Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1890-08-14
NV Most Intimate Friend.

stood as they are now, so it was not
thought probable that any one in our
neighborhood would be warranted in
undertaking expense in an attempt to
bore for oil. Spectators were not
ready then to take upon themselves the
expense of boring, and my father did
not feel able to undertlke it. So lie
had toiied on, trying to be content
with. making both ends meet from what
he codld wrest from the soil above.
Ny gra' dfather owned quite tract
Of land on one side of the highway
running through the little country vii
lage of P, and the father of my
most intimate friend owned an equal
ly large tract adjoining us.
We had formerly lived just over the
line in New York, and my principal
objection, when father decided to re-
move to grandfather's, was that /
should have to leave my most intimate
friend behind me; but there was no
help for it, and l had managed not
only to survive it, but to find another
friend whom | thought more nearly
| perfect than any one who ha | gone be-
fore, for / had had several intimates
in the course of my fifteen years.
"Betty, poor girl, is addicted to in
innate friends" was a frequent saying
of my oldest brother, Albert-as if
they were kind of intoxicant | was
unable to resist.
Such remarks never failed to send
me to Abigail Potter for sympathy.
which always received. We were
inseparable, and when father once
spoke of returning to our old home, /
was the most violent opponent of the
plan. | could not leave Abigail!
'.You'Il get enough of Abigail some
day." said Aunt Kate.
eyes," said grandmother. sHer
tongue is hung in the middle, an wags
both ways"
"You should not be so Intimate with
any girl" mother added. "You ought
to learn that if you can't keep your
own secrets, no one will keep them
for you"
Now really did not tell Abigail
everything | knew, though Unjust con
fess that | came very near it; but !
reasoned that it was natural to like to
talk, and to have some sympathetic
person to talk to. OF course we must
have something to talk about,so where
was the harm, when she was my most
intimate friend?
'sBetty, want you this minute!" ]
heard mother call one morning from
the back door.
"She's hangin' over the front gate
with Abigail" Aunt Kate replied.
So was, but | hastened to the back
yard where mother was anxiously Dip
ping her skcin Of rags up and down in
the big dye kettle.
"Just keep stirring them so the dye
won't settle, while | get out your
fathers seed corn" she. said.
was absently poking the rags when
mothers voice floated down to me
from the attic window she had just
raised.
$50 the prospector has decided to do
it, has he?"
"Yes," father replied. "He'll begin
by the 14th. He's coming the Thurs
day afore to bind the bargain and
make a payment"
"Then we can get it here by Tues
day." mother asked, eagerly.
"No reason why not" said father.
az hope so. should be disappoint-
ed if it couldn't be done by the 18th
but the roads are bad.n
swell, it can be hauled six miles,
good or bad, less the bottom of 'en
falls clean out" father ended, with q
chuckle.
had not been especially interested
| in the conversation until mother re-
ferred to the 18th. Tuesday. the 12th
was Try birthday, and it flashed upon
me that ''ir' must be something for
me. followed uo my discovery with
such conclusive arguments in nv mind
that in less than a minute | was fully
convinced that "it'' certainly must be
plano-something had long wished
for, and which no one in the neiohbor.
hood possessed l became all ears al
once, as father went on: "Don't lei
Betty get an inkling of it,"
"She hasn't the first suspicion of it,
1t will be a complete surprise"
You know she couldn't keep it to
herself two minutes he continued.
"The Potters would hear of it in Iess'n
no time"
"Wcll, they won't.n mother assert
ed, shutting down the window, and in
few moments she was back by my
side.
ssDear me, BettyI Where are your
wits?" she exclaimed. In my excite
ment over what had Heard, | just
then gave the rags such vigorous
poke that the dye ovcrfowed, and a
cloud Of ashes rose above the kettle.
Here, Betty, give me that poker.
and you go take tIiose five dozen eggs
up TO the store. Eggs are shilling
now. That'll come to sixty-two cents