The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-05-30


We stay to tea? 1t must be bout ready. u
But Mrs. Gibbons declined the invita-
ton somewhat stif1y and went on her
way.
When Uncle Peter went into the
house he noted an unusually severe
look on Rindy's always grim face, while
Becky looked reproachfully toward
him. His son William, who lived in
the village, happened to come in mo-
ment later and was soon followed by mis-
married daughter, Mrs. Gibson Down
ing.
Uncle Peter heard them whispering
together as he stepped into his own lit
tie room for scrap of paper to "fgger
some on" He had noticed peculiar
GOODNESS toward him on the part of all
of them, and now he stepped to the
door and said:
"What's goin' on here that all of ye
act so? Your cid pa hurt your feelings
some way?"
Miss Dorinda, after waiting a mo-
1nent for some of the others to speak,
said coldly:
eyes, you have done, or are going to
do, something we can't help disliking,
if all reports are true"
eye don't say?" said Uncle Peter, the
smile still on his face. swell, what IS
it? Out with it an see if your pa can't
clear his skirts of any thing SO very
heenyous."
Miss Dorinda came out with it fatty:
Its the talk of the village and the
whole country that you're going to mar
ry the Wilder Newton!"
Uncle Peter dropped into his old
splint-bottomed rocking chair, his arms
hanging Imply by his side and an ex-
preston of wide-eyed and open-mouthed
amazem ent on his round, red face His
whole manner proved his entire inno-
cence of ever having even thought of
such matrimonial contamination.
''Me" he gasped, staring blanl y first
at one and then the other of his four &C
cusers as they stood before him. "Me-
marry-the- Widder-Newton? Me, Pc
ter P. Pillsberry, a-goin' to marry
Calisty Newton?"
cts in every body's mouth" said
Mrs. Gibson Downing. "They say you
stop at her home half an hour at time
every day." said Dcrinda.
go, pal" cried Miss Becky. The son
said nothing, but looked volumes.
Uncle Peter stared at II of them for
moment and then said:
"You're hollerin' fore you're hurt
children; that's what you're a-doin'; Mis-
Newton amt no more idee O marryin'
me thar she has O marryin' the man in
the moon. | amt never mentioned mar
riage talk to her nor to no other woman
on top O. the earth, but you're dead an
gone ma, an she amt on top O. the
earth now"
The fears of the children were at
once allayed, for they knew their IA
ther to be an absolutely truthful man.
Their faces frightened as he rose and
turned to leave the room, and they
didn't mind it much when he stopped at
the door and said, sternly:
''But don't you try to dictate to me,
children; don't you ever try that agin."
The injured look left his face soon
after he reached the stable and began
rubbing old Bally down. He chuckled
as he rubbed and patted the old horse.
"Me marry Calisty," he said to him.
self. "Well, I'd like to know who in
creation started that pack O lies to
goin'. Old Hat Gibbons, I'll be boundl
Calisty wouldn't have me if 1 asked
her. bet she wouldn't. The idee of itv'
The Widow Newton was at that mo-
mentgreatly perplexed and discouraged.
She was neat, comely woman Of fifty,
and she lived alone in a cozy little old
brown house with few acres of ground
around it. Her four married sons and
daughters lived in homes of their own
near by. Each of them had in turn in
vited and urged their mother to come
and live with them, but she had persist
emily refused, although she was gentle,
mild-faced woman of somewhat WELD
ing spirit.
81 want home of my own" she
would say; "Ive been mistress of
home, such as tits, for more'n thirty
years and I'd never be satisfied to have
home somebody else was mistress Of
Here l can do as please and there's no
body to say me nay. If 1 want batter
cakes for breakfast or riz biscuits for
tea, has them, an may be wouldn't in
somebody else's house. It's lonesome
sometimes, I'll allow, but there's worse
feelings than lonesomeness. ANYHOW,
I've got plenty to live comfortable on,
and that's good deal to be thankful
for"
When her husband had died three
years before the time our story begins,
he had in his will left his wife his en-.
tire possessions with the exception of
small requests to each Of his children,
who had felt themselves greatly ag-
grieved thereby, although they We're all
in very comfortable circumstances.
Mrs Newton was sitting by her ia
vorite window in her favorite rocking
chair sewing carpet rags when her
daughter, Mrs. Lucinda Evans, came in
somewhat hurriedly followed by an
other daughter, Mrs. Betty Higgins.
La! girls" said their mother, in
surprised tone; "Pd no idee of seeing
either of you on Tuesday and it your
regular ironing day. Set down."
81 amt got time" replied Betty,
coldly, 81 just run over to find out if
this story about you and old Pete
Pillsberry is true"
1natS just what 1 come fOr,' said
Lucinda Evans. Il come by brother
Henry's home, and sister Hetty was
there and they're waiting for me to
come back and tell them what you say.
Is it true, ma, that you and old Peter
are going to be married?"
Mrs. Newton gave shrill little
scream and threw up both hands while
her ball of rags fell to the floor and
rolled across the room leaving line of
green and red and blue behind it.