Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1889-10-18
ELFRIDA'S PLACE.

dahlias along the garden walk were
blossoming in gan ly profusion.
'1ts the fist year, said Mrs. Gal
way, 'that haven't been able to hell
EN- barrel up the red sweets and th'
ya.lcr pippins. An I'm helpless will
the rheumatics. o., dear, dear, t.
think it should come to thisl What
that noisel Il bet carroway seed It'll
the cat among the milk-pansl And it,
time the kettle was over for tea, ans
Sarah Soper's forgot to come and SEQ t.
itw
She looked piteously up at the clock
but just as she was about to lift up he
voice in shrill summons, a footste
creaked heavily on the doorstep.
'1t's me, said Sarah S,por, gray
haired, arp-feature spinster VIII
lived in the house whose yellow gabl
end was just visible through the maple
trees beyond. 'I'm a little late, o.
account o stoppin' to buy paper Q
hair pins and two cards O. buttons of
peddler that came along"
81 thought you never was coming
said Mrs. Galway, ctu' antly.
Sarah looked sharply at her.
81 tell you what, Mrs. Galway" sal,
she, "you made a great mistake vile
You set your face against z.nas' mar
ryin' that pretty factory girl two yea
ago! If you'd a nice stirrin' daughter
in-law, now
'Instead of depending upon othc
folks 10 come and hep mo-ycs," sal,
Mrs. Galway. I'm beginning to thin
SO myself. But if you haven't noth1
letter to do, Sarah soper, than TO is'
mind people Of their short comings'
you'd better go back home again.
And ihcro WASH t nothn' agains
Fanny Walters as ever l hecrd on. re
tiectively went on Sarah S,per. rs sh
set a match to the shav.ngs and kindlin
wood in the cooking stove, Except he
good looks. Yes, Almira Galway, yo
made a mistake there. Zenas ain
never been the same man since"
Mrs. Galway moved uneasily in he
chair.
"Wherc is Zcuas, anyhowl" ques
toned the merciless catechist, as sh
settled the shining tin teakettlo in il
place, and slid the hampers to let tn
smoke go up the chimney.
"Gone to town." curtly answered
Mrs. Galway.
'Eh-what for7"
ITO get hired girl"
Sarah Soper opened her mouth anc
eyes.
"Wel', never" said she. "Yo,
J. eeo]ue TO that--y'6tjdf, . as always said
nothin' would induce you TO keep
girlT
THAT was before l had the imfiam
matory rheumatism, sighed Mrs. Gal
way. There amt no law agains
folks changing their minds, as 1 know
on. l can't be dependent on neighbori
all the time"
Miss Soper chuckled softly.
THE idee of of Zenas Galway in one
o them intelligence officesl' said she.
81 would like to be hid away and
hear how he manages it'll
al guess zenas can manage as vel
as anybOdyI' sharply retorted Mrs.
Galway.
But she was nettled, nevertheless, and
more than once while Sarah Soper was
cutting the bread, bringing the butter
from down cellar and opening jar Of
preserved blackberries for tea, she said
to herself:
"a most wish hadn't made such a
fuss over Zenas' notion for Fanny Wal
tersl"
While these domestic preparations
were going on in the Galway farmhouse,
Zenas, the son and heir of the estab.
lishment, was sitting, in a despairing
attitude, on hard, unpaintel settee In
Mr. Cummings Headquarters for d.,
nestle Aid, interviewing a long sue.
cession of hopeless incapables, of differ
ent ages and nationalities.
Pretty hard TO suit, amt youG' said
Mr.. Cummings, lifting his spectacIed
eyes above the line of his ledger at last.
ats no uso," said Galway, in a de-
jected way. az don't think my mother
would have one of these women in the
house"
"Well, look here" said Mr.. Cum
mings, 'here's a gal just come in.
Meb0e You can come TO terms with
her"
"But," spoke soft voice, 81 want
ed place as companion"
"Well, this is place as companion"
said Mr.. Cummings, doggedIy, .'to an
old lady up country-only she'll expect
you to do the housework.
A silence followed; apparently the
candidate was considering.
"YOu'ye been comm arter this com