The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-02-28


said Mr.. Sewall, land if could offer
you -"
Don't mention it. Proud to have
sky-scrapers come to visit us. Drop IN
on us whenever you feel like dropping, y
returned cordial Mr.. Shelby, laughing
at his own wit, land next time you
drop, we'll have feather-bed out in the
cornfield all ready for you, oh, mother?'
Sphinxy came out on the piazza.
paw" said she, ''the cats fell down
the MINDLESS into the we'll, the buckets
off and the cats squalling"
Mr.. Shelby disappeared in great e1-
element, followed by Mrs. Shelby.
Sphinxy turned to Mr.. Sewall, looked at
him with frank smile, then ran out to
the we'll to aid in rescuing the cat.
whose accident she had announced with
much calmness as she had announced
dinner, in the usual and unexpected
presence of a balloon and ballOOnist.
Mr.. Sewall had smiled in return.
Her look had expressed the most in
tense admiration. 1t was evident that
the descent of the balloon and the ap-
pearance of the young stranger at din
ner had touched Sphinxy's imagination.
Mr.. Shelby was clambering down the
stones within the well-shaft when his
visitor reached the curb. 1t was a
perilous descent, and still more slip
perry ascent after he had sent the
drenched cat up in the rescued bucket.
At six o'clock Mr. Shelby brought
rickety old buggy and lean horse to
the front gate, called "Hello the house!"
and announced his readiness to take
passenger to town.
Mr.. sAewall, who had spent most of the
afternoon in sound sleep on the lounge
in Mrs. Shelby's best parlor, making up
for sleep lost while in the clouds, came
out refreshed and ready to go. They
were to drive to the cornfield fence and
take up the broken balloon. Mrs. Shelby
shook hands heartily, and stood on the
piazza smiling and speeding the part
ing guest.
Sphinxy came around the corner of
the house, and walked across the grass
to Mr.. Sewall. Halfway down the
front yard, midway between her father
at the gate and her mother on the steps,
she stopped beside him.
She had left off her sunbonnet, and
he saw bright, girlish face She held
out a small parcel.
''You might need it. Don't open it
till you get to town." said she, blush
ing with timidity. Then before he
could thank her or say goodbye she had
put the parcel into his hands and had
run away. Her pink frock whisked
out of sight around the corner of the
house directly.
"What did Sphinxy present you
with?" asked Mr.. Shelby, as his guest
got into the buggy beside him, looking
at the parcel with much curiosity.
''She said I'm not to open it till we
get to the town." replied Mr.. Sewall.
''It was very kind of her, I'm sure,
whatever it isl
''SphinXy's girl of few words. Never
spoke to you at all till you was leaving,
did she?" said Mr.. Shelby, touching the
lean horse with his hickory switch.
Not once" answered Mr.. Sewall.
At the railway station in the village
he opened the parcel containing
Sphinxy's gift. 1t was a little old faded
red silk purse. netted in an old-fash-
toned form, and cleaning through it Mr..
Sewall could see two gold pieces
"Why, this is very kind of your
daughter!" he exclaimed, astonished,
''but really / can't accept her money.
The purse looks like a keepsake,
treasure of her own, tOO!'
cit is. 1t belonged to her grand
mother, who left it to her when she
died, with them two five dollars" said
Mr.. Shelby, in low tones of much SYM
pathy and tenderness. "Sphinxy thinks
the world and all of that money. l
reckon she thought, being as you'd come
by balloon, going home by train with
car fares to pay and so on might come
little awkward to YOU"
But you will take it back to her, and
explain that have more than enough
to pay my fair to Cincinnati, won't you?'
said Mr.. Sewall. ''And tell her how
much | thank her. She is very good and
thoughtful"
''Sphinxy is a good girl said her
father, land she's one that's wonderful
set in her own way, two. l don't think"
he added, thoughtfully shaking his
head, Il don't think she would, to say,
really stand it if I should take the
purse back to her. No." he said, with
determination, 81 can't take it back to
Sphinxy, Mr.. Sewall. She'd take on and
cry if l should do such thing. know
just how that girl thinks, though she
never says much.
''She always feels as though nothings
too good for any body that comes to see
us, and when any body comes, so to say,
right out of the sky. her granny's pres
ent's got to go, or Sphinxy wouldn't be
SphinXy. She has had some notion of
saving up her chicken and egg money
to put with it and buy her melodeum,
but, laws! she'll never do it. She'll
just spend all she gets along, for pink
calico dresses for every day and white
Swiss for Sundays, and there that
purse IL lie in her trunk. Take it along,
Mr.. Sewall, take it along, do. 1 really
couldn't take it back to her, nohow.''
WELL" said Mr.. Sewall, reluctantly;
then, as thought came into his mind,
he smiled, and put it carefully into his
large pocllet-book.
How did you happen to name your
daughter Sphinxy?' he asked. ''Give
her my best thanks. won't you? It's a.
odd name
Yes, rather odd," admitted Mr.. Shell
0y. "But l noticed when she was
little bit of slip of thing that she
never asked no questions the way her
mother does. Perhaps you noticed Mis-
Shelby's way. She's a powerful good
woman, my wife is, but she can't never
seem to stop asking questions, and my
girls just the other way.