The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1888-11-15

ueptASI tAe veins sLGIL-t5 Cut On hs
forehead as he did so.
Eyes, sir. please" said the woman;
and the courteous Colonel himself got
out to expedite the removal of the bas-
ket, the trumpet and sundry brown
P.p.r parcels which constituted the be-
longings Of their fellow passenger.
The green yelled head bobbed ac-
Acknowledgements the Colonel lifted his
hat like modern Don QulIote, and the
stage, envelopcd in a cloud OF dust,
rolled away toward tho brightness oil
the western sky. The green-veiled pas
sengcr caught up her parcels, sklppol
over the stone site with amazing
alacrity for so apparently feeble per
sonage. and flew like deer across the
wooded soitu les until she came to a
low, red farmh use, and entered a cosy
kitchen, where a middle aged woman
was making black berry pies.
Here's your trumpet all mended,
Aunt Roxana. - said she. And here's
the alpaca dress aad the three yards OF
funnel and the basl~t with the tea and
sugar and spices. What are you going
10 have for suDDcrY
"Spriag chicken,' said Aunt Rox-
anna In the soft, subduel voice peculiar
to deaf people. They're on the but
try shelf, all dressed and reody. Aud
baked po atoos and cacu ate to have
THIN pies ready to 60 into the oven
right off"
"Splendidr' sail Lurana Hopkins.
81 want ono of them. And l must
have the chickens and that loaf Of gin
gerbread."
LIZ, mcr' said Aunt ROxanna. SIS
the girl crazy4'
'It's for the schoolma' am, Aunt Rox
anna" explained Lurana, with her rosy
moath close to the ear trumpet. ''IIer
beau father came up from the train
with me in z .doc Hawley's stage, and
he took me for a deaf woman, because
OF the trumpet, I suppose, and talked
before me to his friend real free. And
he's come out here to surprise the
schoolma'am, and find out whether she
is good housekeeper or not. And II
she isn't, he's gcilg to set himself dead
against the matchI
81 never heard nothing like it in my
life" said Ault r R9xlnna.
And she isn't-you know she isn't2'
said Lurana. "She just lives in half OF
the Widow Skerritts hou,e, and boards
herself on breai and milk. But she is
as sweet as peach, and people can't
have all tho Accomplishment at once"
IN, to bo sure not" sail Aunt
Roxanna, her slow wits following
Luranas rapid speech with considerable
difficulty.
'And she shan't be cheated out of
her lover, not if I can help it." said
Lurana, hurriedly packing the broilers,
neatly wrapped in napkin. into her
basket, and supplcmenting them with a
loaf OF spicy smelling gingerbread, two
IN baked blackberry pieS, pan # bis
cult and glass jar Of honey. "Now. a
little canister of coff,e," she sail ''and
some OF those pickles, aad I believe
that's all. You must hunt up some
thing else for supper"
And once more Lurana sped across
the fclls, crossing q noisy brook on the
perilous span of fallen tree, picking
her way deity through the hummocks
OF swamp, aud reaching the Widow
Slerritt' cottage, while the Blue
Station stage, travelling tho regular
road, was still good mile and a quar-
ter away.
Alice Alden, the district school
teacher. was just putting the last
stitches in a blue checked gingham
gown that she w ,s making when Llrana
rushed in ike hazel eyed whirIwind.
"Quckr r. she cried. "Kiadlo up
the frel Set the taolol Your father
in-law is coming'
"My fathcr-in-law! cried Miss Alden,
aghast.
"Il the stageI' explained Lurana,
breathle.sly. ITO talc you by sur
prise and there's no telling how soon
he will be here"
And then as well as she could, she
explained this unexpected com bin alton
Of circumst noes.
But" reasoned A'ico, 81 do not
wish to deceive any body, cant cook,
| never learned how"
"Fiddlesticks cried Lurana. 'Tl
men will make such geese OF themselves
we may just as well meet them on their
own ground. 1t would b. just as
reaso nablo for you to refuse Victor be-
cause he hasn't learned the bIacksmith's
trade or can't preach a sermon.
Wouldn't 1t now7'
There something in that" .hesitated
Alice.
"Of course there is said Lurana.
1t was o'clock at night when Col.
Jones re joined his friend Richmond t
the Hcmlock Hill hotel. Outside the
whip poor-wiIls sung, the pine woods
exhalcd perfume. Within the Colonel
rei3iced with an exceedirs great joy.