The Osceola times., 1885-09-26

year they say chirped Miss Olive.
sAimming OF to a safer topic. THE
oWn is bound To retain YOU in Office"
on my boys account. | regret it,"
said Mr.. Varney, rallying his Wits. 81
have to be away from home moran is
suitable under present circumstances.
Inc poor little fellow needs a mother"
Miss Olive rose precipitately, and
picked up a newspaper spread to
shield her new carpet from the southern
sun.
rather used to say it was thankless
business to work for the town" said
she, folding the paper with nervous
energy, her cheeks aglow.
ut S remarkable how you keep YOUR
good looks, Olive" exclaimed the lounp-
ing widower, in irrepressible admiration.
You seem hardly day older than you
did ilfteen years ago. I've changed
outwardly more'n you have, but I've
just rs warm place for you in my
heart as had then"
An uncomfortable warm place Il must
have been, provided Mr.. Varney's face
at that moment truthfully registered its
thermal condition.
THANK you. I'm glad to keep oil nv
Old friends" quaived Miss Olive, with a
cautious emphasis upon the pronomical
adjective.
but ! want to be more than one of
your friends, Olive. l want to be your
husband" urged her lover, bolder
than in the days of his bashful indoles
cence.
Don't, Luther-you mustn't. I'm too
Old to change my mode of life"
''Old? How can you talk so. Olive?
| don't feel old at forty-five, and you re
only forty"
''Thirty-nine, corrected the lady. with
noteworthy zeal for truth. "But don't
ask me to marry, Luther I'm welded
to the old house, like the very moss on
the roof"
''Do let me speak, Olive-do, beg"
pleaded Mr.. Varney, in the soothing
tone be habitually adopted with the fair
sex, as if intimate companionship with
the departed Pamela had brought him
to regard woman as being to be paci-
fled.
Thus gently entrcated, Miss Olive
could but listen to the tai. Of his YOUTH
ful love for her budding anew, and only
the more vigorous for its early nipping.
She listened, not unmoved, though her
prudish lips belied her.
Reflect upon it, Olive. Take time
to consider" implored the willy lover,
with an appealing gesture injurious to
his cause, for the appraised hand dis
closed ring that had been Pamela's
gift. Could she, Olive Meserve, accept
a bereaved husband--she who had
vowed, in season and out of season, that
she would never marry anybody, least
of all wdower? Hymen forbid! What
a stir it would makep
mo, no, Luther; let's not talk any
more about it, she cried, as il forgiving
an aflront. 'On no consideration"
A wall from without cut short the
sentence. Blood-stained and aflrighted,
Master Willie rushed wildly in. Shrek
ing. ''Oh, papa! papa! I've most cut
my finger off! oh, papa! papa!"
Dear, blessed little lambr' ex-
claimed kind-hearted Miss Olive, head
ing the procession to the kitchen sink.
Its his seventh birthday, and | gave
him jacknife. might have had more
judgment, said the remorseful parent,
bathing the ugly cash with clumsy ten
derness.
"Oh, papa, you hurt" cried Willie,
hopping on one foot.
ayes, yes. sonny. It's too bad. but
papa can't help it," groaned Mr.. Var
ney, nearly as agitated as the child, sole
survivor of five, and the apple of his
fathers eve.
Wincibe at the mans awkwardness,
Miss Olive quietly supplanted him, di-
-erting the boy with a highly dramatic
story while she deity bound up the ach-
ing finger.
What knack you have with chill
dren, Oliver" remarked Mr.. Vatney,
pensively leaning against the pump.
81 learned something of surgery from
father responded she, with brisk ir-
relevance, checking herself in the act of
smoothing Willie's rutlled hair. Then
she east despairing glance at the horse
tethered at her gate, where all the world
might see. Before sundown it would
be rumored from Dan to Beersheba that
she and Mr.. Narney were ''making a
bargain.' Had he no regard for the
speech of people?
Lets 90, papa. I'm hungry" cried
the boy, opportunely.
"Run right along, sonny; I'll follow
in a minute, was the craft reply.
But as nimble wltted Miss Olive
straightway speeded after the boy with
three cookies, the dscomiitted father
was forced to say adieu in his presence.
IL can't help hoping you'll change
your mind yet, Olive" was his parting
remark. 'Sonny, can't you thank the
ladyp"
The unframed boy hung his head. but,
as his mortified father secured the check
rein, shyly whispered in Miss Olives ear:
"I ike you, lady"
Miss Olive was touched. What bonny
blue eyes the engaging little fellow had!
Just like his fathers. All. if she were
Younger. less set in her ways, how she
could love himi-the child. of course.
How she should enjoy making him balls
and kites, and teaching him to honor his
father, the best man in the world Poor
Luther had had a sorry life of it.
He deserved well-ordered home. if
ever mortal did. "But he might have
known wouldn't be so ridiculous as to
marry at my time of life, unused she,
going back TO the empty sitting-room,
where the eat lay curled up on her un-
finished rug. I'm thankful Climena
wasn't round when he called" "
In her dreams that night little Willie
leaned upon Miss Olives pillow sobbng
because ''the lady had been naughty to
his papa" and the next morning he
appeared in the flesh. his finger inflamed
oold tokan in dabblino in his aunt