Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1888-01-20

THE RUssETs DID IT.

A late April twilight, with the new
moon just dipping its golden horn be-
hind the maple swamp in the West
We had just come in from foddering the
cattle-"we" sounds rather siDgularly
when you reflect that it meant Kitty
and me, two girls of seventeen and nine
teen but you see there wasn't any one
else to do it. Father had been bedrid-
den ever since that last attack of paraly-
sis, and we could afford to hire no one
to take his place about the farm.
was in great spirits playing with
pussy, who came to meet US with her
plumy tail erect; but Kitty leaned sad
iy against the wooden mantel and looked
into the fire with mournful eyes.
kitty, cried I, at last, "what docs
make you so dullY
ITO. morrow is, the 10th of April, +"
said she, gravely.
"What Of that" | demanded.
Don't you remember? The interest
on the mortgage comes due tomorrow
$50 it does said |, my radiant face
falling faster than the thermometer on
a freezing day "Thirty-iive dollars
And we've nothing to pay it with, ex-
cept the fifteen dollars Laura Osgood
paid for the old melodeon."
perhaps Willis Avery would wait,
suggested Kitty.
l drew myself up slightly.
81 don't choose to ask him to wait, u
said /.
Now it happened that Willis Avery,
who held the mortgage on our home
stead, was the son of neighbor, and
an old fellow and boy-beau of my
own, who had gone to tho prosperous
young city few miles north of us, and
commenced business on his own account,
and | had particular aversion to ask
ing aid or help of him. | might be poor,
but was always proud, and Kitty was
quite sympathetic enough to understand
me.
"But then what are We going to do p
asked Kitty.
| sat down on the hearth rug, with
my chin in my hands, and stared earn
estly at the big cracking back log.
Pussy crept away and nestled down in
corner, as if she knew by instinct that
there was change Of temperature.
'Look here, Kitty" l said, suddenly.
These russell apples we have left
well"
"We can sell them. There are eight
barrels at the least. Eight barrels al
$3.50 a barrel-I will take them tc
Mapleson and sell them"
"You will, Addy 2"
"And why not? Squire Dyson would
charge at least twenty per cent com.
mission, and make favor Of it at that
I can't afford either the price or the
patronage. Don't say anything about il
to father. He would only fret and raise
objections. What must be done must
be. and l am the girl to do it."
"But, Addy, how All this seems &c
perfectly wild and visionary to me-"
"Well, it needn't; for, believe me
it's the most practical thing in the world
all We have TO do is to sort the apples
out in barrels nice and sound-I cor
easily do it by lantern light tonight
and tomorrow morning we'll rise early
harness old Dobbin to the lumber
wagon"
"But how are we to get the heavy
barrels up into the wagon ?"
Goose - cried I laughing, "can't
put the barrels up into the wagon whil'
they're empty, and gil them at M
leisure? And I'll have them sold a
Mapleson before you've got the porl
and cabbage boiling for dinner"
"But where will you go?' asket
Kitty.
20, l know lots of places. wen
once to town with Obadiah Fairweathe
when he sold lot of cheese | have I
pretty good idea of the commission stores
can tell you F."
"After all, Addy," hesitated my con
servative little sister, "it isn't woman
work"
"Why isn't it, should like to know
so long as a woman can do i'll At a
events, a woman must pay her debts
so, if you'll hurry up tea, I'll be off
the barn"
"And what shall we tell papa p
"Oh, he'll think I've gone TO singin
school with the Dyson girls. and | don
think it's Christian duty TO undeceiV
him." answered |.
But Notwithstanding the brave fat