, 1884-01-31
BECKYs BEAU.


know how to catch alone; SO l feel TINT there
WINS some truth in the yarns they used to tell
me about Aunt Becky being my "other
mother" She remained at our house so long
that / had begun to toddls and knew how
to feel deeply grieyed when she went away
to be married to Duncan Boggs, the well-to-
do Tamarnck farmer, who was killed by q
threshing machine the next summer.
Yesterday, as we sat by her warm fire
eating doughnuts and drinking cider, there
came a rap at the side door. Bobby, q bright
lad whom Aunt Becky adopted from a found
hngsp home some seven or eight years ago,
ran TO the window and peeped out
sits Deacon Poison" said the boy, loud
enough, / am suro, for the deacon to hear IL
his ears had not been mutfsd In a long,
crochoted tippet that went around his neck
and over his head nobody dare guess how
many times.
When Aunt Becky went to the door to let
the deacon in, Bobby ran up to me and
whispered: "That's mas beau"
! bad met the deacon before. Indeed, he
has been Aunt Becky's beau for some ten
Year, now, and l have met him at her house
on the occasion OF each Of my annual visits.
Moreover. l have often thought Aunt Becky
would like to marry him if he only had sPunk
enough to ask her about it
Deacon Poison is a tall man, with should
80 :. - ~ 1Ah ohN AAcLA n
somewhat similar cause, sincs the affairs Of
Tamarack, which amount in his estimation
to a whole world OF affairs, rest mainly on
him. He is chairman of the village board,
one Of the school Director, chief pillar of
the church, and master OF ceremonies at all
times and in all places. 1 don't wonder that
he Is round-shouldered. For five years, to
my knowledge, he has been nigh onto g."
which leads me TO believe that he Is not far
g. A.
it As he came into the room he began to
unroll and unravel and untwist the long
tippet from his neck, speaking not a word.
Then he took of his outside coat and laid it,
all snowy over the coal box in the corner.
Presently be happened to think TO take of
his hat, and he held 1t In his hand as he said:
"How d'y dor
1How d'y dor said Aunt Becky.
@Uncls Ben is here" said little Bobby, call
ing the deacon's attention TO me.
"How d'y dor said the deacon, standing
with his hat in his hand, and looking like a
great bulk Of a boy about to speak a piece to
his first audiences.
Wont you take q cheerf' asked Aunt
Becky. pushing a big rocker near the stove.
HNo, l can set here just as WELL replied
the deacon, confusedly, as he let himself
down on a corner Of the coal box.
you'd better take ths cheer" urged Aunt
Becky.
@Waal, / don't care II I do"
Aunt Becky drew up her old.fashioned
sowing chair, and the two put thar feet on
the stovehearth, pretty near each other. A
long, embarrassing silence followed, during
which Deacon Poison warmed his hands BY
the stove. and rubbed them together, with a
few grunts and phews, as II he were very
sold
as 1t 90 cold outr' 1 asked.
@Tol'abls cold" said the deacon.
Another long silence.
-How hev you beenf' asked Aunt Becky.
sob, tol'able."
After more oppressive silence the deacon
arose from his chair and said: aWaal, / Just
come over to say wish you happy New Year"
WAL, waal, you hain't u goin' yit,n said
Aunt Becky. LAW sakesl you hain't but just
rome.H
The deacon sat down again He hadn't In
tended to go, but the poor man had to say
Something.
began to think 1t was occasion when two
are company and three or four are none, SO 1
told Bobby II he would come out In the kitchen
[ would play checkers with him.
II guess you don't remember it's New Years
lay. do you, Bennyr' said Aunt Becky.
SWELL" said l with n pretty good imita-
don Of surprise and shame, that so. do
~S 1880 Ab NaothoAhr htNoA
once thinking it was New Years day" How
l hedl Only / didn't know that checkers
were tabooed on such occasions in Tamarack
or i should never have suggested the game.
awe can play dominoss, though, can't we,
Uncle Benz"
l wasn't dead sure whether dominoea were
in the prescribed list, 20 l pretended nos to
hear Bobby.
ma, dominoes are all right, amt theyr'
"Yss; you can play dominoes, Of course"
said Aunt Becky.
"Dominoes!' l echoed, as II 1 had just
caught BobbyS question "oh, yes; domi-
inoss are all right
So Bobby and l went 10 the kitchsn, and
as 1 passed through the door I left 1t open q
little, for / was resolved to SEQ how a widower
OF 90 and q widow OF 80 odd would make
love after ten years Of courtship. drew the
table near the door, where ! could hear and
see what was going on in the sitting-room,
and Bobby brought out the harmless domi-
noes Imads SO many errors that the little
follow had no trouble In beating me. which
made him happy to continue, and so served
my purpose.
Deacon Poison sat there twirling his hat
and looking into the Are. Aunt Becky leaned
back comfortably in her chair and looked
at the ceiling. Not n word was spoken for q
long, long time. Presently Aunt Becky be-
gan to rock back and forth and hum good old
Coronation" softly and slowly, and, after a
few measures, Deacon Podson broke In with
his cracked bass, out OF tune and out of
time, but somehow, after all, in pleasing
harmony. For a long time they sat and
hummed that simple, old tune, the humping
of Aunt Beeky's loose rocker marking the
time, her voice cracking and scraping OYER
the highest notes, but her heart full OF the
sweet, peaceful music. / thought she ought
TO be married, and that Deacon Podson ought
always to stay right there and blunder his
bass notes in, rough though they were,
to give tonic to Aunt Becky's weaker tones.
Time sped along as the two old lovers sat
and sang, yet the deacon, who had come only
to wish a happy New Year, made no sign OF
going. The sun had Travelled quarter round
tho house just to get a peep in at the little
west window and SEQ this comfortable old
couple; and the sight was worth all the trou-
BILE of subduing the snowstorm for the pur-
pose. Then, when the sun had lodged be-
hind the leafless orchard, and finally hidden
his big, rod face behind the little knoll where
sleep the dead Of Tamaraok. tho scene be-
came even more peaceful. The warm glow
OF tho fro filed the room with lovers light,
and l saw Deacon Podson's hand steal over
and close upon the long, slender fingers Of
his satisfied old sweetheart This was all.
No rapturous embraces, no lingering
kisses spoiled the peaceful scene. Aunt
Beckys face, touched by the CLEAN
from the window in the stove,
seemed 30 full Of tender love and
gentle satdaetion that l said 10 myself we