The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1884-07-04

W OAAASA E60SA4A VA
Molly, does it"
sI1l take her back after she has rest
ed.a little and had a CUP Of tea" said
Mary cheerfully.
But prehaps she won't go"
aOh yes, she will, . said Mary. "Poor
Miss Abby! She is as gentle as a
child.n
Her words proved to be correct.
Miss Abby Dabney suffered herself to be
led unremonstratingly back to Tewks-
town poorhouse, where the matron read
her . shrilltoned lecture, and declared
she should not be allowed another grain
of snuff if she didn't behave better.
Old Miss Abby smiled d%eprecatingly.
They are peculiar people here" she
said to Mary Miller. Think, my dear,
they forget sometimes that 1 am q lady.
But it takes all sorts Of people, don't
you see, to make q world"
The next night, however, Just as
Mary and her mother were sitting down
to tea, Miss Abby once more appeared,
in the midst of a gentle shower of rain.
i hope l don't Inconvenience any
body" she said, meekly. But that
women at Tewkstown has cu4s off my al
lowance of snuff, and after all, there's
no place like home"
And one more Mary Miller patiently
walked home with the poorald crone to
the poor house. The matron was in
furiated this time.
"It amt human natur to stand this
she declared. "IIl put her in the jug.n
aThe jug?" repeated Mary.
cts a room down cellar, where we
/ tl,,t 49, k11 -. u -
the matron. II can't stand this run
ming away business. and / won't!
The jug, perhaps, proved eficacious,
for old Miss Abby did not appear again
for a week. At the expiration of that
time, however, she crept noiselessly in
just at dusk and seated herself like q
silent shadow in the chimney corner.
TITS SO good to be at home again."
she said, rubbing her wrinklee hands,
II some how seem to get lost of late.
Elnathan is gone, and Betty's gone, and
l am left here all alone. Yes, n cup of
tea, please-sugar and milk. They
never remember how [ like my tea at
Tewkstown. This is good; and butter
on my bread, too! We don't get but
ter at Tewkstown."
Mary burst into tears.
.Mother, said she, Miss Abby shall
not go back to Tewkstown-she shall
stay here! Mother, how should I feel
If you were wandering friendless ard
alone through the world?'
But my dear"
"She shall sleep in her own old
room, ont Of the kitchen persisted
Mary. HShe will be no more care than
l N oounrx, l,;~I (NI ,.okLa. 1~....ll
She will think then that she is in her
own old home. Oh, if you knew how
dreary it is at that poor house, with
the grass all trampled out, and piles of
clam shells lying round the door, and
not so much as a dandelion or daisy to
be seem"
And Mrs. Miller yielded to Mary's
fearful solicitations.
DO as you please, my child" said
she. The Tewkstown authorities were
but too glad to be rid of the poor incu-.
bus and Miss Abby Dabney settled down
in her old home, as ~contentedly and nm
~questlonably as if she had never left it.
She ate and drank but little: she talked
still less, and seemed to regard Mrs.
Miller and Mary rs guests, who had
come to visit The old farm.
, THE widow Miller and her darter
must be rich folks, to undertake to sup
! port old Miss Abby, "sneered one neigh
Dor
"She was we'll provided for at the
/ poorhonse," said another.
j Il never yet saw q farm succeed that
was managed by women-folks," jeered
the third.
!, aTherell be the biggest kind of a
, srnash-up presently, !" observed number
-four, "and an auction sale of everything:
and I'll be on hand-for I don't deny
that them little Attorney cows is the
cunningest creatures / ever set my eyes
on, and good mixers into the bargain"
But time wore on. and there was no
fntter of q red flag over the porch.
On the contrary matters throve, and
Mary declared ioyously that farming
was q great deal more profitable bust
ness than working in a factory, and she
only wished that she had found it out
before.
Until one gray autumnal evening
Mary and her mother came back from q
brisk walk to the village, and found a
stalwart, sun-browned man sitting OPP
posite to Miss Abby, by the red glow
of the fire.
The old lady rose up in an odd, un-
certain way.
Ladies'" she said. fumbling in her
snuff box, Athis is my dephew, Cyrus
Dubrey, he as ran away from home
tw~enty-nlne years ago come Michelmas
Day, and we all supposed was dead.
Cyrus, these are the ladies who are 50
good as to visit me here. Iden't quite
recollect their names; but then it don't
matter much, and after all my memory
amt as good as it used to be. Nothing
matters much now-a-days!!"
And Miss Abby sat down and fell in
to a "daze' again, as if all necessity for
conversational effort We're over.
Cyrus Dubrey stood np-a bronzed,
bearded giant, with dark eyes and a SUI
perb stature.
Ladies', I beg your pardon" he said.
But Supposed when + came here I was
coming home! / knew nothing of all
these changes. / never could have
dreamed my cousins would letthis crea-
ture go to the poor house. Idon'tknow
who you are, ladies, " with a husky rat
tie in his throat, shut / thank yon from
the bottom OF my heart for giving her a
shelter in her old age. And if money
will pay you for it,"
ut will not" said Mary, sharply, as
if the words conveyed a slur.
mo, | suppose not" said Cyrus with
q sigh. aBut I've plenty of money now.
The dear old annty shall live like a
queen the rest Of her days, for she was
good to me when all the rest set me
down as q black sheep. I've made my