Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1885-02-18
FOUND.

A trim New England kitchen, with its
floor of knotty pine boards secured to 0
snowy whiteness, the red brick hearth
rejecting back the CLEAN Of the crack
ling hickory logs and the dresser of gilt
tering tins put automatically straight.
after the coming meal this was the
scene upon which the autumn sun
glowered redly for an instant through
the narrow window panes ere it went
down behind bank of slate-colored
clouds In the west-and Miss Jemima
Buxford, glancing up at the clock on a
little wooden shelf between the win
dows, saw that it was half-past five
o'clock.
BLESS me, how the time does 90 on ~
said Miss Jemima. sAnd it don't seem
as if | accomplished nothin' what with
runnin' arter your everlastin' whims, Eb-
enezer!''
Ebenezer Buxford, his autocratic sis.
ter's senior by twenty good years, looked
deprecatingly up from his cushioned
! nook in the chimney corner-a weak.
feeble-kneed old man, with scanty gray
hairs brushed into a meek little wisp on
the top of his head, waterv blue ewes
and complexion like weIl-cured parch-
ment.
81 know I'm deal o. trouble. Jemi-
my" said the old man apologetically,
but | try not to make any more than
can help"
mo, you don't neitheri' snapped
Jemimy. hain't no patience with your
old pipe and your everlastin' smoke,
smoke, smokin', till we all smell like an
old barroom, and there amt curtain in
the house that don't tell it's own story.
tell you what, Ebenezer Buxford, you've
just got to leave off that mis'able
habitl''
Ebenezer shrank instinctively at the
hard, cruel tone.
'But--Jcmimy- f"
I'm in earnest, Ebenezer."
But Ellen Dennison says"
II don't care two snaps o. my finger
what Ellen Dennison says-a pert mink,
just as full o. airs and graces as her
mother was afore her. though she was
my own sister. If Ellen chooses to make
a fuss over you and indulge you in
every within, / don't-that's all there is
to It'll / amt going to have this smokin'
going on. You've just got to quit It'll"
Il might as well quit livin', Jemimy.
For forty seven years"
Miss Jemimy, however, did not stay
to hear the end of the speech, but burst
out of the room, muttering to herself
sentences of which the import BODIED
little good.
''Hell be right down vexed, though,
thought the spinster, when he knows
I've sold them there packets of Virginny
tobacco he brought home on his last sea
voyage. It's odd man can keep voyagin'
to furrin parts all his life and not lay up
no money, arter all. But Ebenezer
never was savin' like the rest o. the Bux-
lords"
And Jemima went upstairs to rum
m&ge in an old chest where she kept her
treasures for hank of mixed yarn to
finish pair Of socks she had on hand.
Old Ebenezer waited patiently by the
kitchen fire the while, until he heard a
light footstep on the door stone without:
and his face frightened as Ellen Denni-
son came in.
She was q tall, fresh complexionsd
girl, with face which, if not absolute
" pretty, was pleasing, and light fig
nre whose grace was patterned after the
waving rushes by the riverside and the
tall young elms in the meadow below.
ssWell, unclel n she said, cheerily.
eve been waitin' for you. Ellen, I" the
old man whispered, reckoning her to
come close TO him. ssShe-shs won't
bring me no more 'baccy, and / haven't
had . Whit since o'clock"
ellen bit her lip.
ssrll bring you some ct once, Uncle
; Eben."
There amt none left in the tin box II
went on the old man, OBTAINING her with
. grip Of her neat calico dress. You'll
have 90 20 to the packet O. blue paper in
the corner cupboard up slairs-the gen
uine stuff brought from old Virginny
years and years ago. when warn't the
| old wreck am nowl Get the top pack
ace. NalI-the top one, rememberIn
| Yes, uncle.
| And away tripped Ellen, carrying her
lighted candle through the gloomy en-
tries. ike rustic embodiment Of Dawn
hnaxin9 herald star.