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


where are you going. Ellen Denni
son9"
ITO get some tobacco for Uncle Eben-
ezer."
There amt none left. /"
Eyes, there is, in the packet he
brought from Norfolk in the Lively
Sally"
But tell you there ain'tr' reiterated
Miss Jemima IT sold it yesterday
a peddler that came along He gave me
FIVE dollars for it..
you sold ita'
Miss Jemima nodded her head def
antly.
''Yes, sold it, and you needn't stare
at me as if I'd committed a state prison
offense, Miss. I'd do the same thing
over again. mean to break up Eb-
enezer's miserable trick of smolxin An
old man that's dependent on his rela-
tives for his daily bread hain't no bust
ness with luxuries like tobacco-and
he'll get no more in this house,
Ellen Dennison answered nothing. but
she turned and went quietly down
stairs, with her cheeks flushed an in
dignant scarlet. Miss Jemima followed
her.
"Uncle, said the girl calmly, as the
old man raised his bleared, expectant
eyes toward her, there's no tobacco
there"
1--WE sold it, quoth Miss Jemima,
putting her arms akimbo.
"You've-sold-my tobaccol Ny blue
Virginia brand?"
s'Yes, have; and where's the harm,
I'd like to know! | wasn't going to
have it cluttering up my cupboard no
longer! I've sold it for FIVE dollars"
Then, said Ebenezer, with sort of
stony calmness, 'you've just got five
dollars for pack of the best Blue Vir-
ginia tobacco that was ever put into a
pipe-bowl and $500 in money, that was
in tin box in the lowest pound parcel
but two. That's where I had stored
away my little savings. / thought they
would be safe there-but they wasn't, it
seems. You have had your own way,
Jemima, and hope you feel betterr'
Miss Jemima's lower jaw dropped.
''Sakes alive lwhy didn't you tell me
on it, Ebenezer BuxfordG'
because / didn't choose said the
old man, bitterly. ''Tm sorry on Ellen's
account. / meant she should have lit
tie money of her own, but as for you,
Jemimy, I'm free to say that / believe it
serves you right!'
Miss Jemima sank, rather than sat
down on low chair by the table, letting
her head fall into her hands. To the
gripping, avaricious old woman, to whom
a dollar seemed bright idol to be wor-
shipped and bowed down before, this
loss was most disastrous, and none the
less so, because it had been wrought
through her own secret, spiteful officious-
ness. The tears, hard, salt and bitter as
the waters of the Dead sea, oozed one
by one down her red eyelids, and fell on
the table; low, choking sob broke
from her lips.
But, alas her repentance had come
too late.
The autumn wore itself on, and when
the first snowfakes dizzled through the
dull, gray air, they buried old Ebenezer
Buxford under the leafess willows in the
country graveyard.
Aunt Jemima picked up her belong
ings and went with her niece to a dis
tant State, where they could buy little
place and try to earn their living by
means of market garden; and so they
dwelt for two or three years.
Jemima Buxford had laid her plans to
keep her niece with her always Ellen
was so bright and helpful and full of odd,
ever ready resources, but love sprang
into the scale opposite old Jemima, and
love outweighed her. Ellen promised
to marry George Stapleton, who had the
largest farm and the most substantial
in all the neighborhood.
$50 you are from Millow6eld9 Queer
old place, that. said George, one even
ing as he sat on Miss Jemima's doorstep,
chewing a straw. 81 came
through there once, years ago, when
drove peddler's cart.
s'YouI' echoed Ellen-''a peddler's
cartG'
Eyes; that's the way laid the foun
dation of my fortunes, such as they are.
[ didn't always own farm of four hun
dred acres. And the oldest thing hap
pened to me there"
Aunt Jemima put on her spectacles
and stared hard at Mr. Stapleton, while
Ellen asked:
ssWhat was it9n
"WelI, stopped at strange little
Out-of- the-way house under hill to get
3 drink of water one morning, and a lit
tie old woman with her face tied up
with the toothache, and 8 sun bonnet
tipped down over her nose, like an old
witch
ssHump!" interjected Aunt Jemima.
.'Came out. !" pursued the unconscious
George, 'sand wanted me to buy lot of