The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-07-17

VINO, on Cnolr way IrOm ScnOOl, cOulO
make short cut through her yard,
and reach home quicker She watched
for them every day, and if they did not
iappear quite as soon as usual she would
igrow uneasy, and eye the clock, and
mutter to herself, Il wonder where
lthem Mosely children can be?" When
they came she watched their progress
with sharp attention, and thought them
over for an hour afterward. Not bird
which passed her window escaped her
notice. This innocent old gossip fed
her mind upon their small domestic af-
fairs in lieu of larger ones. To-day
she often paused between her stitches
to gaze absorbediy alta yellow bird vi
brating nervously round the branches
of young tree opposite. 1t was early
spring, and the branches were all of a
light green foam.
That's the same WALLER bird 1 saw
yesterday, do b'lieve," said she. Il
recken he's goin' to build a nest in that
ellum."
Lately she had been watching the
progress of the grass gradually spring
ing up all over the yard. One spot
where it grew much greener than else
where her mind dwelt upon curiously.
81 can't make out" she said to a
neighbor, whether that ere spot is
greener than the rest because the sun
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
| L. .E fAronn0n thin Hinn
she would carry them both to their
owners that afternoon and get her pay.
She did not stop for any dinner.
Spreading them out for one last look
before rolling them up in bundles she
caught her breath hastily.
What hev done?" said she. "Mas-
sy sakes! l hevn't gone an put Mis-
Bliss caliker with the little pink rose
ont in Mis- Bennet's quilt! Ihev, jest
as sure as preachin'! What shell doP"
The poor old soul stood staring at
the quilts in pitiful dismay. "a hull
| fortnit's work." she muttered. ''What
shell do? Them pink roses is the
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 Pm goin' to airn
money I'll airn it, .
Martha Patch gave her head jerk.
The spirit which animated her father
when he went to housekeeping in a
piece of house without any front win
dow, blazed up within her. She made
herself cup of tea, then sat deliber-
ately down by the window to rip the
quilt to piecseg 1t had to be done pref
ty thoroughly on account of her admi-
ration for the pink calico, and the
quantity of tit figured in nearly
every square. 81 wish he'd afront win
der to set to while I'm doin' on, said
she; but she patiently piled her scis-
sors till dusk, only stopping for short
survey of the Mosely children. After
days of steady work the pieces were
put together again, this time the pink
rose calico in Mrs. Bliss quilt. Mar
tha Patch rolled the quilts up with a
sigh of relief, and sense of yirtuous
triumph. .-i .. relI .I-..'..
"Fll sort over the pieces that's left in
the bags said she, ''thep I'll take 'em
over. an git my pay. I'm gittin' pretty
short of vittles." ",,,5"r C. .n .-. ID.
She began pulling the pieces out of
the bed-ticking bag, laying them on
her lap, and smoothing them out pre-
paratory to doing them up in a neat
tight roll to take home-she was very
methodical about everything she did.
Suddenly she turned pale, and stared
wildly at tiny scrap of calico which
she had just fiShed out of the bag.
.:Massg sakesr' she cried; lit amt,
is it?'' She clutched Mrs. Bliss quilt
from the table, and laid the bit of calico
beside the pink rose squares.
''It's jest the same thing" she
groaned, ''an' it came out on Mis- Ben
nets bag. Dear me SUI! Dear me
suzn'
She dropped helplessly into her chair
by the window, still holding the quilt
and the tell-tale scrap of calico, and
gazed out in a bewildered sort of way.
Her poor old eyes looked dim and weak
with tears.
'Thar's the Mosley children comin',n
she aid-"happy little gals, laughin'
an hollerin', goin' home to their moth
er to git a good dinner. Me a-settin'
here's lesson they amt larned in their
books yit; hope to goodness they never
will; hope they won't ever heV to piece
quilts fur livin', without any front
winder TO set to. Thar's a dandelion
blown out on that green spot. Reckon
thar is Somethin' buried thar. Lordy
massy! heU l got to rip them two quilts
to pieces agin an sew 'em over?n
Finally she resolved to carry bit of
the pink rose calico over to Mrs. Ben
nets, and find out, without bctray:ng
the dilemma she was in, if it was
really hers.
Her poor old knees fairly shook un-
der her when she entered Mrs. Bennet'S
sitting-room..
why, yes. Miss Patch, it's mine,"
said Mrs. Bennett, in response to her
agitated question "Hattie had dress
like it, don't you remember? There
was lot of new pieces left, and l
thought they would work into a quilt
nice. But, for PHYS sake, Martha,
what is the matter? You look just as
white as sheet. You amt sick, are
you?'
''No," said Martha, with afeeble toss
of her head, to keep up the deception;
Il amt sick, only kinder all gone with
the warm weather. 1 reckon I'll hev
to fix me up some thoroughwort tea.
Thoroughwort's q great strengthener.
Il would" said Mrs. Bennett. SYM
pathizingly; land don't you work too
hard on that quilt; ain in a bit of
hurry for it. I shan't want it before
next winter anyway. 1 only thought
I'd like to have it pieced and ready"
Il reckon l can't get it done afore
another fortnit," said Martha, trem-