The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-02-19


fur her2 b'iieve she a settin' thar-'ud
wuz erbout hyur." The Parson placed himself
on the identical spot, and one might have fan
cied he still saw some lingering sign OF Arizony's
long vanished presence Hit wuz way over
yonder, by the bed, she finally told me yes;
md thars whur / Rugged nd kissed 'er when old
Farmer comd in ma caught 1 wuz plum
skeerd. bit the old man. he unly larfed. Old
Farmer tux ter me, he did, nd ne natally hated
Nose. Nd then-'nd then" the Parsons
tones, after all these years. shook little, ''the
very mex night bittwo, after that, she rund off
long o. Nose Adkins. md hain't seer or heerd
of 'er twell that thar letter. Hit air strange ez
Nose didn't write It,"
He now stood Observation-Disclosures the
very spot where, quarter of century before.
he had told his love. For the time the usually
self controlled preacher had vanishsd-there was
only a sad-faced elderly man, gently grleving
over what might have been aud was not.
A noise of falling draw bars" outside inter
rupted his revere. Then steps, that sounded
timid and hesitating, came across the YARD, the
door slowly opened and faded. worn-looking
woman stood peerine within. The Parson was
behind a corner of the fireplace: she did not at
first see him. She looked fearfully around, as
though dreading some unwonted appearance,
and closed the door behind her witho ut turning.
This rendered the Parson visible as he stood
wondering, and a well-worn satchel dropped
from her hands she again grasped the door
latch in alarm. He at once came forward
Il reckin yore stranger erbout hyur,"- he
said. "What kin do fur YET?
The woman, after another rapid glance around,
replied:
Il thought this-isnt this the old Farmer
houseT
TO be shore-w'at thur air left of it. We'uns
hev ben patchin' it up leetle fer Nose Adj
kins and his wife, but must low nit amt hard
~ wuth the trubie"
Hit air all hev lef now with comm to-"
she said, with a weary sigh, and-as her face
turned sideways, while the window light sharp
ened profile, fair indeed yet sorely accentu-
ated by time and sufferng-the Parsons heart
gave great throb; lump after lump rose in his
throat, blocking his uttsrance for q moment.
Then he half whispered
'Arizony!"
The woman regarded him intently and a wan
smile parted her lips as she said
us that you-Lem kimbroP
"Whars MoseW inquired the Parson. feeling
incapable of adequately expressing his sense of
the forlornness of her arrival and looks.
Nose died three yur 'er more back. Didn't
you ali hyur on itp'
How could we when you'uns never writ
nuthin'."
II tole 'em ter write; bit ez I never get no
me nd Nose lef hynr, nd 1 wndn' write no
more 'tweil-twell had ter"
''Weuns didn' git no letter ez Iriccerlck on"
he replied, "'twell ye writ tother day"
So this was Arizony-worn, faded, homeless,
and alone-drven, doubtless by necessity rather
than inclination, back to the home OF her child
hood Had Parson kimbro felt that the past
still owed him satisfaction, he might have
smiled at the slow revenge of time. As it was,
a deep sense of pity was sheathing his heart
from selfish retrospection; and in contrasting
what she had been with what she was now. his
kindly bosom stirred with strange yearnings-
not SO much loverlike those Of a parent for
prodfgal child.
: He had thought to behold her ride up-still
blooming and buxom-with Mose-who would
doubtless be we'll preserved and prosperous
both OF them her ,no oser RI ,h with good
He had dwell upon their return being
moro bright and dramatic than their
fight had been dark and semi-tragic Chooga-
loo would applaud, and all he filled with
cheering gossip of their strange career-ending
gloomily where it had gloriously begun-at old
farmers who had 'cussed" Nose often enough
old Farmer dead, else might he renew his
curses in the light of prophetic fulfllment.
II see," she said. after a somewhat oppressive
silence, 'that you'uns did fix up leetle for me-
/ all'ays kuowd ye he'd kind heart Lem, md
that hoped me up ter send that thar letter. 1
didn't know nary soul yelse ter trouble 'cepn'
YOU"
"Wal, wal, Arizopy," the Parson recovered
his severe balance. with effort, that wuz all
right We-that is, wernt able ter do much.
An ole bachler ike mo vain fttin ter do much
in the way of house fxin. But such ez hit is"
he hesitated. yet resolved then and there that
Arizony should keep those few things though
he had to secretly buy those not his own.
''Ahemi such ez hit is"
IND We never married, then" she said sadly.
mo. Arizony; 1 TUX ter preachin' md some
how didn't keer ter. Margin md sarvn the
Lord didn' seem ter work together fer me after
you left. Not bit wat you did right, tho. in
takin' the man of yore own chico. hopes Nose
II dunno--I reckin he tried to be-for a
while-bit-Tm master tired Lem-see ms like
I'll halter sit down"
She sank into a chair, while the Parson sud-
denly remembered that she might be hungry.
''Thats right" he said, res yourself Bit
md 'memmbr. yore In yore own house now. I'll
sem Pack over with some dinner, md the
women folks II be comm in when they hyur
ycre hyur. Yore hahn furgot Pack, hev we,
Arizony?"
MY poor brother! Whose ben keerin' fer
ALL nc
He made out ter stay long O. me after yore
pap died"
.Ah, me! Lem Kimbro yo've ben hsapin'
Goals of fire on my sinful head fur yurs md
never know'd
The Parson got out of the house hurriedlv, to
prevent an open exposure of what he feared
sat motionless for long while her face kind
ling with gentle color, then slowly whitening
vnti 1t remained as though carved in marble
When Choogaloo found out the real facts con-
corning AriZonyS return, the general verdict
was that time had served her right There
were few symDathizers, but gossip is proverbi-
ally heartless when her victims return upon
Fortunes reluctant hands, beggared and for
Iorn.
Arizony. however. quietly settled down, went
nowhere and by the Parsons tact much of her
real restitution was yelled from the public eye.
TO his resolve. the household goods
not his own--he bought somehow from their
owners. encouraging vague differences that he
was using Arizonys money, then settled with
his conscience as best re could thereafter. She
must have understood. yet she shrank from
noticing it otherwise than by kind of piteons
forbearance of words when he was present,
which her mournful eyes, following him about,
seemed to protest against, as though making
plain that she knew and was thankful, yet dared
not shock him by more ELUSIVE show of graft
tude.
Pack stayed with her now, and during the
Parsons frequent periods of absence the two
his household affairs and kept him
tidier and more comfortable than ever Pack
accepted his long lost sister like any other
pleasing fact projecting itself into his existence
AS matter to be srinned at, jabbered over
and otherwise acceptable
.Wuz Nose good ter ye7" Parson Kimbro had
asked at various times, but Arizony would usu-
ally return some evasive answer One morning
when she was washing down by the spring be-
tween their two houses. he noticed a long scar
above her elbow.
How did that git thar2' he asked, slightly
shocked at such sign Arizonys once plump
arm. now so spare and brown.
Il dunno-seems ike hit hev always ben
thar" she said regarding him pensively.