. To-da,
she often paused between her stitche
to gaze absorbedly at q yellow bird vi
brating nervously round the branches
of a young tree opposite. It was early
spring, and the branches were all of
light green foam.
"That's tho same yaller bird I saw
yesterday, I do b'lievc," said she. 90
recken he's goin' to build a nest in tina
ellum."
Lately she had been watching the
progress of the grass gradually spring
ing up all over the yard. One spor
where it grew much greener than else
where her mind dwelt upon curiously
81 can't make out" she said to {
neighbor, s'whether that ere spot il
greener than the rest because the sur
shines brightly thar or because some,
thin's buried thar"
She toiled steadily ON the patchwork
quilts. At the end of a fortnight they
were nearly completed. She hurried
on the last one one forenoon. thinking
she would carry them both to theil
owners that afternoon and get her pay
She did not stop for any dinner.
Spreading them out for one last loot
before rolling them up in bundles she
caught her breath hastily.
"'What hev / donep" said she. "Mas
sy sakes! Ihevn't gone an put Mis-
Bliss caliker With che little pink ros,
ont in Mis- Bennet's quilt! 1hev, jest
as sure Is p~reachin'i What shell l do?'
The poor old soul stood staring a
the quilts in pitiful dismay. "a hui
fortnit's work." she muttered. "Wha
shell 1 do? Them pink roses is thu
prettiest caliker in the hull lot. Mis-
Bliss will be mad if they air in Mis-
Bennet's quilt. She won't say nothin'
an she'll pay me, but she'll feel it in
side, and it won't be doin' the squar
thing by her. No: if I'm goin' to air.
money I'll arm it."
Martha Patch gave her head a jerk
The spirit which animated her fathel
when he went to housekeeping in
piece of a house without any front win
dow, blazed up within her. She mad,
herself a cup of tea, then sat deliber
ately down by the window to rip thu
quilt to pieces. 1t had to be done pref
ty thoroughly on account of her admi
ration for the pink calico, and tn,
quantity of tit figured in nearly
every square. 81 wish I he'd afront win
der to set to while I'm doin' ont" sait
she; but she patiently piled her scis
sors till dusk. only stopping for a shor
survey of the Mosely children. Aftel
days of steady. work the pieces were
put together again, this time the pini
rose calico in Mrs. Bliss quilt. Mar
tina Patch rolled the quilts up with
sigh of relief, and a sense of virtuoul
triumph. 4
"I'll sort over the pieces that's left il
the bags said she, ..then FL take ZEN
over an git my pay. I'm gittin' pretty
short of Vittles."
She began pulling the pieces out O
the bed-ticking bag, laying them OF
her lap, and smoothing them put pre-
paratory to doing them up in a neai
tight roll to take home-she was very
methodical about everything she did
Suddenly she turned pale, and stared
wildly at a tiny scrap of calico which
she had just fished out of the bag.
"Massy sakesi' she cried; sit amt
is itP" She clutched Mrs. Bliss quill
from the table, andlaid the bit of calico
beside the pink rose mare
dts lest the same thing sh,
groaned. san, it came out on Mis- Ben
nets bac. Dear me suzi Dear m,
sn1T,
Sbe dronnad belnlesslv into her cbai
nv the window. still holding the ouil
and the teIl.tale scran of calico. an,
cased ont IN a baw;ldered sort of way
FIT moor old eves Hooked dim and wesJ
w;tb teare
~Thar;s tho Mos,ev obi,dron oom;n, ,
! s.;J .bonnu I;itIa nals Ionah;n
ens boII.r;n, pp;n, home 10 the;r 10th
an ~ n;t . road d;nner Nc a.sett;n
here's q lesson thev amt larned in thei,
hacks Wit. hone to goodness thew neve,
Iii. bnna tbav wo5st ever bav 70 n;ec,
nn;its fnr a Him w;tbont anv IRON
Winderto act to. Tbar,s a dandelio,
blown out ON that green spot. Reckon
thar is somethin' buried thar. Lordy
massy, hev I GOT to rip them two Quilt
to pieces aoin am sew ,em oyerpn
Finally she resolved to carry a bit o.
the pink rose calico over to Mrs. Ben
nets, and find out, without bctraying
the dilemma Sh6 was IN, II 1t wa
really hers.
Her poor old knees fairly shook un.
der her when she entered Mrs. Bennett
sitting-room.
why, yes. Miss Patch, it's mine
said Mrs. Bennett, in response to he
agitated question. s'Hattie had q dres
like it, don't you remember? Their
was a lot of new pieces left, and
thought they would work into q quill
nice. But, for PHYS sake, Martha
what is the matterp You look just a
white as a sheet. You amt sick, ar
you?"
NO. said Martha, with afeeble tos
OF her head, to keep up the deception
81 amt sick, only kinder all gone wit
the warm weather. l reckon I'll he
to fix me up some thoroughwort tea
Ihoroughwort's a great strengthened
II would" said Mrs. Bennett, sym
pathizingly; 'sand don't you work to-
hard on that quilt; l ain t in a bit of
hurry for it. I shan't want it befor
next winter anyway. 1 only though
I'd like to have IL pieced and ready.