Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1888-01-19
AT bought 'sm of a boy at the door,

"Says 1:
"'No, We didn't, Elecla Bigeard; ye 90,
'erN last night outen old Farmer Hays
side-hill squinch orchard. clus TO the rail-
road, says ], cause seen you and Ruey
a-carryin' the clothes basket between yeu,
and IL was cram jam full O. big yaller
s1uinches.
"And so did. for our COW she got outen
the field and wandered quite a ways down
the railroad, and was hun!in' Of her Iy
moonlight WI en- L seen them from behind
them ere sassafras bushes down by the
track. Wal, you should have seen her turn
redder than the big bell peppers out in the
garden pa.ch.
"'what an if didP' says she. MARY
Hay she give 'em 10 me-
20. says !, that's horse Of another
color, says /.
"But now it appears. with his shaggy.
gray eyebrows slightly elevated, shat We
didn't give 'em to her, hey?"
Mary and her mother looked blankly at
each other. The good father chuckled.
Them ounces was worth So at the very
least, he So d. Il guess, Polly, if was
You, I'd collect the money"
The ladies of the Fund Committee were
at Mrs. Biggards house that afternoon. A
good many faithful and devout sisters
were present, and some of the brotherhood
as well.
Mr.. Mildmay sauntered in toward tea
time and was thanking Zeruiah aud Almira
Biggard for the beautiful jars of preserved
ounces which had found their way to the
rectory, when Mrs. Biggard's shrill voice
sounded above the hum of general dis
course.
"Now that the minister is here there amt
no reason that we shouldn't render in our
accounts" she cackled. "And I'm happy
to say that every lady in the parish has
given something to the Eboe Indian fund
except Miss Mary Hay"
Mr.. Mildmay bit his lip, Zeruiah cast
down her white dashed eyes, AImira gig
gled family.
Ma is so frank spoken, she said.
IL scarcely think" quietly observed Mr..
Mildmay, that there was any necessity for
particularizing in such matter as this"
IL hain't no patience with mean folks"
said Mrs. Biggard, speaking in a stage
aside.
-! But Mary Hay had risen calmly from her
Neither have /, said she. "And SO
propose to subscribe TO the fund the So
which Mrs. Biggard is going to pay me-"
She moved easily and gracefully toward
the lady of the house. and held out her
hand with an air of calm expectancy.
"Me!" cried Mrs. BigRard. "Goin' to
pay You SOL guess that gal is crazyl
What in the world should pay you So for?"
For the ounces" said Mary, enjoying
the sudden panic which turned the matron-
ly, rubicund face to the color of badly
risen dough, "the ounces which you
bought OF us last night and forgot to pay
for"
Mrs. Biggard uttered something-nobody
knew exactly what it was, but the changes
OF her complexion would have reminded one
of the proverbial dying dolphin" as she
drew out her purse and deposited crum-
pied five dollar bill in Miss Hays quietly
extended palm.
I'll confess I've been neglectful," said
she. i s'pose ought to hev attended to it
before"
HsI ~ tnin6 Eafh rsSPvo y9p ought indeed" Miss
Il didn't knows you cared nothin' for
them ounces" mutt red Mrs. Biggard, cor
i wouldn't hev touched em, not on no ac-
count"
"You might at least have paid US the
of asking u.s." said Mary,
curtly.
And she put the five-dollar bill in the
little blue -ribboned collection basket"
which was in Miss Zeruiah Biggard's espe-
cial care.
Mr.. Mildmay walked home with her that
evening. She did not tell him the story of
the ounces, to her credit be it spoken.
Mary Hay was not one to strike fallen
enemy. And perhaps she and Mr.. Mildmay
had pleasanter topics of conversation than
any Of the numerous faults and failings of
Mrs. Biggard.
But honest Luke Larrabee was by no
means 80 reticent. He related the little in
cident of the moonlight raid on the ounce
orchard far and wide.
And them BiRgards is always quotin'
Scrpter texts, said he. And the old lady
sings hymns the loudest of any one in
and Zeruiah is settin' her cap at
the young minister. Id Jest like to see
her face when she hears that Mr.. Mildmay
and Mary Hay is TO be married in the
spring"
But if you want to shut up the old lady's
mouth any time, all you've got to do is to
ask her for her recipe for putin up
ounces"