Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1888-11-05
Tn the Old Well.

ter Tilda, who sat on the table swing
ing her pretty, shabby little feet to
and fro in perplexed fashion.
Josephine and Matilda-those were
the real names of these brown-faced,
sturdy little lasses who were trying to
battle in the hard, uncompromising
world. Old Mr.. Metz was dead the
Metz farm had passed into other
hands, and all the distant relatives
had made up their minds that Phiney
and Tilda were really no business of
theirs.
There was only ten dollars in the
slender purse which belonged to
their Joint firm, and something, they
felt, must be done. And so their
thoughts reverted to an ancient grand
uncle. one Jedediah Jackson who had
gone to Harperville, and there vege-
tated in dim old jewelry shop, where
he mended watches, replated white
ware, and repaired damaged specta-
cles for all the old gentlemen and la
dies in the neighborhood.
To Uncle Jedediah they went. He
viewed them with lackluster eyes,
with magnifying glass in one hand
and a chamois leather in the other.
"Eh?'' he said. ''My niece Mary s
daughters? It seems to me | do re-
member something about her dying
and there being a lawsuit about the
farm. Father gone too, Ell! Well,
well. this a world of changes.
.sIf YOU could find something for
us to do, Uncle Jedediah," family
began Phiney.
s'There's always something for peo-
pie to do in this world. At least,
that's my experience. Take off your
bonnets, girls. You are welcome to
home here, such as it is, he said.
Uncle Jedediah was kind in an odd
absent-minded way, to his grand
nieces. He obtained a place as shop
GIRL for Phinney, and kept Tilda at
home as housekeeper and general fac
totum-and the fresh, rosy country
GIRLS lost never a shade of bloom in
the quaint city home.
Two leafy trees whispered over the
bow-window where hung the watches
and eyeglasses, and just opposite the
door a singular depression in the
pavement held the light July rains
after they had dried away from the
other places.
.sUncle Jedediah, why don't you
have that place filled up?" said Phin-
ney.
And she looked despairingly at
the little shoe splashed with wet
which she had unguardedly placed in
the treacherous pool.
"My dear, | have, but the pave
ment settles again. It's the site OF
an old well that used to be here long
before the houses were built, ans
wered the old man.
Phinney looked up and down the
quiet elm shaded street. Was 1T pos
sible that farmhouse well once
bubbled up here, that cool plantain-
leaves carpeted the ground, and that
thirsty children came here to drink
cit can't be healthy" said 1llda.
cit amt unhealthy, that ever
found out,"s said Uncle Jededlah
searching among a drawer full of tiny
screws for some desired variety o.
spiral.
The next morning was Sunday
All the simple household slept al
hour or two later on this day of rest
as a general thing, so that the SUI
was shining through the shuttle
cracks of the little shop when Phinne.
came to call her uncle to breakfast t
But to her surprise, the faded mo
reen lounge, upon which he usual.
slept, was empty he sat in an arm
chair near the Pickering gas-light-
which shone so yellow and murky i
contrast with the golden mornin
beams-bending over his work.
ssUncle Jedediah didn't you know
that it was Sunday?" cried Phinney
in dismay.
But Uncle Jedediah did not ans
wer her. He never spoke wor
[ more in the world. He was quit
dead.
| ssEighty-odd years old. Wha
can you expect? People are not Dor
immortal nowadays. And such
nice little business he had. Deal
, dear! there wasn't man near coul
repair watch as he could - said til
a neighbors.
The place, the property, ana d
; were left to his nieces, and it VIZ
quite a windfall, for Uncle Jededia
! had always been an honest, hare
working man.
: sWhat are we to do?" said Tild'
5 ssWe can't carry on the bushes
n of repairing jewelry," said Phinne,,
J. Old Major Deeply suggested th
L the place should be sold. Alderma
Doublechin intimated that the eli
= might perhaps pay fair price #
o. the place as site for hospital. M
u Chippendale offered ten thousand dc
!? lars for the right to transform it in
IS a dry goods emporium.
y But while the girls were conside
ing these various offers strange THU
came to pass. Matilda came dow
$ to breakfast one morning with a tro
. . bled face.
v. ssPhinney. | have had such q di