Sullivan republican. [volume] (Laporte, Pa.) 1883-1896, 1889-11-29
All's Well That Ends Well
BY HELEN FORREST GRAVES.

"Old folks will be old folks" said
Myra Manton, "and the best plan is to
let 'em have their own way"
'Oh, yes, L know" said Leona, clasp
ing her hands. ''But that old Leghorn
hat, with the crown like stove-pipe and
the front like wash-hands basin! Who
could tolerate that? And everybody
laughs when she comes into church"
''Let 'em laugh shrewdly remarked
Myra. ''I'd be willing folks should
laugh at me if l was worth thirty thousand
dollars and owned the Bliven Mills into
the bargain
Myra Manton was ''hired help" at the
Bliven Farm-a stout New Englander of
fifty summers, with hair cut short, no
visible waist, and swapping black eyes.
Leona was old Mrs Bliven's Mecca
slim girl of eighteen, with balsam-pink
complexion, dreamy gray eyes, and teeth
white and even as small pearls.
In the eyes of James Bliven, the old
ladys son, Leona was fairest of all created
beings. Even AIyra Manton allowed
''that she was sorter nice to look att" As
for Mrs. Bliven herself, she expressed no
opinion whatever; Mrs. Bliven was not
person who talked much.
"She's come to make me visit, said
Mrs. Bliven one day to Myra. 81 sup
pose, if she suits me, shall ask her to
stay for good and all"
''If you don't, l suppose Jim will,
said Myra, with shrewd twinkle of her
eyes.
Gas it happens, I'm the mistress of
this house, said Mrs. Blivcn. "Well,
we'll see how she suits. "
And neither Myra the solid, nor Leona
the sylphhke, knew, as they sat on the
sunshiny doorstep, slicing great, red
hearted peaches to dry for winter use,
that Mrs. Bliven, from the garrett window
above, where she was looking over her
paii' VI Sdi IICt-ldSSs COultt uloNlHCtiy Ht'tl
every word they uttered.
"Myra," said Leona, as she replenished
her pan from the great bushel basket,
''Im going to tell you something"
"Tell ahead!" succinctly retorted
Myra.
'I've got such an ideal"
'tWhat is it2'
''Well, one of my schoolmates at Han
over Hall had grandmother. And her
grandmother had just such Noah's Ark
of bonnet as Aunt Bliven"
"Humphl" said Myra, peeling dill
gently away.
''And she and her sister took pair of
big shears and shipped it up into little
bits and made the grandmother believe
that the rats did it."
''Must have been credulous old cree
tur," observed Myra.
ooh, no; but it was really such neat
job Don't you think, Myra, we might
dispose of the old Leghorn hat in some
such way?"
"No, DON'T" said Myra, spearing a
peach on the end of her knife and begin
ming artistically to remove its pink-velve
jacket.
Leona sighed, and went on with hei
work. Myra Manton paused to call he
frolicsome little terrier off from a brood
of half-grown turkey poults who wer
foraging around the barn door.
81 do wish, she said, CURLY, "tha
Cappen John Jackson hadn't sent me tina
plaguey beast to take care on till he com
back from that voyage to Fayal. II ht
hurts any of the fowls, | expect Mrs
Bliven'll murder me-"
"Myra,' said Leona, tare you reall
engaged to Captain John Jackson"
sect out" said Myra, with a sheepis
smile. ~ dunno whether be or not y
The next day Leona came into he
aunt's room with Il pretty black-and
white straw bonnet, trimmed with j