The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1886-01-29

opportunity TO inquire Of her neigh
bors what they had received before.
she would believe that the merchant
had not given her less than the usual
price.
he had not the article she asked
or she went away in the belief that he.
YES simply hiding it for some favored
customer; while il he produced it she.
was equally tortured lest he consid-
cred it unstable.
II she was invited to a tea party or
quilting, or any OF the mild festivities
Of Argonac, she always sat on the ex-
trenae edge OF her chair in the most
perpendicular OF attitudes. and re-
pliedto all conversation in the briet-
est ofmonosyl!ables while she inward
~ weighed every word and action in
tbs slight Of It's possible relation to
herself; it she wassnot invited she laid
the fact up and brooded3ove it with
a certain frosty resentment which
nothing could ever thaw.
The simplest pleasures were even en-
FILTERED by her suspicion. She was
fond OF flowers, and would have en-
joYed her we'll kept garden ii she had
ENTHUSIASTICALLY suffered with the fear
that someone's flowers would look
better than hers, or they would have
"a variety she mad not.
With Mrs Ames, the village post
masters wife, whose yard was usual
" gay with flowers, she waged acease-
less though one-sided rivalry, mas
much as the lady vas wholly unaware
lot it's existence. On her head. too,
rested one Of tho widow'sdarkest sus-
spicions, for as it CHANGED n spring
they both sent to the same florist for
some choice lily bulbs, and because
Mrs.Alnes received hers q few days
sooner, she always cherished the firm
and implncable belief that MIR. Ames
had purpnseiy withheld her own in Or
der that his wife's might get started
first.
1 mistrusted it at the Time she
used to relate; che didn't look like q
mar ought to look when hesaid there
was nothin' for me, an when / said,
tit is very strange, for / was expecting
some bulbs he said he was sorry but
they hadnt come, and that very af-
Sternoon Mrs. Trueblood told me that.
Mrs. Alnes had got her''n. The very
next day went again, and he said
mo, they hadn't come yet, but he
couldn't look me in the eye when he
said it. an when / tried to catch his
eye he pretended to be busy stainpin'
some letters. And the next day was
Sunday, SO you see Mrs. Ames had
had hers four days before / got mine,
an when he did give 'em to me
they looked that dry as though he
might have kept them a week. But
that wasn't the strangest part of it;
it you'll believe me not one of them
bulbs came up the next spring-not
one,n" with agrim nod OF her head by
way ct emphasis. aOf course, | don't
say that anybody came and pulled
EN- up inthe night. / make it a roole
never to Judge people, butt do say
that it is very curious how Mrs.
Arnes's all happened to live through
the winter and none OF mime
But happily for kindly Mrs. Ames,
who was without a single spark OF
jealousy, she never knew the imp,tta-
ton she rested under, nor why her
friendly advances to the Widow Hatch
were efrigidly received.
Another cause OF suffering to the
good woman was that She was total
" destitute OF any sense OF humor.
"A joke always mystified, and as a
consequence aggravated her, as when
one Hallow-e'enthe Frew boys appear
ed at her window with q jacko' Ian
bern carved from q pumpkin, instead
of laughing at the apparition as did
the other neighbors, she hied herself
across the field to Mr. Frew's and
made grievous and fearful complaint
OF the treatment she had received,
for Mrs Hatch could drop into
tears as easily as Mr.. Wegg into poet
); and the fact that she and her
slaughter were Aslone, unprotected fe-
mules was impressed on her listen
ers.
Mr.. FreW underworld to mollify her
resentment with the plea that they
were only in fun, and thatboys would
be boys, though on their return home
sehe reproved them for their mdiscre-
ton in a manner that Solomon would
have approved OF.
For Mrs. Hatch was not the only
occupant of the tall, thin, red house
in the edge OF thelittle country village;
her daughter, Almira Sophia shared
it with her, and never was the old
adage, Like mother, like daughter
more strikingly verified; the SAND in.
vertebrate spine, sallow complexion,
stony eyes, colorless hair, and worst
OF 81, the same jealous, suspicious ma,
ture. Without question the poor girl
was TO be pitied for the blighted at.
mosphere in which she had grown up
Perhaps, indeed, people of that TEN.
permanent are to be more pitied than
blamed forthe diseased state of MIND
which fills their lives with such need
less misery; at the same time oul
compassion is usually bestowed OF
those who. suffer because Of tn,
jealousy, rather than the ones who en-
dure the pangs. )
From Almira Sophia 8 earliest child
hood she had been on the lookout TO,
sights and injuries-a search in which
they who engage seldom fail to fine
their obiect. When q little girl in pin
AZORES, :she used to come home from
sshoofSwith long complaints Of tn
teacher partiality, Of the girls VIII,
made faces at her, and the boy,
who had called her names. As sh
grew older and her eelf.consciousnes
#npsreased, il amy one looked at he
~ "a ansnA Akn,, Srnro criftcic;oo bo