Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1890-04-23
THAT CANTON CHINA.
Why Asa Thought It Incomplete
Without Emma.

not take Emma Smith very long to clear
away her breakfast-table.
''It does seem," said she, speaking
aloud, presumably to the cat, ''as if
grew poorer and poorer every day! l
had little butter with my oatmeal yes
terday. To-day ] haven't any. There's
only handful of potatoes left in the
bin, and four apples and few carrots.
And I've no money. Yes, it's come to
that I've got to sell Aunt Desires old
blue Canton china!"
AS she uttered the words, a moisture
came into her eyes which made the
white crocuses along the garden walk
waver as if high wind had swept over
them.
No one would have believed that EN-
ma Smith had once been the prettiest
girl in Norvalton. Now and then blue
light would sparkle into her eyes,
faint flush of color would rise to her
withered cheeks, which might recall the
days of yore. but these came seldom.
She was dressmaker by trade, but she
had somehow got out of fashion. Peo-
pie looked askance at her Paris plates,
and doubted her ability to hang skirt
or cut ''surplice waist" The dashing
Madame from New York got all the
local custom. And there were times
when Emma heartily wished that she
had accepted Asa Hopper, instead of
jeering at his suit.
She had scarcely packed up the blue
Canton china set, in dilapidated splint
basket, when the sound of creeking
ri III
kins, seated on an aerial perch amid a
bristling array of crockery and tinware,
driving a patient old horse who paid no
sort of attention to shaken reins or be-
laboring whip, came in view. Emma
ran out to intercept her.
Want to buy any thing, Emma?"
Emma Smith shook her head. "Mrs.
Perkins, said she, I'm wantin' to
seU''
/ ''The land! To sell what, Emma?'
Aunt Desires old set O china. Real
Canton. Flown blue. The hull set
perfect, and not a chip nor crack in
it."
What We want for it?'
81 haint no idea what it's wuth, -
sighed Emma. ANY thing it'll bring" "
oval, hand it up here, an I'll dew my
level best for ye," said Old Ma'am Per
kins. I'm goin' down Bedford way,
this trip, and some one may take fancy
to it,
1t was late in the April twilight when
the crockery cart once more stopped at
the door. Emma ran out to greet the
cheerful old woman who sat on it.
WAL" cried Old Ma'am, II sold itr'
did you?" Emma had cherished an
illogical, lingering sort of hope that the
blue china might prove unstable, and
thus come back to her after all.
"And who dye guess bought it? Asa
Hopper, up to the Brook Farm"
ASA Hopper
Folks say he's going to be married. -
said Old Ma'am Perkins. Anyhow, he's
furnished up the house real slick, with
new red store carpet on the bost room.
and new wall paper, and Nottingham
lace curtains. Had property left him
from the Fairfield County Hoppers, -
added Old Ma'am. Says he: Seems
to me that china looks sort O. natural!'
And says i: Il wouldn't wonder if you'd
took tea off it before now. 1t belongs to
Emma Smith, the dressmaker down in
Norvalton,' says l, and she amt SO we'll
off as she was-and she wants to soil it.
Says he: How much II ye take for it?
Says /: Twenty-Five dollars (for I
thought there want no use a-sellin' it
for nothing). Says he: I'll take itr
An here's the money all in gold, in a
shammy leather purse, in the bottom of
my pocket"
And away she drove, chuckling to her
self.
Emma Smith went back into the
dreary room, lighted her candle, and set
herself to work to apportion this unex-
pected windfall to her various debts and
deficiencies; and through it all her
heart was as heavy as lead.
cts nothing to me that Asa Hopper
is going to be married. said she to her
self. Hes real good fellow. and I'm
sure l hope he'll do we'll. But-but /
didn't s'pose he'd have forgot me so
soon-''
And big round tear, like miniature
soap bubble, FLASHED down on the little
heap of gold pieces.
As Miss Emma Smith reached up to
put the money away in cracked tum-
bier, at the back of the dresser shelf,
she saw, standing there, stocky little
cream pitcher with the inevitable
Chinese on the badly fore-shortened
bridge, traced in flowing blue lines on
its apoplectic sides.
''There!" said she, II forgot to send
that cream pitcher with the rest. I'm
sure l don't know how it ever came
here"
Just then there came a knock at the
door. Miss Smith had nearly dropped
the pitcher in the start she gave. She
went to the door. and there stood Asa
Hopper himself,
Good evening, Emmar' said he, Just
exactly as if ten years had not elapsed
since their last meeting.
Good evening, ASA said the dress
maker Il know what you came for.
Sit down.
"You do, eh?'' Asa turned very red
and diligently busted the inside of his
hat with his silk handkerchief.
you've come for that blue pitcher
that belongs to your set. and here it is. .
No, | haint.' said Asa Hopper, pay
ing no heed to the article of household
ware extended to him. I've come for
yoai, Emma"
s.For-me!a
s.Yes, just that" Asa Hopper laid
his hat on the table and put his hand.
kerchief back into his pocket in husi.
Hess-ilke way. Now look here. You're
alone in the worid-so be l. And all
these years since we were young to-
gsther I've been thinkin' Of You and no