Afro-independent. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. ;) 1888-1???, 1888-09-22
OLD MRS. GILTNER.
A Piece of News and How It AT
fected Her.

Though the uneven stones Of the VIII
laee sidewalk were sunken and set
about with wide messy cracks, there
was a certain eongruity In their edges.
as II they were parts Of a long slab OF
rock that had once been laid down the
streets length entire, and then shat
tered by n mighty blow.
An old woman coming up the shady
walk was stepping heedfully over the
streaks n morning rain had lett green
and spongy; she seemed to know every
stone by heart, for she seldom looked
down, her far-sightod gaze stretching
of TO point where the streets near
ing sides met In blue smoke.
She was tall and gaunt; her long face
scantly hung In lean folds OF flesh, her
expression sharply inquiring, from the
abrupt rise OF her shaggy brows at
their inmost ends.
There was "a large bonnet over her
cap OF sheer lawn. whose strings made
a square bow under her clean-marked
chin; two puffy gray curls rounded out
each fallen temple after an ancient
vogue that fell In with the style OF her
straight black gown. It's cape reaching
me waist, It's neck finished with fall
OF large-holed lace.
'I'm gittin' closer m Closer" she
muttered 20 herself as she picked her
footing along, carefully holding her
skirt up In front with flat-hngered
hand In loose-netted mitt; Il oughter
be used to II. / reckon; but II pears
like kin skesly ha'bor the idee o. tibet
climb afore me-"
Presently she came TO stand before
a little house that rose above the street
level by twelve stone steps sunk into a
steep slope OF yard. The house below
had eight steps, the next but one had
four, and the gardens below that lay
flush with the pavement.
Old Mrs. Giltner had once taken 10Y
OF the fact that her house on It's rise Of
ground was so much higher and drier
than its neighbors; but after the grad
ing OF the street her pride had changed
TO mourning, for the process left her
cottage perched ON lofty bank ao-
ecssible by a flight OF steps so upright
that when one stood at the bottom he
could SEQ only the roof of the house
above. peering down ut him with an
inquisitiye wonder something like the
wonted look OF Its mistress.
Mrs. Giltner signed as she shot a
blinking glance up the flight; then
planting upon the lowest stone a foot
In a heelless gaiter with wedges OF
elastic let in the sides. she began the
ascent, forcing her body upward by
pressing both hands above the bent
knee,
As she went on. always the same
foot foremost. like little child al
climbing, she counted the steps ina
kind OF brcathless undertone. olive
ali, six--ah. Thar wuz onse a man
went crazy over once one Is one.
reckon some o those days n find me in
n lunatic 'sylum a-tearin' my hair oul
by the handouts. am a-countin' up "a
twelve an back fer everlastin'. Eve
counted EN- ey'y last time Two elumt
EN- since they VIVA put yere; can /
seem TO hep Is. y
At the top she turned stiftiy. and re
garded the ladder-like passage with
mingled yexation and triumph. Their
she went up side path and let hersol
iilto the house.
The open window of the sitting-roon
was screened with checked blue net
ting, through which the landscape re
vealed itself In squares like count,
map. Sitting hard by, taking the lat
afternoon air with mild oblivion o
the June loneliness without. was !
woman Of years that might lie any
whore between thirty-ive aud City
her face was small, her eyes BLUSH
her dull hair strained back 80 tiQhtl