Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1888-02-02

There was q greenish gloom in the
place, for the curtains were down. but
it could not hide the careful disorder
of every thing. A rag carpet lay in a
neat pile in one corner. four hair-cloth
chairs stood back to back in an orderly
row, and on marble-top table in the
center of the room was a collection OF
small articles with mum bers pasted on
them ready for the auctioneer.
In the tiny kitchen opening out of
the front room a woman stood reach
ing glasses of jelly down from the top
shelf of the closet. > She was somewhat
older than Mary Bell. but her counter
part in every respect, save that there
was a squareness about the lower part
of her face lacking in her sisters.
This black curran' jcll l reckon
Mis- Ames IL buy" she said. placing
some jars on the table. ''She never
he'd no luck doin' up fruit, an her
folks goes a heap on p'sarves. I'd
ruther some un else d get EN-. fer l
never he'd no use fer Mis- Ames; she
wuz Hines, an the Hinses wuz the
o-'countes' folks most ever see"
Mary Bell sighed. "When we ergreed
ter break up an 60 ter boardin'. l bed
no idee that ev' ything d hev ter be sold;
l don't see yit why we couldn't ha' di-
vided EN-"
The other turned on her almost
fiercely. Things er already divided"
she said. sternly; "a house divided
amongst itse'f kin not stand; we hev
Scripture fer tibet. Thcy's only one
bedroom in this house, an we can't
both sleep in it with our idees on VEN
tillation diff rim ez they do; we can't
one of us move out, 'cuz folks d talk
we went over tibet long ago; SO the
on'ies' thing ter do is whut we're goin'
ter do-sell the house an ev'y thing
in it. an each of us go whur she fees
like"
Mary Bells face grew harder as her
sist r spoke; she sat down in stiff
backed wooden rocker with rheumat-
ic jerk. "Thet's one comfort, Ser
eny." she said. with a quivering It one
corner of her mouth; Il want ter go
whur don't hev ter take no orders
off n nobody. an whur l kin 60 ter bed
at night with the winder shet, an no
fear O. burglars er pinch-bugs er ketch-
in cold ter ha'nt me-"
Serena laughed shortly. can gettin'
all sorts o diseases from breathin'
back your own p'isinous breath! Gi'
me open winder the year roun' an
plenty O. fresh air a-streamin' in; but
fer the laws sake don't let's get ter
goin' over tibet ground agin'!' she ex-
claimed, as Mary Bell essayed to speak
You're goin' ter board with Green
Clay Adkins folks, an I'm goin' ter
stop a spell at Cousin Sary Hender-
sons down ter Fra nkfort, an we kin
do ez we please. Let's get to work
now"
you'd better pack these p'sarves in
the settin'-room awhile, May Bell. fer
they'll be passels ter do in the mornin';
the auctioneer'll be hyere at eight
o'clock p'cise."
Mary Bell got up slowly and began
to arrange the glasses in rows on the
high, black mantel-picce; she was ac-
customed to obey Serena, and did not
think of rebelling in small matters.
Fortwenty years. since their mothers
death. the sisters had lived harmo-
niously together; then a book agent
had induced them to buy a book of
hygiene, which he said contained rules
of health which. if followed, would
prolong human life indefinitely. Mary
Bell found nothing of interest in this
volume. but the older sister pored over
it as she had never done over the week.
ly paper or family Bible. and she fol-
lowed its dictates. to the sacrifice of
her own and her sisters comfort.
The book in its crimson binding lay
on the photograph album in the front
room, and seemed to tlaunt itself in
Mary Bells face every time she
brought in new supply of jars.
Whoever buys it Ihope IL get good
Of it." she thought; Il never set
nothin' by it. an amt a-goin' ter
risk my life trifin' with its fool no.
tons ter please no one" Then she
said to Serena: You're goin' ter let
the Home Doctor go long O the rest.
are you Sereny?"
Il amt goiu' ter keep nothin'," de-
clared Serena with emphasis-"not
one thing. thou Oh thar's things hyere
l shell hate ter see go out O. the fam
'ly; hyere's this blue chiny teapot O.
mothers, now-I min we'll the las
time ever she used it! 'Seren.' she
SEE. put the kettle over. an when the
water biles, make me dish O. tea in
the chiny teapot your paw gin me
when We furs went ter house-keepin'
down in Rowan County; eff thar's any
thing l kin put ter my mouth afore
die, it'll be some tea brewed in tibet
pot"
Serena's voice had grown husky. and
the little nervous tremOr ouiyered