The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1884-02-01

white as a sheet for q second, an
seemed ready to faint. Then she tried
to say somethin', but couldn't; an in
another minnit her an that Teller had
their arms round each other, an was
huggin' way like sixty.
:" had sense 'nough to know that
my room was better'n my comp ny
bout that time, SO 1 grabbed up my
work an put off out into the kitchen,
where Cicely was settin' the table fer
dinner. She'd got sight o. the doin's
in the front room, an / mind how
bust out latin when she said, so inner
| Gently:
"'Why, Miss Dorcas. who on earth is
that man kissin' my map
"We didn't know for half an hour
that that man was Dave Bascom.
{" 1t was long story he had to tell,
bout how he'd Teen clean crost seas,
an into furrin parts. He got word
while he was in Californv that Mahaly
was dead. She was mighty low of a
fever for a long time, lust after her
folks died. They was several times
when it got out in Elderville that she
was dyin'; an some busybody couldn't
wait till the poor girl was clean gone.
but had TO write to David that she was
RELY dead. He said he'd writ three
times fer perticklers, an got no answer
Letters got lost oftener them days than
they do now, an Mahaly hadn't got
his'n Elderville was a little, out-of-
the-wav place, with only one mail a
week, an Dave he had to send his let
tiers nearly hundred miles to post EN-.
The 1njuns got away with many mall
bag, too. Neither Mahaly nor David
was great hands for scribblin' Then
they was promised to each other, any
how, an 1 reckon they thought courtin'
by mail didn't mount to much.
AN SO, tween letters that did go
an letters that didn't, DAVID and Ma
haly'd been KEEP apart fer nigh onto
twenty years; an neither of 'em had
seen tit TO marry nybody eIse. They
'peared TO set as much store by each
other at forty as they had when they
was half that old; an the way they
went round there like young lovers was
enough to make one split latin.
Everybody was glad on Hays
count that Dave had come back gin,
sound in body an mind. heart-whole
an fancy free.
"Both of .'em bein' well an healthy
an in their right senses, an likely to
live many year yet, they didn't seem
to be no good reason why they shouldn't
marry an enjoy the rest of their lives
together. 1t seemed to me that the
Lord had brung EN- together for that
purpose. I'm sure they want SO KILN
old either. after all.
"David hadn come back with gold
mine in his pockets. l guess he was
nigh bout rs poor as when he left,
through havin' the ups an downs of a
miners life.
"But mercy on us! Dye reckon Ma
haly Doolittle ever asked whether the
man was rich as Cresus or poor as Jobs
turkey. which poor critter hadn't but
one feather in his tail-not she! She
never thought O. that. He'd come back
true and faithful; his heart was hers,
an hers was his forever. That was all
a woman Ike Mahaly Doolittle cared
to know. Riches an this worlds glory
counted for nothin' with her. If the man
had come home blind an bald, 'thout
airy leg or arm, she'd still OF been true
as steel to him.
$50 want bit s'prised when Ma
haly comes an bespeaks two weeks o.
my time to sew on her weddin' outfit.
They was goin' to marry in May, an
that was the middle O. Aprile.
"Cicely didn t at first seem to take
r. I. L.. L = 4
| used to tease her, an tell her she
was jealous; an she'd laugh. and say
she was.
But she soon got to be great friends
with Dave, an that tickled Mahaly
She throwed 'em together as much as
she could. an they'd go stroll n arm
in arm all over the country: an some
folks did talk some bout it: but Id
shet 'em up mighty quick if heerd
'em. 1t seemed material an right nough
to me. seem that David was old 'nough
to be Cicely's father, an that was what
he was RELY gOiR' to be, SO to speak.
"Many's the time, when 'Haly an
me was busy SEWN, have l heerd her
av, in her joky way:
"'Come, now, David, you an Cicely
90 down to the medder back o the
orchard. an see if The fence amt down
some pla e. Or it'd be:
Now. Cicely. YOU an David 90
over on the hills an see if the da sizes
an Johnny. jump-up's are plenty 'nough
for nosegay. Dorcas an me are busy,
an we won't have you round in the
way. Clear out!'
..An' that's the way she'd send 'em
off. An once, bout a week fore the
day set for the weddin', when we was
real busy an real merry over our work,
David was fingerin' the things in
Hays work-basket. He'd got her cot
ton an silk thread in an awful snarl,
an she. bein' un ommon cutty-up like
hat day, gives him a smart box on the
years. an says to Cicely, says she:
"'Come, Cicely, you an yer tdthsr
take my basket out under the apple |
.reeS, SOS to be out of our way, an
straighten it up. Somethin' must be !
lone to get this little Toy out of the way,
,r Dorcas an me II get nothin' done
swell, l minded aiterw ards how
Cicely got redder'n beet when Mahaly |
said :, er father, an David shifted round !
uneasy like. But they took the basket,
IN went out together.
"'The dear souls!' Mahaly said, as
enderiy watchin' 'em out O. sight. |
Tn so glad. Dorcas, that nv Cicely |
links so much o David. An he thinks |
sight O. her. He's told ne so, often. |
Veil all live together so happily heren
rhs tears ackshilly stood in her eyes,
he was that happy. Purity soon she
aid:
"'The Lord is good, Dorcas. I've
,een wicked an ongrateful 'nough to
hink He wasn't sometimes, when was
roubled and vexed. But o. Dorcas.
or all our earthly troubles and trials.