The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1885-11-05

her, and then adjusted his cravat and con-
sidered the effect of the blue roses on his
vest. Was vision fitting before his eyes
of the wagon drawn by gayly- caparisoned
steeds and bearing in gilt letters on a red
ground the legend: "Dr. Pingree's Pain
Exterminator, Humanity's Friend, "-Of
his own face, beautified by art, adjoining
fences and walls above this proud inscrip-
ton: "The Renowned Inventor OF the
Universal Pain ?" This
fame, the dream of lifetime, might now
be purchased by money. And he had
always admired Miranda.
Miranda caught his glance, and, with
the suspicion which wealth had already
engendered, OWNED his thought. Was
there going to be another aspirant for her
hand?
THE winds a blowin' up; and what a
roarin' the sea does makei" she said, hur-
riedly, to cover her embarrassment. 1.-THE
only thing don't like about this house is
its bein' so near the sea. It's rainin' hard;
and Pm glad of it," she added, in an I'M
dertone, to Mrs. Bemis-"for he won't be
so likely to get round here tonight.
Courtin' is real tryin'."
"The ocean is dretful disconserlate-
soundin' cretur," remarked Uncle Peter,
lug0briously; land when you think of the
drownded folks she's got a-rollin' round in
her, faint no wonder"
"The oceans useful work o. mater, and
she's fetched and carried and Armed a
livin' for a good many more'n she's
swallered up" said Cap'n 'Kiah.
II expect this world amt vale of tears,
nohow," said Uncle Peter, in an aggrieved
tone. ''There is folks that knows more'n
the hymn book"
"Well, 1t Is, and then ag'in it amt, Jest
accordin' to the way you look at it. There's
G sight more the matter with folks pint
o. view than there is with the Lords world.
Now, 10, if you've got that cretur o. yourn
into ship shape-it always does seem to
me jest like human cretur that's got the
right pint o. view, that fiddle does-jest
give it to US lively"
10 tuned up, with modest satisfaction,
and two or three couples stood up to dance.
Little DR.. Pingree was about to solicit
Miranda's hand for the dance, when there
came a knock at the door.
Miranda stuck her knitting-needle
through her back hair in an agitated and
expectant manner. But it was not the
lank figure of the book peddler, her be-
trothed, that darkened the door. 1t was a
forlorn woman, dripping with rain, with
two small boys clinging to her skirts.
Il suppose poor folks have a right to
come in here out of the rain" she said, ad-
vancing to the fire and seating herself with
a sullen and detected aspect.
Little DR.. Pingree, who felt the arrival
to be very inopportune, nevertheless
gallantly fastened to replenjsh the fire.
The poor mistress Hospitality offered to
remove the visitors wet wrappings, but
she shook her head.
81 want to find the relatives of Ephrum
You'll have to go good ways" said
Cap'n 'Kiah.
THE graveyard is chock full of 'em said
Uncle Peter.
"They've kind of died out" explained
Cap'n 'Kiah. "fhey seemed to be the kind
TINT dies out easy and material"
His uncle Hiram isn't dead, is he:"
asked the woman, with the strain of
anxiety in her voice.
"He died about year ago."
whats become of his money!" asked
the stranger sharply.
"WeH, there WANT much as folks
thought" said Cap'n 'Kiah. "He frittered
away a good deal on new-fangled mer-
chimes and such things that want of any
accOunt-had a regular mania for IN for a
year or so before he died; and then he give
some money to his housekeeper and the man
that worked for him, and what was left he
give to the town for a new town hall; but,
along of quarrelin' about where twas
to be set, and what twas to be
built of, and gittin' legal advice to set
tie the p'ints, l declare if faint most
squandered! But, la if there want such
quarrelin' amongst folks, what would be-
come of the lawyers? They'd all be here,
a-settin' US by the ears, l expect"
''And there isn't cent for his own neph-
ew's starving children?" said the woman
bitterly.
'Ep6rum's? o, la, no! The old man
never set by Ephrum, you know; them
two was always contr'y- minded. You
don't say, now, that you're Ephrum's
wife" Cap'n 'Kiah surveyed her with
frank curiosity.
'Pm Ephrum's widow"
"You don't saw so, now! Well, there's
wus ockerpations than bein' a widow" re-
marked Cap'n 'Kiah, consolingly.
Miranda had drawn the younger boy to
her side. She was chatting his numb hands
and smoothing the damp locks from his
forehead.
"Why, how cold your hands have
grown!" the child cried. ''They're colder
than mine. And how funny and white
you look"
Miranda had felt, from the moment when
she first saw the forlorn little group, that
Ephraim was dead, and vet the sure
knowledge came as shock. But this
child was looking at her with Ephraim's
eyes: they warned her heart
"She knew me, if none of the rest of you
did" said the widow, Indicating Miranda
by nod of her head. ''And | knew her,
too, just as soon as L set eyes on her.
Well, you need't hold any grudge against
me, Miranda Daggett. Calculate you got
the best of the bargain. Ephrum hadn't
any faculty to get along. pve struggled
and shaved till Pm all worn out; and now
haven't roof to cover me nor my chill
dren, nor mouthful to eat.
Miranda sprang up, her arms around
both the boys.
81 have" l have plenty for you all.
And I've been a-wonderin' why it should
have come to me, that didn't need it; but
now know. You come right home with
me. Mis- Bemis, you'll let Tready harness
up?"
There were some objections made on ac-
count of the rain, but Miranda overruled
them all.
She drew Mrs. Bemis aside and confided
to her that she didn't want Ephrum's boys
to stay even one night in the poor house,
because ''it might stick to 'em afterwards"
And she shouldn't really feel that they
were going to belong to her until she had
them in her own house.
So, through the driving rain, in the open
wagon which was the most luxurious
equipage that the poor-farm boosted, Mi
randa was driven home with her proteges;
while Mrs. Bemis gave way to renewed
anxiety about the fall tailorin', and DIR.
Pingree heaved sigh over his vanished
dreams-a very gentle one, he was so used
to seeing dreams vanish; and there was
consolation in having such an event to
talk over.
Miranda's home was a rambling old
house. and it seemed deserted and ghostly
when they entered it; but Miranda kindled
a fire in the kitchen stove and another in
the great fireplace in the sitting room,
and the boys warmed and fed and COM
forted, grew hilarious, and the ghosts
were all dispersed, and it seemed to Mi
randa for the first time like home.
When she had seen all three costly
tucked into their beds, she went down
stairs to rake over the fire and see that all
was safe for the night. She found herself
too full of happy excitement.t to seek her