Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-09-04

little cupboard" she urged. while I
am getting the d shes ready" and
draw ng from her pocket a snowy hand
kerchief she began to polish them Wig
orously.
The old man strolled about and
found a few broken planks, which he
converted into shelves. separated from
each other by fragments of br cks and
stones. As he completed his task his
companion called out:
"Do come here and see what a sweet
flat rock I have found for a table.
Wen eat right now, and build the
house afterward." 1s
With tremulous eagerness they mar
shaled out their comestibles. The
broken bits of glass and CHI ma were
heaped with d ,ssected oranges and
grapes plucked from the stem. A. lit
tie pink and white pyramid of candy
ornamented the center, and about it
they arranged some sprays OF wild
lupine. A liberal allowance of pea
nuts was placed at either end of the
rock. The old gentleman attacked the
banquet with the careless gusto of q
greedy boy, while the old lady ate inla
dainty. fastidious way. They had not
progressed far before she gave a little
shocked exclamation:
"Mercy! VIZ haven't any napkins" =
"Glad of it! Idespise napkins" re-
torted her reckless vis-a-vis. She
viewed him with a delicate air of won
der.
Joshua is Just sony brother Josh
ia. You don't know what q smart
boy he is for figures. Dear me, 1 am
so thirsty"
The old man rose with alacrity.
.'Give me that broken cup" he said.
''1here is a little spring around here
where the water trickles from the
rocks"
When he returned he wiped his lips
surreptitiously. His companion de-
tected the action.
I'D you drink first? How very
rude! She viewed him sternly, and
carefully wiped the ed of the cup
before putt ng it to her lips.
cts nothing to a steamine Gun of
Coffee" observed the old man, evas-
lively.
"Or a nice, hot cup of tea. How 1
WIFI L udu Ouc, SIG CCQOeU.
When they finished their repast the
old lady rose a little unsteadily,
cramped from her uncomfortable post
ure upon the ground. She arranged
the broken crockery upon the cupboard
shelves. dreamilv smiling as she did so.
Then she turned with a brisk and ener-
getic air:
1--WE must hurry now and get our
house built. Did you ever make one?''
lit seems to me l did-once." said
the old man. absently. '.But it takes
timbers and boards and nails, and a
saw"
"Oh dear mel" laughed the amiable
old lady. "Just hear him talk! Why,
l a make the incest house you ever
saw out of stones and brick. That is
the way we girls always do IN the
school-yard. Just lay them in rows
for walls, don't you know"
Her aged companion busted himself
i~ndustriously. bringing her BITS of
rock, which she formed into intersect-
ing CHAINS upon the ground, with here
and there a break between. When
they paused to rest she proudly desig-
mated the boundaries of the parlor,
sitting-room, dining-room and kitchen,
which she had constru cted.
"Now, you a go in the parlor and
sit down, and l shall stay in the sit
ting-room and knit" and she brought
forth her work from the capacious reti-
cule. but there! How many times
will l have to tell you not to walk over
the walls, but come through the doors.
There! You've gone out over the
walls, and now you are coming through
a window. Oh dear, oh dear!!"
Stuff and nonsense! What's the
difference" retorted the old man, iras-
chilly. That's right, now. Go to
bawling, will you, just like a silly
grill!
Pm not crying, and I'm no sillier
than you;'' and the old lady bridled.
''I'd thank you to behave yourself, OF
I'll 60 straight home and tell my"
She broke oft suddenly, and looked
vaguely about at earth and sky in
startled questioning.
"There, there, don't get huffy. Well
play war" he added, a bright thought
striking him. ''This is the battle OF
Bunker Hill. You are the Tories, and
here / come with my cannon. Boom!
BOOM"
His gentle foe shuddered. Il never
could play that. War is too dreadful. -
she said. Poor little Jimmy Hale.
Such a pleasant-tempered, gay young
lad he was, but they brought him back
from the Mexican war with q bullet
hole in his breast. Deary me, how
mixed up I am. That wasn't Jimmie
Hale. That was a brown-bearded,
gallant man, and-Jimmie-why. JIM
mic is a boy. and gave me the book the
teacher gave him on last ~prize-day."
She smiled mistily.
''Well." said her companion, i'm
patient of these "reminiscences, eff war
don't suit you. how would you like to
have a game of mumblepeg?"
.What"' Her curiosity was aroused,
and her voice expressed warm interest.
...Mumblepeg." He drew from his
pocket an old Iack-knife. very loose in
the joints, and opened ono of the
blades.
.First you place it cross the palm
of your hand and toss it up over-so!'
The KIN fe turned a somersault in the
air, and the blade was deeply buried in
the ground. He pulled it out with an
air Of triumph. ''Then you place it on
49, L,,l, of tho bord onI +o,, II nm