The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-08-20
THE OLD SMOKE HOUSE

! line, had stuck to her through al, and
how they lived they best knew. On per
simmons and peanuts some folks said, only
| if you ever tasted persimmons you'll know
no one could live long on them.
! Miss Abbie's mouth was puckered up by
nature, as they do quicker your mouth, I'm
| free to confess, and she must have been 80
and looked old for that.
She was salIow and thin and plain, and
! had no dress to set her off, but she was
very good.
Poor folks, black and white, went to her
in their troable, and if she could not help
! them she got some one else to do SO.
used to think about her looks some
times when she came to the mill with her
! bags Of corn in the wagon, driving an old
| horse that seemed just ablo to hold his
| head up. l was bachelor Of 20. wanted
/ a wife, and lots of tho protty women were
! only pretty on the surface, | knew, and
| bad enough to have the faces of demons,
and here was a sort Of good angel, so kind
and tender and sensible, too, that she
would have made any man happy if she
! had had a face he could have kissed
| She wasn't proud Perhaps she wouldn't
! have refused a miller because he was a
miller.
came from England and bought land
down there, and had money. But it was
Just there-she was too plain. l never
! could make up my mind to ask her. No
one ever had, l suppose.
There were springs near our place where
folks came every summer for their health,
and a big hotel. of course. One summer a
Spanish gentleman stopped there, as hand
some man as l ever saw, think, and
! once when he had taken a long walk and
( lost himself Miss Abbie Garden, driving
along IN her queer guy Of wagon behind
her bareboned horse, offered him a seat
and took him to the hotel.
4 little while after it was plain to all
behOlderS that some one was really court
ing Miss Garden. The handsome Spaniard
used to go up to call on her every evening,
Maum Carline sewing in a corner while he
played his guitar or waiting on them
while they took tea.
We all wished that It had not been that
summer that an old uncle in Texas left
Miss Abbie $4,000. Still, she seemed so
happy and so bright that | used to say to
myself:
Even if the dowry made the match it's
better than a lonely old maids life"
And now that she had money she wore
pretty bOnnets and nice gowns, and looked
quite another figure. The Spaniard was
devoted to her. Senior Josef was his name,
and at last we all knew they would be
married in a week or two We knew, too,
that the legacy was in portable shape and
that they were going to some Spanish
speaking place to live-a place where that
money would be a fortune, for Senior Josef
was not rich, only a teacher of his own
language, making his bread from day to
day.
People learn everything about their
neighbors in & small town, and old Maum
Carline talked and told all she knew.
But one thing I'll say, nobod; was i'll
natured. Every one said that whoever got
Miss Abbie was lucky, plain as she might
be.
There was a wedding in the church one
day and everybody went TO it.
Miss Abbie looked better than l ever
saw her before and the Spaniard very
handsome They Were to stay in the old
house a day or two, and then place it In
Jerry Johnson's hands to lease to any
one who wanted to hire it-any respectable
people who would use it well-and the
senior also had one more lesson to give, q
lesson he had been paid for.
1t was some miles away, and Madame
Williams, who was driving over, was glad
of his company. tie said he would walk
home
1t was not a pleasant walk in any
weather There were so many washouts
on the way, aud it was lonely, too, and
there were bits Of pine woods to cross. and
there were negroes about who were not
pleasant to meet.
But no one thought of any danger to the
senior, and we supposed he had got home
long before the great thunder storm began.
IL was frighg1ul storm. Our barn was
struck and the smoke house on the
Garden place and lots Of trees. and we
were all glad to be under shelter. when at
L O'Clock old Maum CarIine came over to
tell us that Miss AbbIe, as she called her
still. and always did call her. was most
crazy with skeer," for the senior was not
home yet
Oh, that WIS storm! Ny mother
begged me not 20 go out, but in Virginia
men always help a woman If she is in dis
EreSs, and, storning as il was. two or three
of Us mounted and rode 10 Nine. Williams
house.
Mt his pupils door and seen no more of
him.
After that We galloped over TO the pupils
house snd reused the family at half past ?.
She said the senior had gone away in the
early afternoon. bidding them all good by,
and saying that it was, perhaps, forever.
We shouted in tie woods we called
across the washOuts. we rode about a long
while. All the light we had was the light
ming. The thunder rolled and the rain
poured. We mad 10 90 home at last and
tell the senor's wife that he couldn't be
found
But no doubt, I said, he has gone in
somewhere, and is quite safe and VIII be
home all riEl,."
she thanked Us over and over again for
what We had done.
''buL" she sli, i shall never see him
again. dear friends. The only ICING who
ever loved me Is dead. know it,
The house was full OF ladies next day
before sunrise, and we men were searching
for the senior
We old nos find him. though. There
was not place we did not look into. The
cane IN the west woo,,s, The hole unucr
the hill We dragged the river and look
ed into hollow trees, but we never found
him; and pretty soon Maun Ccrline told
Us something that sst Us al thinking.
From the day her mistress had put her
money into paper the senior had carried il
with him IL bel. ne always wore. He
was terribly suspicious II the ezroes. and
said i Wa nor sqSe for hFr "a have -,