The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1886-09-16

her room. Finally she gained it success
fully: no one had heard her.
The next morning some one knocked
while the family were at the breakfas
table. Silas answered it.
"The queerest thing, he said, when h,
returned. "Havers has lost his sickle
the one he brought over last night, an
he wants to borrow mine, an can't fine
that high or low. I would ha' sworn i
was hangin' on the hook in the barn
He wants to get them cinnamon rose
cut"
well, I should think it was queerr
said his wife. Il know Isaw it out there
yesterday. Are you sure its gomez"
Course 1 am. DON'T you s'pose I've
got eyes?7
Elsie said nothing. She bent her head
over her plate and tried to eat They
did not notice how white she was. She
kept sharp watch all day; she started
every time any one spoke: she kept close
to the others; she dreaded to hear what
| might be said, but she dreaded more not
to hear.
HAS Mr.. Havers found his sickle YETI
Mrs. Wing asked, when her husband
came home at night. He had been ovel
to the village. 4 see you ridin' home
with him"
"No, he amt. He's gone and bought
new one. Says he's bound to hev them
roses cut down tomorrow. Amt seen
anything of ourn yet, hev yer"
No; I've been out myself an looked. y
swell, it beats everything siclzIes
right in the neighborhood! 1 ruther
| think some one must ha' took EN-
"Land Silas, nobody's took 'em. I
know all about you. I've known you to
hev things stole before, an it always
turned out you was the thief. When
you lose a thing, it's always stole"
Elsie found it harder to start out to-
night; little of the first impetus was
wasted. Still, she did not hesitate.
When the house was quiet she crept out
again, and went over to the old place.
She did not stop 10 reflect over the
roses tonight. She was braced up to do
her errand; but it must be done qCickly,
or she would give way. She went
straight around the house to the wood
shed, where she had found the sickle the
night before. AS she came close to the
open arch which served as entrance
there was a swift rush, and William
Havers stood beside her holding her arm.
"Oh!" she said, then began feebly
gasping for breath.
Elsie Mills! what in the world are you
dom here?"
She looked up in his face, but did not
speak.
why, Elsie, what is it? Don't you be
afraid, you poor little thing. What was
it you wanted? Tell me?"
Let me gol"
"Of course I WILL but l think you'd
better tell me what you wanted, an let
me get it. I'd be glad enough to. 1
didn't mean to scare you. 1 suspected I
he'd a sickle stole, an was kinder keepin'
a lookout. When 1 jumped out didn't
see who twas"
Il stole your sickle, an I'll steal it
again if you offer to tech Luciny's roses"
~You-stole my sickle-I offer to tech
Luciny's roses! I guess 1 don't know
what you mean, Elsie"
Il mean jest what I say. I'll steal your
sickle every time you offer to cut down
Luciny's roses"
you mean them roses out in the front
yard?"
Course I do. Didn't she set them
out?'
Lord! I didn't know. I didn't know
nothin' about it. I hadn't no notion of
your feelin' bad If 1 had, 1 guess
Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't
you come right overt I'd hev mown off
my own fingers before I'd offered to tech
them roses if I'd known"
"Do you s'pose was goin' to come
over here an ask you not to, when
knew you was jest doin it for spite cause
Luciny wouldn't hev your"
Cause Luciny wouldn't hev me:'
yes, cause Luciny wouldn't hev
you"
81 didn't never ask her to hev me, Ell
sie"
"What?"
Il didn't never ask her."
II don't see what you mean by that"
why, mean L didn't"
"What was you hangin' round her so
fur then? An what made you act so
awful cut up?"
ElsieT'
"de?"
"Yes, you I bought this place jest
on you account Wnen nearQ the mort
gage was goin' to be foreclosed. didn't
RELY s'pose you'd be willin' to marry
me, you treated me 50 indifferent in Luz
ciny's day; but L didn't pay no Rtten-
ton to that. wanted you to keep on
Twin here. When you acted so mad
cause I spoke about it, 1 didn't dare tc
say anything more. But I wish you'd
come now. Won't you? I'll go back to
my old home; 'twont put me out a mite.
An shan't do it because I've got any
spite, nor want to show out. It'll
be because I've always liked you better'n
else, an wanted to do some
thing fur you"
Elsie was crying. 1--WE got to get
used to thinkin' of it," she sobbed.
Elsie Mills and William Havers were
married at the brides brothers. When
the bridal couple went to their own home
they did not enter at the front door.
They passed around to the side one, be-
cause the front yard was so full of Gin
roses-Mary E. Wilkins in Har-
per's Bazaar.