The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1886-09-11
LUCINY'S ROSES.
Why William Havers Did Not
Gut Them Down.


The cottage house had been painted
white, but the paint was now only a film, IN
some places. One could see the gray wood
through it. The establishment had gen.
orally declining look; the shingles were
scaling from the roof, the fences were lean
ing. All the bit of newness and smartness
about it was the front door. That was
painted bright blue. Cinnamon rose
bushes grew in the square front yard. They
were full of their little sweet ragged roses
now. With their silent, lowly persistency
they had overrun the whole yard. There
was no stepping room between them. They
formed q green bank against the house
walls; their branches reached droopingly
across the front walk, and pushed through
the fence. Children on the sidewalk
could pick the roses. Four men coming up
the street with a business air looked hesi-
tatingly at this rose crowded front yard
when they neared it.
"Thar amt no use goin' in thar into that
mess of prickly roses," said one-a large
1--WE are obliged by law to have the sale
on the premises" remarked another,
blandly and authoritatively. He was a
ight-whiskered young fellow, who wore
better clothes than the others, and held a
large roll of papers ostentatiously.
"Come round to the side of the house,
them" spoke another, with low gruffness.
He was man of fifty. He had lean,
sinewy figure, and a severe, sharp-fea-
tured face. His skin was dark reddish
brown from exposure to the sun.
So the four filed around into the side
yard, with its short grass and its we'll and
well-sweep. Here red flag was blowing,
fastened. to cherry tree. The men stood
together in close consultation, the light
whiskered young man, who was lawyer,
being chief spokesman.
"We may as well begin" he said, final
1y, standing off from the others. "The
hour has passed; no one else is likely to
Then they took their places with q show
of ceremony-the large man, who now
held the roll of papers, little aloof, the
lawyer, and the fourth man, who was old i,
and had q stupid, anxious face, ut one
side, and the man with the severe red face,
leaning carelessly against the cherry
tree. The largo man began to read in a
loud voice. AS he did so a loud wall
came from the house. He stopped read
ing, and all turned their faces toward it.
"Oh DEAR" they heard distinctly, in a
shrill, weak, womanish voice, with an un-
natural strain on it-"oh dear! oh dear
me! Dear me! dear me! dear mew Then
followed loud hysterical sobs; then the
voice kept on: "Oh, father, what made
leave me? l want fit to be left alone.
Oh, father! oh, mother! oh, Luciny!
,ain't got anybody-l 'ain't, not any body.
oh dear! oh dear me! dear mel"
.! heard she took on awfully bout it,"
said the auctioneer.
swell, you might as we'll go on" said
the lawyer; ''duty has to be performed,
no matter how unpleasant"
"That's so," assented the auctioneer.
Then he proceeded, trying, to drown out
dicfr p,.tn Ia c,,I
utterauce. But the cries rang through and
above it always. He kept on smilingly;
it was the lawyer who grew impatient.
"Gracious sakes," cried he, "can't some-
thing he done to stop that woman? Why
II guess her brothers. wife is in thar
with her; / thought see her at the win
dow minute ago." said the auctioneer,
coming down from his high hill of decla-
nation. -..r..l-, 4f...
swell, go on quickly, and have done
with IT," said the lawyer. "This is aw-
full" tll I'M = ''.t
The man at the cherry tree kept clinch-
ing his hands, but he said nothing. The
statement of the conditions of the sale,
then the bidding began. That was soon
over, since there were only two bidders.
The old man, who held the mortgage,
which had been foreclosed, bid with nerv-
GUS promptness the exact amount of his
claim. Then the man at the cherry tree
made bid of a few dollars more, and he
was pronounced the purchaser.
"Going, going-7gone" said the auction
eer, ITO William Havers." lf ffH
William Havers fingered about his new
estate until the others had departed, which
they did as soon as the necessary arrange
ments were completed. They wanted to
be out Of hearing of those sad cries and
complaints. Havers strolled out to the
road them. When he saw them fairly
started, he went swiftly back to the house,
He Knocked cautiously. Directly the
cries broke out louder and shriller.
'.Theey've come to order me out. Oh dear! !!
order me out.-they hev, they hevw
Steps approached the door swiftly; it
opened and woman appeared. She
looked pale and troubled, but she was not
the one in such bitter distress, for the
cries still sounded from the interior of the
house. IHtt t..l U.|
"How do you do, Mr.. Havers?" said the
woman, with grave formality.
Scan / see her minutes" he asked,
"ElsieY dom know. She's takin' on
dreadiully. She amt At to see any body.
I'm afraid she wouldn't"
"lf she'd only see me minute. Pve
got gm something m M want to say particular"
Sho disappeared, and directly the voice,
which had been a little more subdued,
waxed louder.
''No, won't see him; won't; can't
Iwon't see anybody. never want to see
anybody gain as long as live. oh dear!
dearw -
SIT amt any use, said the woman, COM
ing back. "She amt tit to see any body (;
she's 'most crazy. She don't know what
she's sayin', any how"
''Then you tell her-you go right In an
tell her now-she kin stay here. 1t don't
make any odds about my buyin' the place;
Iwon't live here. She kin keep right on
stayin' here jest the same"
A door opened suddenly, and another
woman appeared. She was pitiful
sight. She had little slim, bony figure
which seemed to tremble In every joint.
Every limo In her small face wavered and
quivered; her blue eyes We're watery and
bloodshot; her skin all blotched and
stained with tears. She was so disflgured
by grief that II was impossible to judge Of
her natural appearance. She would have
been hideous had not her smallness and
frailty In hor distress made her pitsous,