Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1884-09-11
ausr ABBr's LITTLE ROMANCE

II bunting up ny friends 81 Wells
march / bad occasion 10 inquire my
way OF Al Old woman digging potatoes
IN weedy little patch By the roadside
She looked up IS ] spoke. and leaned
or her hoe. tai and gaunt and some
what grin. hut with 4 singuiariy lucid
and kindly expression in her large gray
ewes She was coarsely clad. her thin.
zrnT hair, cut short. was covered BY \
m11's straw bat. and she had the mus
culnr brown hands Of . man Yet,
when she paused in her potato digging
- answer my questions. i was with Al
air Of quief in.eiligence and \ simple
grace Of utferance hardly to have been
expected from 0ne'of her sex engaged
IN 60 coarse an occupation
Having spoken she stopped 20 pick
np and put into peck basket the p0tz-
toes her hoe had uncovered, and / rode
on. bus could not forbcar looking hack
and Edfch'-sV her rs she rose up with
her lirhf - den and walked away,
1crnss tire weedy patch. towards the
dbor Of \ lonely little house near by-.
Tie sun had gone down. heavy shsdoxs
fe't across tie fields from wooded hills
beVond- TIE night crickets had struck
ND their melancholy rotcs, and IN the
aspect Ct the woman entering her scsi-
tary door. af that hour. there was
something 50 sad that i made nv heart
ache
Tnc picture haunted me. and on
reaching my friends house spoke Of
Il. Il was directed" ] said. .-by the
loneliest old creature. working in the
loneliest potato patch. and living in
-1he-4u7sEtsf Etilc Old house | ever
saEr'
--Ah." said my host, with a lock Of
interest s.you have seer Aun. Abbyl
She : quite an extraordinary charSc-
ter. and. little as y0u would think Il, %
see her diggicg Tofafo's for tO-mor-
rows breakfast she is = real heron -
the hero;ne Of \ genuine romance-"
he told me something OF her story.
which excited sfill further NY curiosity
and sympathy. and l expressed desire
20 make her a-quaintsnce. That could
be easily managed he said. aad, driv-
ing me about the country the next day.
he took me 70 her hoEse-
We fouzd her trimming a bed of old
fashioned Towers ar her door and as
he drew up 10 the gate and spoke 70
her she came towards rs with sprig
of nignonetfe IN her cOarse brown hand.
Aunt Ably" sa;d nv companion.
s'heIe's a frieni 0f mine I want yoa to
knor-" Ani he Proceeded 10 introduce
me IN = way which the most sDodest
autho-s If books gct accustomed n and
1eern 70 en ure without hIushin-.
i have ho1ri os rOu.r she sal I, CIV
sng ms hand cor sial grasp. ard l0slz-
sng into my ewes with an earness, 81
most ardent, ezo-essicn- Come IN.
won't Tou2 It's lsagtime~ turning
20 m <riend-.since yoz hare made
nc 3 cal"
He excused iisHselE. Int said that
c0uid 20 in i ehose. end wait till he
returned Tor ne. after trznsacsinc lit
1ie b-ssincss which he hsd n view. The
arrangement suited me admirably. and
ar snc repeated her invitation alighted
AMI entered he aa.e-
Il hear that soI. I've quite alone
hrre.f rgsnarkesl. 4 she preceded me
along the nar1ctE gr=ssy path towards
The d5or.
Alone Dear me. no" she replied.
chcertuils. turning 20 face ne il the
midst Of her litic forer garden.
Here arc some ot ny companions"
and SIZE rointei oIt the 7inks and
ransIcs sad raiox snd hailyhocks.
which grew 10 n almost wild state.
aione With fenaei and czraway and
SCR. in the tz1sied but wcll-wecded
bcds- s.isrt ! have other and better
~umpzuicns than iiczc- With flowers
-.-.F --,.r.I,-.r, ~r.I rr---sz ~-,I f-aar ~rI
b1oks. and ono 5 0rTn thoughts, how can
: BODY " aioaeS''-
Il s;uoted Emerson's saying: IF
faan uculd be alone. let him look az the
atars-"
WHY, bless fhe cool man, she said,
ssriIcn look ~ the sf1-s I am some-
fine< least alone. Il seems n If they
hroagsf the hosts Of Heaven rear 70 me-
But romc in. come in
She ushersd me into very plain but
rcat fffie sitting g-fUom. with \ rag car
pct fprDbabiy Of her own braidingj On
ilsc foOr. 4 few books on hanging
Shelves. and on the walls some cheap
prints which I fear w0aid hare made
tbe arosiIe Of modern culture smile.
.-Eers arc moro Of my companions,
nnE sone u the best" she said, hand
ing me scr.p-book from the little
sids-tabls. after giving nc sezf in her
fnsaiuned armchair q Some Of them
son know" shs added. with = sEni.e
eiIich lighted up her brown features
xif, beal: faI besiirnffy-
Z 'onld have ha l;y hem ~ acc;6enf
is.i q Is the rags faii opea n ny