Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1891-09-19

eyes on her sister and bring out some
thing from the depths of her incoherent
thoughts that made the blood run cold.
She was never violent, and at times
would take to her bed and sleep for days
curled up like dormouse, when again
she did not sleep wink for week, but
wandered about at night, making lit
tie, low, feeble wall like a lost child.
She had way Of purloining small arti-
cles and hiding them, and of bringing
them out in unexpected moments much
to her sisters surprise. Ruby never
crossed her in anything except to keep
matches out of her way lest she should
set herself on fire. So she went and
came, muttering to herself or singing
eerily, as she pleased. At times she
would pull out the old girlish finery she
kept in her bureau drawers, and laying
off the bedtick would array herself fan
tastically in a great scoop bonnet and a
big fowered shawl, and with a bead bag
on her arm would go to visit some of the
near neighbors, who always treated her
kindly and gave her food.
James insanity was of so mild type
it did not trouble Ruby much, but there
were other things quite apart from her
peculiar household and haphazard ways
of getting along that caused her to take
dark views of the world and society.
These were principally the homeless vii
lage cats and the i'll treatment of horses,
and in fact of all dumb animals by bru-
tai men and thoughtless boys. The
grasshopper was not SO great burden,
but when a NANCY, half starved kitten
with a sore on its hind leg came under
Miss Ruby's observation she lost faith
in the Providential government of the
world and felt that the powers of evil
were reveling much as they pleased.
One such waif and stray had been cher
ished and reared by her and had now be-
come as sacred in the Armstrong house
as an old Egyptian cat divinity. ANY
benighted creature in Littlefeld who did
not know and admire the virtues of the
great tortoise shell Crumpet was i'm
mediately crossed off Miss Rubys books.
Miss Ruby was stout-of that soft,
comfortable kind of stoutness that easily
rolls itself into ball on sof. and falls
into catnap on the slightest provoca-
ton. Even early in the morning she
was always slightly yawning behind her
plump hand. as if just aroused from
forty winks. She kept no maid, and her
little house and untidy garden went
along in an accidental, lazy fashion Pc
culiar to herself. There did not see.1 to
be regular meals in Ruby's house. She
ate when she felt like eating, and so did
her old sister Jane. But there was one
thing in which Ruby Armstrong was a
perfect adept. and that was the rearing
of house plants. Her winter windows
were always filed with the loveliest roses
and geraniums, and when she had all
the flowers she wanted in little pots and
tubs and cracked bowls she could live
all day on few prunes. a drY cracker a
cup of tea and an egg.
Now, when Ruby knocked at HannaE's
door Hannah at once recognized 1t as a
pessimistic knock, and knew something
had gone wrong with the Littlefield
cats. She made haste to welcome her
visitor, giving her the rocking chair by
the sunny window. into which Ruby
sank with big sigh. She threw off
her three shawls and jacket, for Ruby
needed deal of bundling in chilly
weather, and let the little woolen hood
called fascinator fall off her back hair
Over this she had tied lace scarf. She
had brought with her a glass of clear
red currant jelly.
"It's for Mr.. Band" said she, putting
it down on the table. a thought it
might relish in this dry time between
hay and grass"
80 it will" said Hannah, aud then
she added, after a moments pause. as
she shipped away with the shears. II
should like to send your sister Jane one
of my fresh apple pies. The joke Of it
is there amt mite of apple in it, It's
made Of soaked cracker, and lime juice,
but you can't hardly tell the difference
Hannah put by her work, and step
ping into the pantry brought forth q
nice daky pie, which she slipped off the
plate and pinned in clean towel
"You needn't be so proud, said Ruby,
with little flush, "as to think brought
in the jel hoping for return"
"Oh, know you didn't" said Han
nah; "but you must remember it's blessed
to give as well as to receive. Things
ought not to be all on one side"
II guess do look kind of crooked out
Of my eyes today said Ruby with a
sigh. "The awful wickedness of this
world seems to weigh on me like
mountain was walking up Sprint's
hill yesterday afternoon, where they are
mending the road, and there was a bur
ly IrishInan with poor old rackabones
of horse harnessed to a heavy cart
loaded down with dirt and stone, and he
had got into hole, and the old horse
was trying to pull out; and, oh, it was
pitiful to see how he Strengthened him
self like string, and painted and tugged
till his knees bent under him, while that
brute of man laid on the blows TO
make him draw what he couldn't no
way draw. So | stopped, and looked aw-
full, know did, and pointed my UNI
brel straight at him. and says | solemn