Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1890-11-22

Won't YOU sit down here iu.the kitchen.n
and the garruious old man.placed a chair
for us on each side Of the mammoth
cooking stove
.Cozy room this said'siary, trying
to put the Captain at hisyease. 'Old-
fashioned brick oven and all Oh,
wouldn't like being hereiabout Thanks
giving time
eyes, miss; this room sigood enough
in its proper sphere to cook in: but when
my first wife was alive thc'whole house
WASH too good to use; and when I got
nome from = long wage, the Village was
alive to the fact by receiving invites to
studding tea party, or something of that
sort
: You don 90 to seasnow, do YOU,
Captainl' ventured to remark
No; and everything issas dead as
door-nal. Even my little sun beam can't
stay here to shine on me. She's gone,
too-my Nina"
nina gone.' We both exclaimed in
breath. Why, we came to call on
her
''Well, you see, she and the old wo-
that is, my present wife-didnt seem to
agree very we'll they spatted all the time.
Now, my Nina, as you both know, young
misses, is as sweet tempered as a south
wind, but she's got spunk, she has-tooK
it from me, you see, isn't responsible, and
she would have her rights; SO she's
|, gone
"Where has she gone, Captain2'
t'To her Aunt Hepsy's, i'll Attlebor.
ough. They've got no children ,,and they
love her, and they'll give her a good
home. But that amt muche comfort to
me, who have home for her as good, as
the best, if she could feel free in it,
which she don't, young misses, being
J like a woodland bird shut up in a cage !"
And the ola man s voice faltered, and
his dim eyes were drowned in unshed
| tears.
Sweet Nina, We all loved her at
school, Captain Smith, . said Mary; "and
We are truly sorry for both her and YOU y
The Captain frightened up.
Everybody loves her, know, except
the old-my wife, I should say, and she
hates her, it seems to me. Now she's
! good enough to me. But love me; love
my dog, is my motto, young misses, and
atween you an me, I've got nice little
secret My neighbors-and Mrs Smith,
lively Young man. I own this house,
and land adjoining, and ten thousand in
secret Mum ) the word young misses,
for Nina's sake, till I'm anchored safe
t'other SIDE
Here the Captain put his forefnger to
his lips, and motioned US to do the same,
! as a silent contract that we would stkeep
mum"
The act was scarcely accomplished
when the back door opened, and in
walked Mrs. Smith, shutting the door be-
hind her with bang
We were duly introduced to tall, thin, !,
keen eyed woman, dressed in sober gray,
and with her hair drawn tightly and
knotted at the back of her neck IN the
smallest aud severest possible shape.
"We came to call on Nina" / an
swered, in reply to her interrogation,
"and are sorry that she is not here"
Mrs Smith eyed us searchingly, as she
hung her quilted hood on the nail in the
corner.
"Well, for my part, I'm glad she's got
some friends, for she's the biggest tor.
ment ever undertook to govern, and
take it I've brought up a few children il
my day, besides managing my first hus
bands prentice boys SO that they darsn'
say their souls were their own"
"We always thought her very sweet
tempAtd," said Mary, land her teachers
loved her and felt badhat parting with
her"
I'm glad to hear it, said the irat'
Mrs. Smith, '.but Ia as lief have abrac'
Of wild cats in my house as to have
Nine Smith. The paElor and SPAR
bedrooms must be opened at any time, ol
, all times, for compe ny-my rose bushe
stripped for the vases-the best chini
! displayed, and can't tell you what all.
$ at was her mothers way the oil
arI- ui V