The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1890-03-27
SELECTED.
oNlYA DEAF WOMAN.

The train st opped at Blue Station OIL
time this Wednesday afternoon. 1t wa
not particularly punctual train. neithe
did 1t especially matter whether 1t was o
not, as Blue Station was one of thos
.lodges in the vast wilderness" wher,
time WAS not reckoned according to thu
Wall Street standard and where peop
took things easy.
The stage for Hemlock Hill was wait
ing there-a clumsy conglomeration o
musty leather, faded paint, and ancien
wood, drawn by two sleepy horses, an,
driven by Jehu SO old that one instinct
lively wondered how he ever got up AM
ae%a fren his aerial perch, on the hn,
seat. Mr.. Richmond and his friend Col
Jones, took their seats, packed thei
valises snugly under their feet, and fast
ened their natty silk umbrellas in the racl
overhead. There was only one othel
passengers woman In brown water
proof cloak and a green veil, with lid
ded market basket in her lap and IRE
mendous ear trumpet In her hand.
"Only deaf woman" said Col. Jones
glancing toward her.
~ see," observed Mr.. Richmond "w,
need put no particular restraint on ou
conversation
Are we all ready, driver?" shouted
Col. Jones, who was unused to the leis
urely methods of life In place like Blue
Station. The driver appeared to rouse
himself from a sort Of doze.
~ be II you !" said he. "Git up,
Kate! Look out there, you Sorrel"
And away they rolled.
YES" said Col. Jones, rubbing his
neatly gloved hands, at will be genuine
SURPRISE, And meant 1t to be. want
to see Tor myself how shings are"
Certainly" said Mr. Richmond, lurch-
ing from one end of the seat to the other.
as the wheels took big stone on their
way.
1.-The lad Is over head and ears in love, "
said Col. Jones.
Young men will be FOOLS observed
Mr.. Richmond, synically.
but school teacher; district school
teacher!' sighed the colonel, who was
tall and portly and clean shaver, with
very black eyebrows and hair dashed
with silver.
"a good many nice girls take to that
business" remarked Mr.. Richmond
Mr.. Richmond was a gaunt gentleman,
with hollow eyes, parchment-colored
skin, and a general dyspeptc air.
ut isn't that despise the trade" said
Col Jones. "You know that as well as |
do, Richmond. II the girl is good and
pretty, I'd as soon she would be a school
teacher as anything else. But | want my
boy to have u real home-like home. My
wife gave me one, and solemnly believe
1t was the making Of me. And Victor's
wife must be no mere book machine or
- hv1a ,1f, has ha unf
and sweep and cook she's no III mate for
my son. Well, you see, | have been
studying the matter over"
~ see," said Mr.. Richmond, holding
desperately on to the leather strap above
his head, as the driver guided the wheels
over a succession Of stumps on the side
of the road.
81 give them no time for preparation
said the colonel, chuckling. II drop
down on Miss Alden like wolf on the
fold. l see just. exactly what she is.
wouldn't give fig for all the Latin and
guitar music and China painting In the
world II woman can't make loaf Of
light, sweet bread and cook steak. Eh2
am sure beg thousand pardops, ma
am as sudden swing OF the coach pre-
cipitated his head against the basket and
sent the ear trumpet rolling to the floor.
Allow me. Did you want to get
out?"
For the woman with the green veil was
making vehement gestures with her hand
to the driver. She put up the trumpet
with an inquiring oppression of face.
Did-you-want- to-get-out?' roar
ed Col. Jones into its convoluted depths,
the veins starting out on his forehead as
he did so.
Eyes, sir, please" said the woman; and
the courteous colonel himself got out to
expediate the removal OF the basket, the
trumpet and sundry brown paper parcels
which constituted the belongings Of their
fellow passenger.
The greeu-veiled head bobbed acknowl-
Judgements, the colonel lifted his hat like
a modern Don Quixote, and the stage, en-
veloped In q cloud Of dust, rolled away
toward the brightness of the western sky.
The green. yelled passenger caught up her
parcels, skipped over the stone stile with
amazing alacrity for so apparently feeble
parsonage, and few like q deer across
the wooded solitudes until she came to a
low. red farmhouse, and entered cosy
kitchen, where a middle aged woman was
making blackberry pies.
Here's your trumpet all meuded, Aunt
kOXaO0a, eAlO sue. Anu ucIc Tue III
paca dress and the three yards of flannel
and the basket with the tea and sugar and
spices. What are you going to have for
supperi" .,.. Ann. p,x,,.
In the soft subdued voice peculiar TO deaf
people. They're on the butt'ry shelf, all
dressed and ready. And baked potatoes
and calculate to have them pies ready
to 60 into the oven right or"
'sSpiendid!' said Lurana Hopkins. 81
want one Of them. Aud must have the
chickens and that loaf Of gingerbread"
IA me r. said Aunt Roxanna. as the
girl crazyf"
Its for the schoolma'sm, Aunt Rox
anna" explained Luraua, with her rosy
mouth close to the ear trumpet. 'HeI
beau's father came up from the train with
me 10 Zadoc Hawley's stage, and be tool
me for . deaf woman because Of tn
trumpet, suppose, and talked before mt
To his friend real fre6. And he's come
out here to surprise the schoolma'am, ant
dad out whether she IL . good house
keeper or not. And II che isn't, he's 90
INK 70 setr himself dead against th'
matcAf''
II sever heard nothing like II In N!
Mfe," nd Aunt RoxannA