Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1889-01-09
PARDON'S GOOD LUCK.
How She Proposed For and Sc
cured q Partner.


Philosophers say that there is no such
thing as luck Asa Darwin thought differ
emily.
"My luck, exactly said he, despairing-
ly. II might have known just how it would
be-"
He sat on the old stone porch, staring out
toward the sunset, his chair tipped back on
It's two hind legs, his hands thrust aimless-
ly into his trousers pockets.
1t was cold enough to justify the fire of
beech logs that was blazing On the hearth
in the room inside, where Pardon was tack
ing up the red moreen curtains that she
had just sponged and mended neatly; but
it was not an easy thing for Mr. Darwin
to relinquish the habit of outdoor loung
ing that had clung to him all the summer
through.
"What is it, father?" said Pardon, COM
ing briskly to the door with tack ham,
mer in one hand and paper of tacks in
the other.
"Jones has just gone by" said Mr. Dar-
win. "He says the old cow has got out on
the railroad track again.
Pardon bit her red under lip.
~ told you she would, father" said she,
= if you didn't have those bars repaired
''And she's got run over,' dOlefully added
Darwin. "rm sure l don't know what
we're going to do without cow. We've
always put lot of dependence on our milk.
But l might have expected it. Luck has
been sheer against me ever since John
James died. A man with a house full of
gals can't expect to make no headway in
the world.'
Pardon colored up.
":You didn't expect your girls to mend
the bars, did you, fatherl' asked she, little
bitterly.
q was calculatin' to speak to Tim Par
SONS about gettin' new pair o. posts put
up,' sighed the farmer.
wouldn't it have been a safer way to
put them up yourself, father!"
Il amt as young as l used to be-" said
| Darwin, evasively. g And the rheumatcs
is tWistin' me powerful these first cool
days.
ssThen," said Pardon, with a certain touch
of daughterly authority in her voice, you
should come into the house and not sit
! there, getting chilled through, and then find
| fault with your luckr'
Mr. Darwin slowly rose and shuffied into
the bright little keeping room. where Par
| don had spread neatly braided rug before
the fire, and placed a broken-spouted
pitcher of yellow golden-rod on the table.
| She looked after him with a sigh, half of
impatience, half regret.
''I wish John James had livedr' said Mr..
| Darwin, feebly.
80 do II aSseDted Pardon.
"Ain't supper most ready!' said the
| farmer, looking discontentedly around.
''It will be in a minute said Pardon. 81
had to split the kindlng myself for the
kitchen fire, and Fanny has run to Mrs.
Merritt's for little meal to make some hot
corn bread"
At the same moment Fanny returned-a
slight, overgrown girl of fourteen-breath-
| less with the haste she has made.
"Mrs. Merritt is very sorry" said she,
J "but she hasn't any cornmeal in the house"
''That's enough" said Pardon, glowing
scarlet to the roots of her hair. 81 don't
| blame her for getting tired of lending things
| to.usp
But" added Fanny, "she sends pail of
| Graham -four to make gems. Indeed, in
Iced, Pardon, she's as kind as she can ber'
Pardon laughed Historically.
Pm getting as hard and bitter as sour
persimmon," said She 'Yes, I'm very glad
Of the Graham flour. Father can't make out
MS supper without something hot for rel
| sh. Perhaps some day we can return Mrs
4 Merritt's kindnesses. But oh, Fanny, have
you heard! The red cow got out of the
pasture this afternoon and is killed on the
track"
| Fanny burst into tears.
''Old Pinkyl'' she exclaimed SIS there no
end to our bad lucks'
Pardon stamped her pretty, ill-shod foot
unpatiently on the floor.
| . Luck!' she repeated. Don't use that
| dreadful word / believe father would be
better and happier man to-day if it wasn't
| in the dictionary at all. There isn't any
such thing as luck. It's all bad manage
ment, shiftlessness-the habit of putting
| every thing off until the last moment
And then she cried, too. poor little over
burdened Pardon.
She was tall and slender, with large, gilt
tering hazel eyes, red-brown hair and one
Of those delicate compilations where the sun
lays its touch in the shape of here and there
a cluster of freckles.
Fanny was dark, with Spanish eyes,
fringed with long lashes, and hair as black
and lustrous as jet. Whatever else fate had
denied the Darwin girls, it had been gen.
erous to them in the matter of personal at
tributes.
They made their frugal supper of Graham
gems, very little butter, the weakest
brewing of tea, and no milk at all. and then
Pardon built up the fire, got her father the
last weeks newspaper, which good Mrs
Merritt had sent over with the Graham
-four, and then sat down in the back kitchen
with Fanny to slide up few peaches for
drying.
For we have got to look after things
very close this winter" she said. Father
seems to have no energy at all since John
James died. I am afraid it win end in the
farm being sold to clear of the mortgage y
Fanny opened her big, black eyes.
But we must live somewhere, Pardon,
said She
You and can go out to SERVICE saie
Pardon. "As for father, there is the poor
house''
Fanny uttered wall Of despair
No, no. dear; don't look so distressed ,
said the elder sister. repenting the rash
ness OF her speech. Il don't really mean it
I'm cross, that is all It's hard doing thu
work of hired man, servant girl and house
keeper all IN one. l shall feel better to
morrow after I've had a nights sleep.
haven't got TO get up early and milk pool
old Pink any moRen
E And once again the sisters mingled theil
If father had only mended those bars, /,
said Fanny. 1T was 50 unluclxv--n