The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1886-09-11

eyes flashed with Indignation, though the
force of IL was lost through their fearful
weakness.
"I guess won't keep on stavin' here"
she snapped, In her thin, hoarse voice. ~
guess won't You needn't offer. me q
home. I've got one -pervided. / amt
quite destitute yet You needn't think
you're goin' to come round now an smooth
It. You can't blind me. You've been
watchin, all the time for chance to pay
us back"
~ don't know what she MEANS" said
Hayers, helplessly, to the other woman.
besia. sSe hsSsef.S son,s snow neither She's most
Hayers began again, trying to sp,ak;
so, Miss Mills. You 'ain't got to leave.
ain Amt a ;goin,' to live here myself anyway.
~ amt goin' to stay here another night.
amt goin' to be livin' on you. I guess
you'll find out. Oh, Luciny, what would
you have said if you'd knowed what was
comm twenty year ago! oh dear! dear!
The other woman took her by the shoul-
right in am stop this. You amt talkin'
with any reason. You'll be ashamed of
yourself when you come to-"
She walked her forcibly out of the entry,
and shut the door. Then she turned to
Havers.
"You mustn't mind what she says" said
she. "She's been about as near crazy as
anybody can be, and not be, all day"
81 don't know what she kin mean by
my tryin' to pay her back, Mis- Wing"
"She don't know herself. She's got
kind Of notion that you're to blame for
buyin' the place. She'll know better to-
morrow"
"It's good deal better for me to buy It
then Steadman," said Havers, with n
troubled look. IL shell let her keep right
on here. To tell the truth, bought the
place more fur
"You're real good man." said Mrs.
| Wing, warmly. She was Elsie Mill's
brothers. wife. "She'll he ashamed of
herself tomorrow. But she's comm to
| live with Silas an me. She's welcome to
She aren't fit to live alone, anyway. We
knew when her father died that she'd run
the place out in no time. Well, she's taxi
i'm on so, shall have to go in. 1 don't
| like to leave her a minute. Don't you mind
any thing she said."
| Contrary to Mrs. Wings expectations
Elsie Mills was not disposed to retract her
words. The next day, when she was
peacefully domiciled in her brothers.
house. and seemed a little calmer, her sis
ter -in-law opened on the subject. r
what In creation made you talk so to
William Havers last night" said she. "Not
one man in a hundred would have made
you the offer that he did after he'd bought
| place"
Elsie fred up at once. II guess know
why" said she. "Luciny gave him the
mitten once-that's why. He's doin' it to
show out"
"Why, Elsie Mills, are you in yourright
mind"
He never got over it. He always meant
to pay us back. Now he's bought the place
an invited me to live on him, he'll feel
better"
swell, never!"
Mrs. Wing repeated the conversation to
her husband, and told him that she was
really scared about Elsie; she did not act
| with any reason.
Silas Wing laughed. "Don't you worry,
Maria," said he, "Elsie always had that
notion. l never really believed that Lu-
ciny give Havers the mitten myself, but
she did, an she always went on the no.
tion that he was dreadfully upset over it..
Elsie's queer. She's mighty meek an
yieldin' generally; she seems to be kinder
goin' sideways at things fur the most
part; but II she ever does git p'inted!
sar straight j at any thing thar ain'tn0 turn'n'
"Do you remember any thing about
William Havers waitin' on Luciny?"
"Yes. He was round some two years
before she died. l didn't think much
beaux. AM no wonder; thar want many
girls like her. kin see her now, jest how
she used to look. Poor Elsie wa'n't much
beside her, but l don't believe she ever
give that a thought. She thought Luciny
was beautiful, an thar want any thing
too good fur her. She'd slave hersell
most to death to save her. No; don't you
worry, Maria Else's always run on that
notion"
Silas Wing was Elsie Mills half
brother; the dead Lucna had been her
own sister. The house which had Jus
1 har i,,b itnn ha,
father. Silas Wing was an easy, pros
porous man, with u shrewd strenk in his
character. His sisters property was
sadly deteriorated, and poor Investment
He had no idea of sinking money to secure
| it for her, but he was perfectly willing to
provide for her, and gave her most cor
dial invitation to his home. He gave her
a front chamber in his large square white
house, and furnished it with her own
things, to make it seem like home.
"'rhar amt any reason why Elsie
shouldn't be as happy as queen here as
long as she lives," he told his wife. "Thar
amt many women fare any better. She
amt much over forty. She'd hev to work
hard If she was in some places, an she
ain't fit to. Now she'll jest hev to help
Portable as can be-"
Elsies chamber commanded a good view
of her old home, which was on the op-
posite side of the street, little further
down. She could see the yard full of Gin
namon roses, and the blue front door,
was due to her; she had painted it her.
self. Silas had some blue paint left after
painting his farm wagon, and she had
begged It, Then she had stood on chair
la small, lean figure in clinging calico
and plastered the brilliant blue thickly
over the front door, welding the brush
stiffly in her little knotty hand, stretching
herself up on her slight, long limbs.
She had always viewed the eff ect with
innocent delight. The unusualness of a
blue front door did not trouble her. She
was as crude and original as child in
her tastes. 1t looked bright and fresh in
itself, and to her thinking relieved the
painted farther had her paint lasted.
After the door was painted blue, she had
held up her head better under neighbours
insinuation that the house was ''run
down." That, indeed, had led her to dc
it.
Now she sat forlornly at her chamber
window, her elbows on the sill, her sharp
chin in her hands, for many an hour
staring over at the blue door and the Gin.
namon roses, as she might have stared al
lost jewels. Nothing about the place
seemed SO distinctly her own as that
blue door; nothing seemed SO dear as
those cinnamon roses, because her dead
sister Lucina had planted them. 1t is sad
work looking at things that were once
one's own, when they have not been given
away for love, and one still wants them
Elsie was meekly unhappy over it. She
was no longer violent and openly despair
ing, as she had been at first. That had
been very unusual with her. She was
fond of her brother and his wife, and con
formed gently to all the requirements ol
her new life. She had very little endur.
ing resistance to circumstances In her; she