Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1888-01-27
A SUDDEN THAW.
BY MARGARET EYTINGE.

AIOZcn ncdrI, IL was OlO AD1Cna Onape
From whence had come the cold waves
that turned it to ice no one in the neigh
5orhood where she lived ever knew.
She had arrived in that nrighborhood
when a woman of about sixty, with three
vans of furniture and daughter The
furniture had been very fine and had
been well kept. The daughter had once
been very pretty, but had not been well
Kept. l mention the furniture first be-
cause old Tabitha Shape held it first in
value. She saw it safely slowed away in
the house before she let herself think
that Ursula might be tired and hungry
Then she turned to her and snapped out
[Dan Lewis, the van driver-he was a
Jolly! looking forty-year- bachelor
heard her, and told his favorite sister of
1t In the evening":
''What are you a-walkin' round lookin'
like ghost for? S'pose you're hankerin'
after sOmethin' to eat. l never want
anythin' to eat when there's work to be
done. 1 never was a slave to creeter
comforts. Git along an feed yourself"
Poor thing said Dan, meaning the
daughter, ''she looked ready to faint.
Pretty woman, too, but awful thin.
felt like fctchin' the old un' regular
smack Those old Turks of women al
Ten years mother and daughter had
lived in the old-fashioned two-story and
q half brick house, of which they only
occupied the basement floor, the rest be-
2ng let to dodgers, when their front at
tic room became vacant, and a bill mott
lying the passersby of the fact was hung
outside the parlOr window. 'ETo a single
gentleman only" the bill had read, but
u rude storm coming along the very
aight it was put out carried the ''single
gentleman" away and left only "a room
go let" And the next morning Ursula
answered the bell to find a little woman
in widows dress standing on the stOop.
Such Il pretty little woman, albeit the
tip of her dainty nose had been tweaked
by bleak November wind-unmannerly
old chap-until it was nearly as red as
her cheeks
''You have a room to let, she began,
when Ursula interrupted her with 'To
. single gentleman only"
g But your bill does not say So" said
the little woman.
Oh, yes it does, asserted Ursula
@' Oh, no it doesn't" said the caller.
Ursula stepped out and looked up at
1" Good gracious :" she exclaimed.
by the wind"
d" Why can't you make believe Imsa
single gentleman 2" asked the small
widow. g No single gentleman could
behave better than l do. And this is
just the location I've been looking for
for long time. Being near the store
for which l make pin cushions and
sachets, L would not have to leave my
little boy"
She got no farther.
"Your little boy !" repeated Ursula
with dilated eyes.
And she stepped inside the door again
and made as though she would close it
at once. But the pretty widow clasped
her hands entreatingly. "Please, please
Get me come into the hall and finish
what was about to say" she begged.
Miss Sharpe opened the door just wide
enough to admit her, saying, in a scared
voice, as she did so: ''There's no use of
your talking any longer. It's not me;
st's my mother. She wouldn't have
woman in the house any more than sh'd
have a-a-camel, and she wouldn't
have child any more than she'd have
whole menagerie. Pm sorry, but indeed
che wouldn't"
pleasant old party" thought the
little widow. But she ''didn't give up
the ship" to speak nautically.
On the contrary she coaxed more
eoaxingly than ever. ''Can't you per
Euade your mother7 Walter is a very
quiet child and will promise she shall
not even hear, let alone see him. Do let
me come. Your face tells me you have
O kind heart, aud | am sure you would
be my friend if you only knew how much
L need a friend. My husbands death
left me alone in this big city. have no
Celatives to whom to look for help, and
and-and-" and here she broke down
atterly and began to cry in heart-rend
way.
That settled it. Ursula's arms were
around her in a moment.
There, there, she said, ''don't CIV
you shall have the room. But listen tc
me, mother must not know it. You
must be sure and keep the child by you,
and when you go out never pass the
basement windows (mother aud | live in
the BASEMENT turn the other way. My
another has not been able to leave her
room since she fell on the ice and broke
aer leg last winter. So perhaps we can
manage it, but if w are found out
won't answer for the consequences, for
my mother is a very-a arbitrary
woman and now goodbye; she'll be
<ondering where I've been all this time. /
7 shall tell her the room is rented. She'll |