The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-12-04
THAT CITY CHAP.


called her-would not let her. Abigail. so
TO the party at neighb1r Watkins. 1t
seemed not only ridiculous, but unjust for,
during the two weeks preceding the event
full party night, ma had net only approved
of her going, but had even helped her make
a new dress for the occasion, and now, the
night having arrived, fer no apparent rea-
son she had declared that Abby must stay
at home.
This was Abby's side Of the story, and
this she kept repeating TO herself as she sat
in her own room late that afternoon, look
ing mournfully at the new dress spread out
on the bed before her, and occasionally
dashlng the back CT her hand across her
eyes, to wipe away those tears which, do
what she would, persisted in rising re-
belliuusly.
Blu; Mother Toxins tale was very differ
ent. As she told her good friend, Mrs.
Hopping, who had just stopped in for q
moments chat, she had a very good reason
for keeping her daughter at home that
night.
Nov, III tell you, Mrs. Hopping, because
know you wont ever let it reach any OF the
Watkinses' (the good lady knew this TO be
tie quickest and most reliable way to get
The story TO nelGhbor Watkins family.
IN tell you why I'm keeping Abby 10
home. You see, Tom Watkins las ben
six month, and he's awful hard hi'. II l
let Abby 90 ter-night there's no telin'
whatll happen. Shes lustS Ike as not to
get struck with that city Teller that's comm
down to spend the summer over at the Wat
kinses'. They do say, them that see him be-
fore, that he's mighty pleasant Now, then,
wheTe'il poor Tom be? tell you what its,
Mrs. HOppin' aud here Mrs. Toxins
heSved a deep sigh and leaned a very sol
emn face over the pan OF half-Deeled pota-
. s-rN =. 1T.
wrong, wicked, for me 10 let that Young girl
60 and Jest p'rhaps ruin that poor Toms
LIE Tor him, now wouldn't it?'
'1,s, indeed, Mrs. To0kins," the other
woman replied, iii you let her do such
thing you wouldn't desarye salvation no
how, and the pious Mrs. Hopping rolled her
borICr-stricken eyes toward the rafters.
soon after she took her leave.
As Mrs. Toxins, standing on her door
steps, watched her friend waddle slowly
down the rad, she thought to herself:
Now. Fl shell only be real quick an tell
the Watkinses, l know it'll bring Tom
round. When he thinks be may lose Abby
guess he'll look alive"
Mrs Hopping, Cd the other hand. as she
turned at the end of the road to wave last
gOod-Uy 10 her neighbour said to herself:
Il know she thinks that doll-faced
little Abby OF hers has got ahead of my
Sarah; but Wen see. l cilcerlate Hannah
Watkins wont be over Particular pleased if
| let her think Susan Toxins is loOkin' for
higher game than her Tom for Abby; don't
care 10 have 'em together much while that
city .feller's round; l guess i'm gall her
Bit And Mrs. Hopping chuckled to her
sell as she tiled to hurry along the road.
so the story was told half an hour later at
the Watkinse,'. Mrs. Hopping Jest hap
p-ned TO be pasSn' their way and thought
she'd jest stop in to let them know Abby
Toxins couldn'l come that night. Too bad,
wasn't it? But then Mrs. Toxins was al
ways kinder stuck up, etc, until the rest
Of the story. as conceived by Mrs Hopping.
had been told.
Meanwhile, the door girl on whose ac-
count these good ladies' troubled themselves
so much sat lonely In her room, thinking of
the dance that she was to miss, which all
the others were to enjoy, and-of Tom.
''ue would see them all but her; and
Sarah Hopping she knew would be extra
nice TO Tom tonight and would look so
pretty, and-Ohl If Tom would only say
whether he cared for her, Abby, sitting
here alone, thinking Of him. He had said
every thing else, and yet-he was so nice to
the other girls and tonight he would see
them all but her," A thought seemed to
strike her; slowly she went downstairs into
the Kitchen: MA, can l help you get the
supper?"
"NO, Abby. child, supper's all ready"
the mother replied, NOW you jest sit down
and pall be in in mint, and We'll hev a
real good evenin' tngether-and | wouldn't
mind the old party"
Abby said nothing, and soon, as Mrs
Toxins had predicted, pa came in. Then
they set down to table, and after q long
grace, during which Abby's eyes would
wander toward the clock, supper began,
They didn't talk much. Ma was thinking
Now, Pm sure, eff Tom Watkins hears Pm
keepin' Abby away from that city teller on
his account, he'll speak right up soon, or he
amt the honest chap l took him fer. He
amt Poin' to lose her, don't think, but oh,
myl he is slow. to be sure, in comm to the
PINT. AS Tor Pa Toxins, he was utterly
hewildered, and so held his peace. Ma had
said Abby was gOin' to the party. and then
that she wasn't goin'. Pa Toxins believed
these facts and asked no questions. Abby,
too, was silent. She was listening to the
occasional rumble Of wheels and the sound
OF merry voices, as some OF the village folks
drove by on their way to the Watkinses'; be-
sides. Abby was thinking.
al 8 o'clock that evening, after Pa Took
ms bad read the prayers and Mother
Toxins had said a loud Amen" Abby
babe them goodnight. Yes" she knew it
was early, but she was tired, SO off she went
to her little room over the best parlor,
leaving her father and mother comfortably
ensconced in the big kitchen arm-chairs.
Fer lille they talked and nodded, nodded
ard tnlked, till finally both fell into a doze.
Half an hour later a light step on the
front stair, that stair so seldom used in the
b'N anu all bllliuUuS CItGhlUE OF
the front door, opened hardly from one
years end to the other, told that some one
had gone ont into the night.
1t was Abby, dressed in all her fnery,
going TO the party. She would not let all the
other girls have Tom, when she-ahi she
knew how pretty she looked as she stood
before the little glass in her room. This
she had not forgotten to do in spite of her
hurry, in spite of the dread of being discoy-
cred. SO here she was, walking alone on
this dark, cloudy night the mile between
her own house and Neighbor Watkins.
For while all went well as she hurried
along the weil-known road. Then, as she
lett the open country and entered the wood,
gentle signing OF the trees overhead and
tine occasional sound Of dead limb falling
told this country girl that a storm was COM
ing up. She hurried on, GREATNESS, ex-
cited. thinking now of but one object; oil
that one purpose which for week had
filed her whole soul-of seeing Tom that
night and having him see her, of having
him look at her, know how beautiful she
was and then-of having him tell her that
he loved her, that she was the only one he
loved And now the wind was bowling
through the trees and beating her back with
terrific force. Fiercer and fercer it blew
until It seemed as II the great trees we're
doing battle, swayinR, bending their mighty
trunks and peltiDg each other with their
shattered branches. On the girl went
through the storm, on, on, wild now. hardly
needing the fury about her, determined.
Crash, a falling limb struck her full upon
the forehead. She sank with cry and then
lay upon the road quiet. insensible to the
furious blasts of wind and fearful sounds
that filed the forest.
Soon after, during lull in the storm, a
rumble of wheels sounded up tie road. A
wagon drove up. In it were two men. As
they reached the dark form lying so Still
they stopped. One of them, leaping to the
ground. bent over the young girl and lifted
her head.