The rustler., 1891-12-25

SAY. Lila. Abl.F aid 10 me- IN .
whisper. how dreadfui IL musi b T.
b. eighty years old. only think. i.lla.
that i oigd times a. oid a. ! am
What ~ IT, asked she doesn't
mind Il. and she i.nt eight times older
than ! am
Him. All but two years." Ably an
swercd
''Iiut Id have YOU 20 know. ' I sail.
frankly. that two ycars l. long
time"
No. Il h not my darlings- was
Aunt James unexpected INTERRUPTION.
a. the blue eyes popped oPcn. 1t b
only a very little timr-only that I
knew Of one year that meant a great
deal to two folks"
Tell us about Il. auniic." we both
exclaimed
Yes. ! will Lets see. must have
dropped OF 20 sleep while ! was telling
you about Tom aud llct shaw Well.
don't let me go again: Just give me a
shake II You see my eyes shut. Me-
hitable Larkins was a. pretty a.
| picture: her hair was as yellow a. spun
gold, and her eyes were a. brown a. a
ripe hazel nut Her step was M
springy that she hardly seemed 10
touch the ground a. she walked. aud
Tom Shaw loved her better than any
thing la the world
"ilc built the house mp yondcr. and
they do say that be sang and whistlcd
So many gay tunes a lac nailed on the
clapboards that hc ought to have had
happy wife to pu, inside OF g. When
il was all finished and furnished he
brought his bride home; and after that.
folks used To walk past the house many
and many a time, to hear the two sing
ing together
Did they never quarrel, Aunt
James" Abby asked. My sisters idea
OF good time was TO have bit uf
quarrel sometimes with somebody.
You wait my darling. until / tell
YOU. II was just after the new year
had commenced that they came mp on
the hill. All summer they seemed as
happy as birds, and of an evening they
worked in their garden. and for miles
around no one had prctticr roses. big
ger hollyhoclSs, or ycllower tansy than
Tom and llct Shaw.
"llut with the fall the flowers faded
and the happy couple began To grow
solemn; they did not sing so much, aud
the lamps did not shine 80 brightly out
into the world at night aud. when one
of the ncighbors happened In. lIct had
u very suspicious moisture about the
eyes But she never gave any reason
for it, and she was of that sort that mo-
body dared to ask, much rs they would
have liked 90. Anyhow. her cheeks
grew pale, and there were no more
songs To be heard And 80 IL came
along to the last day of the year Tom
had been out to the woodhousc to get
some kindlings for the fire in the
morning. and when he had thrown
them behind the stove. he went into
the sitting-room, and there was llct
upon her knees by the sofa, sobbing as
if her heart would break.
THAT sight was too much for Tom
He went oser to her, lifted Dor from the
floor. and sat her upon his ,nee And
then he said. My little girl. what is II?
cannot stand this any longer; you
must tell me what the matter is.
And she threw both arms about his
neck, and between her sobs she whis-
pered into his ear ali her troubles; and
quick as flash they were as loving as
they had been all summer; and the first
thing they did was to sing the long
metre doNology."
What had been the matter Aunt
Jane?" asked Abby, in an interested
voice.
And Aunt Jane said: THAT is the
very strangest part of it; from that
day to this not one of the neighbors
could find out OF course, there had
been some sort of IA quarrel, but we
know they had made it mp, for Joe
Hines was going up the hill, and he
stopped minute to hear them sing,
and under the crack of the curtain he
saw them knceling by the sofa, and