Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1890-11-08
GRAY a0Lg.

couple IN IT, L guess they amt been
married very long; and she's as pretty
as picter. You'll see her goin in and
comm out, I shouldn't wonder. Your
rooms right opposite"
"As pooty as a picter," repeated the
old lady, musingly. "That's what Isick
said l was. Ye wouldn't blieve now
that my hair was bright yaller onc't
would ye?" as the lgirl thoughtfully and
kindly removed the queer little black
bonnet from the tired head.
81 don't know" replied the other, dubi-
ously eying the thin, gray hair she had
uncovered; and, then--for there was
something about this curious little old
she added softly, "The truest things is
hardest to believe sometimes, an your
hair S fine an pretty now"
THANK ye, DEAR" said the old lady.
"Yere proper good to me. Now I'll just
set here an rest aspeli. You can call me
when teas ready, if ye like. An just
leave the door open. Maybe the young
lady'll come out by'embye.' "As pooty
as picter-as pooty as a pictcr." she re-
peated softly to herself, rocking quietly
back and forth in her chair, while the
chambermaid's retiring footsteps echoed
more and more family along the corridor.
And then, somehow, the world and its
troubles faded gently from her, and the
old country lady sat there. fast asleep,
amid the " hirl and roar of the unheeding
city.
CD 10 IL h.,
was lighted in the corridor, and in the
opposite doorway--the doorway of No.
45-there stood vision! Golden haired,
blue eyed, in soft, clinging robes of gray
she seemed to be gazing back across
the chasm of fifty years, upon herself as
she had stood once in that selfsame door
way, waiting for Isaac to come and take
her down TO tea. Quick steps sounded
near and nearer. A young man, tall and
strong as ever Isaac had been, came
along the corridor, and the vision bright
ened at his approach. He held out for
her acceptance bunch of delicate, fresh
rosebuds, and she fastened them at her
belt.
Then they locked the door of 45, turn
ing the same key, perhaps, which Isaac
and she had turned half century be-
fore, and passed slowly on together, out
OF sight.
When the plump chambermaid came
to summon her charge to tea she found
the door closed, and within little, old
lady, sitting alone in the dark, whose
face looked withered and pale when the
light once more fell upon it from the gas
jet in the hall.
II guess | don't care much fer tea
after all," she said, wearily. ''Fd ruther
go to bed. Would you mind unlocl.in'
the carpet bag, dear, an gettin' out my
things? | feel all queer like, somehow.
an my feet's so numb an cold it don't
seems If could stan up long enough ter
undress."
Two hours later. when the golden
haired bride and Her husband came back,
Marcia, the chambermaid, stayed them
at the door,
II hate ter bother ye, ma a'am,"" she
said. "but the poor old body opposite is
like ter be down sick, I'm afraid, an not
soul in the house belongin' to her. BY
all can make out, she come here, fifty
years ago, on her weddin' tower, an
she's here ag'in now, because Isick,'
whoever he was, said they'd keep their
golden weddin' here. But he'd ha done
better if he'd held his tongue till the
time came, for now he's dead an cleared
out, an left her ter keep it all alone,
poor thing! Not that there's much dan
ger of her doin' it. neither, for she looks
more Ike funerl than weddin', this
minute. Ye see she wanted 45, because
they had 1t then. an findin' it ockerpied,
an you an him SO like her an Isick, has
kind of upset her, an her minds little
wanderin. Maybe if you come in, and
spoke to her, it'd do some good, fer she
does nothin' but talk about you an him,
an her an Isick, till my own heads like
to turn with hearin' it"
The bride looked up at her husband,
and he looked down at her. They were
SO young and so happy that this story OF
the poor, old, lonely woman who had
known and outlived like happiness
touched them deeply.
"Go, DEAR" said the young man, gent /
ly. "You can help her if any one can"
And SO the vision, quitting his arm,
foated softly through the opposite door
way and appeared at the old lady's bed
side.
The bride of fifty years-old and
wrinkled and gray-looked up into the
blooming face of the bride of week, and
family smiled.
'As pooty as a picter," she said softly.
"That's what Isick said. He's gone to get
me a posy. You've got posy, too
And her tired eyes wandered admiringly
to the roses in the young girls belt |
Then troubled look crept over the with
cred face.
"They can't give me 45," she said,
sadly. ~ domino know as Id ha' come
IL I'd knowed that. 1sick alwers said
we'd have it ag in, an SO I'd got terreck-