Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1890-10-31

W iise 10 less direct personal bait.
There were tears twinkling upon her
lashes, and Rudolphus felt himself to be a
deeply dyed william. He had pressed her
hand and her waist, and whispered soft
nothlngs in her ear; if she had not been
so business-like and 50 disappearing of his
way OF life, he would now be lost man.
I'm goin' up to New Bedford to-
morrow, AuriIly," he said. ''Fm goin'
long of some folks that have been sum-
merln' over to the Point I'm goin' to try
to get patent on lamp p-burner that I've
been workin' on. l expect it IL amount to
something. Miss Hobarts uncle is a
patent lawyer; that's-thats why I'm
goin' with her."
And then Rudolphus knew himself to be
blaeker villain than ever But grandma
must be paeified; he must depend on
Aurilly Tor that Office.
81 expect you'd better stay to home;
there's hundred fails where one makes
out with them patent fxin's," said Aurilly.
But her tone was somewhat Modified; per
haps it struck her being too much so, for
she fastened to add: II expect them
patent men won't do nothing for you
'thout you court their nieces. It's sur
prism how handy business does come to
some folks that hain't never been Off the
! capeia
/ 1t was evident that not much of an ally
/ against grandma was TO be looked for in
that quarter. But Rudolphus resolved to
strengthen his fainting courage. To some
extent mis- cause was just; there Uds some
thing in that lamp burner.
He worked away at the finishing touches
all that evening, while Aurilly hooked a
rug in lonely industry beside the living
room fire. and grandma heroically post
! poned the hearing of Aurilly's budget of
| gossip, in the vain hope that Rudolpus was
''courting" Aurilly and her 'proputty."
| He hurried off at noon, with but hasty
explanation to grandma to take the train
at the nearest station.
"He's goin' long of that striped girl" :"
said grandma, sitting up in bed for the first
time in months, with the sparks cleaning
in her little sunken eyes. "'If you'd had a
mite of spunk you'd have hindered him,
Aurilly Cleaves."
Il amt drove so hard for a beau that
I've got to hold on to no man." said Au-
rilly, with dignity. But she furtively
raised her apron to her eyes; and, after a
moment, she added: 81 don't know but
what Proverdunce is a-hindering.him. Joey
Atwood says that a freight train got stove
up on the track, and the afternoon train up
can't leave Provncetown till four o'clock. !"
Grandma Baker silently picked at the
bedclothes with her little bird-claw hands
Some people said that that habit of grand
mas was a sign that she was going to
die; but she picked chiefly when her mind
was very active.
81 expect Rudolphus give you sight of
charges about the lamp, didn't he Aurillyf"
was the first thing she said "Rudolphus
is one that feels responsibility. l don't
know what he would do if anything should
happen to the light"
81 amt one to let anything happen to
the light" said Aurilly.
~ know you amt, Aurilly. l didn't
mean nothin' like that" said grandma.
.'Itu be nigh about dark before he takes
the train over to the Walwich depot, won't
it-nigh about darkf'
'Itll be along into the evening; but they
-ro-,'t en-c nothin' about it, them two" said
, Aurilly, bitterly.
"Along into the evening" repeated
grandma, meditatively; and she offered no
consolation to Aurilly, although she was
wont to feel that one could not be loo con-
siderate to the owner of a cranberry mead
ow and five hundred dollars in the bank.
She sat up in bed, with the spark in her
eyes growing brighter and brighter, and
picked away at the bedclothes in a way
that almost "gave Aurilly turn" as she
afterwards confided to friend. And then
suddenly she wanted fapjacks for supper.
"There hadn't been no taste to her
yictuals," but if Aurilly would make some
fapjacks she thought she could eat them.
anu hlIth uhNlbE hShNOu INV
lamp as carefully as if she had no thought
of the pair who would see its rays from
the Walwich station, prepared to get sup
per, grandma earnestly enjoined her to
keep the kitchen door closed, lest "smel-
ling 'em beforehand should set her agin
en-"
While Aurilly made hapjacks with the
kitchen door closed, grandma got out OF
bed and stood upon her feet.
"It's Jest as that healin' woman said: if
you can only believe that you hain't got
no body nor feelin's, why, you hain't. 1t
had ought to be easier for me than for folks
that's got more of body" And grandma
laughed grimly at her joke as she hitched
along, shaking-shaking like leaf in the
wind, catching for support at chairs and
table, her little withered face beaded as
lighthouse stairs it was worse.
'1'ye got to believe I'm sperit, nothin'
but jest sperit, or ! never shall do it, y
groaned the suffering old woman. And
/
that Aurilly1l get the fapjacks done, and
be comm to see where be; and like as
not 'twon't be no use, after all. Mebbe
he'll be too kerried away to notice whether
there's light or not but that wouldn't be
Rudolphus."
Aurilly was too deep in thought to be in
a hurry; moreover, it was her way to have
the fapjacks done to just the proper brown
ness, and carefully sprinkled with sugar
and cinnamon. AS she turned the last one
she heard queer little humping noise from
the direction of the tower.
81 should think some young one was
sliding down them stairs bumpity bump,
she said to herself, and thought no more
about the noise, perhaps because her
| thoughts had strong tendency to revert
to Rudolphus.
"Why, Mis- Baker, you're all pale and
tremblin', and dretful het up, too" she ex-
claimed when she carried to grandma S
bedside the flapjacks and the cup of strong
tea which she loved.
~ had kind of-kind of sinking spell, "
gasped Grandma Baker; ''but l fit it off.
You jest sit right here by me, Aurilly.
You won't want to go out doors; it's dret
full raw. | amt a-goin' to die yet, Aurilly,
you needn't think be-"
But, in spite of this assurance. Aurilly