New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1889-01-02

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tersely to herself. I amt the heart
to get up an extra dinner on Christ
mas, and half the time I'm SO bad off
/ can t even find anybody to ask to
come in and eat with me. Now ii II
only had that bay window it'd be a.
sight of comply for me Christmas
and all other times / dsett oitall the
time was to home
There was something very pathet-
ic in the half jesting and half sincere
tone in which Miss 'Rindy sometimes
said:
ssI'd like to know what old maids
are born for anyhow They're only
fit for folks to poke fun at, and the
best of folks will do it sometimes.
HereI am, lone and lorne at Christmas
and all holiday times, and not even
a bay window to set in. !"
More pathetic were the low-spoken
words she said one day while 10 king
at the reflection of herself in the little
oval mirror that hung over the old
fashioned bureau in her bedroom.
You ain SO very homely 'Rindy
Pick'rell, . she said, and her eyes were
suspiciously moist as she said it.
You're awful dark complicated, but
your cheeks aih't sunk in any, and
all your teeth are sound and good.
You've hardly gray hair you don't
have to wear spectacles, and you
ain t as Wrinlled as some are atyour
age. Older and uglier wimmen than
you have got married and you
might"
miss 'Rindy sank back in her chair
with both hands held over her Grim
son: face. Sternly she rebuked her
self:
ssShame on you, Rindy Pick'rell, !"
she said in pitiless selfcondemna-
ton. Shame on you to think and
say such things when nobody never
asked you to have 'em yet. For
shame, for shame!"
She was crying softly now with her
Bingham apron to her streaming
eyes.
Are you getting; immo dest, inde-
cent in your old age, 'Rindy Pick
rell ?" she asked harshly. edo you for
git that the Pick 'rells we're all ladies?
And shall you be the first to disgrace
'em by fingin' yourself at the men
like this? You that ain It never even
had a beau-at least not for years
and years; not since that silly OF a
Hiram Murray beaued you home =
Miss 'Rindy was cryingi in dead ear
nest now. The poor little romance
OF her life had seen SO wildly recalled
by the name she had spoken.
In the days Of her early girlhood a
certain Hiram Murray had 1beaued
her home from meetin'' on three dis
tinct occasions. He had sent her avail
tine of paper lace with a red and a
greenheart on it, a golden spear run
ming through both, and a pair Of tur-
tle-doves perched in one corner, and
inside he had committed himself by
writing:
If you love me as love you,
No knife can cut our love in two
And inside the cover he had made
this passionate and unequivocal dec
laration:
~. X. +
81 know a girl and she is sweet,
And Pick rel is her name,
SIS 81 love -! sfom her head to feet,
d share with her my wealth and fame
Miss Rindy had this treasure laid
carefully away along with a, huge
candy heart, the love offering of the
same Hiram, with the words 'Be
Mine on it in gilt letters.
And now they. were but tokens Of
the duplicity and utter deceit of
mankind, for Hiram had for twenty
years been the husband of another,
and nine children called him pap
'sAnd he's poor as mud, = said Miss
'Rindy, suddenly drying her eyes and
sitting erect, "and I'd ruther have
that bay window than Hiram Muir
ray with the nine children throwed
in.'
1t lacked but a month of Christmas
Day and the people of the village
were merry over their little secrets
and surprises to come Their happi-
ness made Miss 'Rindy heavy at
heart as she went from place toplace
plying her needle.
What do you want Santa Claus
to bring you?" asked one of Miss
'Rindy's friends.
s bay wind ow, = was the prompt
and decisive reply. I'D ruther have
a bay window in the sittin room
than di'mond necklace with ev'ry
sdi'mond as big as a hick Try nut. But
I don't expect either If wishes were
horses then beggars might ride" she
added with a tinge of bitterness for
which she keenly reproached herself
a moment later.
Three weeks before Christmas a
strange thing happened at the little
house belonging to Miss Pickerell.
She was thinking about that bay
window. More than that, she had a
pencil and a bit ofpaper in her hand
and had.drawn a diagram of that
very window, when the door
opened suddenly and in came Mr. John
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