The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1889-07-31
on, the growing twinge confirmed her

on, the growing twinge confirmed her
fear.
Hitty looked about helplessly. Thert
was neat white house near by; and as
she stood obviously regardingit it, woman
In a calico dress and apron came out of it.
81 seen you from the window" she
called out, cheerfully. "Hurt your foot,
hain't youl Jest wait till git to you"
She gave her an arm to lean on, and
they got into the house, rather slowly.
Hitty told her, as they went, as much of
the story as seemed necessary.
"Well," said the woman, Hospitality,
call you've got to do is jest to wait here
till somebody comes along back and takes
you in-that won't be till afternoon,
faint likely. We hain't any team, OF
I'd take you myself. No, l hain't going
to Upton. Don't care a cent about their
doings, whatever they be. Oh, I can
keep you jest as well as not-you needn't
say a word!"
"You're awful goodn said Hitty,
gratefully.
But she was in the lowest possible
spirits. She was thinking of Phil-Phil,
working away all alone, in the orchard
or the potato-ield, firm in the belief that
she was in Upton, enjoying herself.
She half forgot her ankle, though il
forced itself upon her sharply now and
then; she worried about Phil.
Nobody could have been kinder than
her impromptu hostess. She pulled the
big rocker close to the fire and put Hitty
into it, and bustled about in the kitchen
over the dinner, coming in frequently to
speak friendly word to her guest.
A lank man in a working blouse came
in at dinner time, and added his powers
of entertainment to those of his wife.
Hitty said yes and no, and laughed
when occasion required; but a vision of
Phil, eating his cold beef and potatoes,
lonesomely, from the cupboard shelf, kept
rising before her, dampening her enjoy
ment and spelling her appetite.
"Well, now, " said her hostess, ,encourag-
ingky, as she put away the last dinner
dish, and brought her chair and her
knitting to the fire, 81 guess it won't be
a great while till somebody comes along.
You want to have your foot tended to
jest as soon as you git home. l know
what a sprained ankle is; guess you won't
be able to help your ma much for one
while. Married2 Well, 1 declare! |
shouldn't ha' thought it-a little slip like
you!"
She talked on pleasantly, turning now
and then to look out of the window for
a home-bound vehicle.
Hitty watched, too, anxiously.
"Therel' ~ she cried at last, interrupting
her entertainer in an account of the re-
markable symptoms and sudden death of
her husbands sister-in-law by his first
wife.
She got up and limped hastily to the
window, and gave little gasp of aston
ishment and delight.
"Why, it's Phil2" she said.
The driver, catching sight of her,
stopped his horse and stared at her.
"She's sprained her ankle" said her
hostess, speaking loudly, over her shoulder
"and she'd take it as a great favor if
you'd Jest give her lift home. No, no''
she interrupted Hitty's thanks, good
naturedly-'I hain't done nothing to
speak of, childG When you get out this
way, hope you'll drop in and"
She paused abruptly, regarding with
astonishment the young driver, who had
come up the walk with long strides,
seized the girl in his arms as she started
to limp down the steps, and carried her
out to his buggy.
Hitty clung to Phil's arm with tender
closeness, as they drove away, and poured
her unhappy little history into his eager
ears.
81 was hurying just as fast as
COULD she said, vehemently. sit was q
mean, bad thing to go at all, when you
couldn't-poor old boy! never will dc
such a horrid thing again"
"There amt going to have you take
all the blame" Phil interrupted. "You
hain't asked how l happened out here.
Well, / got to thinking that mebbe I'd
ben crosser'n needed to be about it. Sc
l Just hitched up and pointed for Upton
any when l couldn't find you anywhere,
nor the Patchins either, in all the rum
pus, l come back home feeling pretty
blue, tell you. No, sir; it didn't pay,
that little disagreement didn't. We won't
have no more, Hitty-that's all.
Old Mrs. Pierce standing at her win
dow saw them drive in at their gate,
laughing and chatting in unrestrained
gaiety.
Il suppose I must ha' been mistaken
about that little tiff O. their'n,' she said
to Miss Gardner, some time afterward.
Il guess they didn't hev none; s'pose
my old eyes and ears must ha' ben play
in me a trick. They seem to git along
wonderful well together. They're about
the peacefullest couple l ever did see.
Black eyes and red hair don't seem tc
make no difference-for once
Value Of the Once DeSpised Cotton Seed,