Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1888-12-27

into a basket by the south wall of the
cottage garden?"
kind o. slim and talip"
"Yos."
blue eyes. and hair as shiny as
satin?"
Yes"
"And little white parasol, lined
with pink"
Yes"
Reckon likely it was" said
lothian.
But" persisted the puzzled land
owner, "she doesn't look at all like a
widow"
There's rs much difference in wild
ows as there is in other folks" OBJ
served lothian, dryly.
Mr.. Wiggleton was silent for min
ute or two.
"Jotham!" he finally said.
well"
Has she sent to borrow anythinge"
sent yesterday forenoon-asked if
we had Il acrcw-driver to lend-the
hinge was comm loose on the garden
gate"
And what did you tell herp"
Said my order was contrarywise to
lendin' or borrowin'."
lothian, you are fool"
"'Tain't the first time you've said SO,
and faint the first time you've been
wrong said lothian, with calmness
OF demeanor that was beautiful to be-
hold. Hard words is considered in
the wages, and ] amt the man to find
fault, only did as you told me-"
Yes. but, lothian mind
the noXt time she sends, let her have
whatever she wants"
Said somethin' about wantin' a
man to come and hoe them early pota-
toes. BE to go3"
''Certainly-of course. Neighbors
should act like neighbors, especially
in the country"
And Mr.. Wiggleton sighed and
wished that he was not too corpulcnt
nnd unused to labor to hoe the Widow
Palmleafs early potatoes himself.
But he did the next best thing; he
went over TO look at the field after
lothian had hoed it, and gave the
widow good advice concerning certain
rocky uphill bit of sheep-pasture that
belonged to the cottage farm.
I'D lay that down in winter rye, if
We're you, ma'am," said Mr.. Wiggle-
ton.
Il am so much obliged to YOU" said
the widow sweetly, "Since poor dear
Hobart was taken away have no one
to advise me on these subjects"
And Mr.. Wriggleton thought how
soft and pretty her blue eyes were as
she spoke.
"Oh, pshaw!" said lothian, leaning
or the handle Of his hoe, winter rye
amt the sort o. crop for that spot.
Spring wheat's the only thing to grow
there"
Hold your tongue, Jotham," cried
his employer, testify.
"Yes. sir, WILL" said lothian, with
broad grin over Mr.. Wiggleton's
shining bald head.
And about these hyacinth beds,
ma'anl," said the latter, recovering his
oquanimity, I'm come over this even
ing if you will allow me-"
II shall be delighted" interposed
the widow, with smile that showed @
set Of teeth as regular and white as
pearls.
This evening, ma'am," repeated
Mr.. Wiggleton, with bow, land we'll
sketch out diagram. Hyachinths
have to be humored, Mrs. Palmleaf =
80 have always heard" said the
widow.
That evening, after Mr.. Wiggleton
had returned from discussing the mo,
mentous questions of sandy soil, bulb.
ous roots, and crescents and circles, he
found lothian on the front porch con,
tentodly breathing the hower-scented
air.
"A very pretty woman that Mrs
Palmleaf, Jotham," said the employer
not because there was any special con.
geniality of soul between himself and
his Farmland, but because he could
have talked to the gate-posts If lothian
hadn't happened to be there.
We'll, nobody doubts that, as ever
heerd on" said lothian, with his elbows
on his knees, and his face complacently
turned toward the full moon.
"And she can't be over thirty ?"
so should said myself" assentet
lothian.
I'm glad she has taken the cottage
on long lease, Jotham." pursued Mr.
Wiggleton, II like good neighbors.
Most folks Does observed lothian
And he got up, shaking himself like
Newfoundland dog, and went into thu
house, leaving Mr.. Wiggleton to thu
comp1nion$hip of his own cogitations
There are times In which solitude i
said to be the best company; perhap
this was ono Of these special occasions
in the estimation of Mr.. lothian Hard
castle.
The summer went by; the great ma
pie in front OF the Wiggleton mansion
began to glow as II its leaves had beef
dipped in blood and melted gold; tn
asters reared their purple torche
along the stone wall by the cottag
under the bill. and any acute observe
might have perceived that Mrs. Palm
leaf had laid down the rocky bit OF up
hill ground in spring wheat instead Q
wi-ter rye.
.'JothGm!" said Mr.. lyircleton 70 hi