Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1891-04-03


door and craned her neck forward.
"Well, l neverl" saidshe. "It's you,
arter all, amt itl We sort o reckoned,
me and Patty, that you'd found your way
into that new store o. Lew Hibbard'S. "
81 did stop in there, said Aired, cool
ly.
Miss Classy shook her head.
81 knew it," sali she, "jcst as wells
if I'd seen ye with my own eyes
Mrs. Greer lighted the fire in the best
room, with true maternal soicitude.
"What's that forr' asked Miss Classy.
aye don't s'pose, do ye, that they'll hev
anything to say that We cant hear jest's
wells notl l wouldn't let Patty keep
company with any man that goes to Lew
Hibbard's place, ef was you, Sarah;
it's a reg'lar we'll Of iniquity"
Il guess Arad Temple'sa pretty steady
young man, said Mrs. Greer, timidly, as
she adjusted the best duplex lamp on the
table, and set the big family Bible and
the new photograph album straight.
Cousin Cassaudra stalked grimly out
of tie room.
"Don't say didn't warn youw said
she.
Patty came to her mother that night
just as the big kitchen clock was strik-
ing eleven.
'Mother," said she, "Arad Temple
has asked me to be his wife"
Mrs. Greer looked quickly up.
"What did you tell him, Pattyl' said
she.
"I-said-5es' Oh, mother, why
shouldn't II He is 50 good, so nice
and he loves me 50 dearly"
"But your Cousin Cassandra thinks
'AIother," whispered Patty, nesting
her head down on her mothers shoulder,
81 did say something about Lewis Hib-
bard's store. l made believe l was an
CRY, mother, and he looked so hurt, and
he let my hand fall So mother with
pretty little piece of pantomine), "and he
said, If you can't trust me in every
thing, Patty, don't trust me at all" And
l said Id trust him, mother, to the very
end. Did Go rightq'
"Well, >" said Mrs. Greer, tenderly en-
folding Patty with her loving arms,
"it's just the answer Ishould have made
your father, Patty, when NC kept com
pauy; that's all l know. And your
Cousin Cassandra-'
"Ob, let Causin Cassandra mind her
own business" said Patty, coloring up.
"She always was NEEDING. prying, dis
agreeable old maid, and l think she
grows worse every year."
Miss Cassandra Greer heard the news
Of the engagement with an ominous
shake of the head.
ats a dreadful rcsky thing" said
she. 81 wouldn't run the chance, that
knoww
Patty had it on the tip of her tongue
to retort that it was extremely unlikely
she would be called upon to hazard any
such danger, but she thought better of
it, and didn't,
She was so happy that she could af-
ford to be magnanimousl
"Me and Mrs. Squire Rudder and Miss
Betsy Hall and some other of the church
ladies, said Miss Classy, "we're gwine
to try and get that place of Lewis Hib-
bard's shut up And | don't think none
the more Of Arad Temple for his goin'
there so much. But law Patty's COM
pletely infatuated with him, and there's
no use talking to her bout it,"
"Patty," said young Temple to his
fancee, the week before the wedding,
"you have trusted me, and you've done
right. But l don't like to see the
troubled look on your face whenever that
old meddler gives tongue on the subject
of Hibbard's store. | have been there q
good deal lately, but I've never spent
cent. I've been earning money instead,
at my trade, putting up new barn and
line of sheds at the rear-and that was
my business therel But l wouldn't
please Cousin Classy so much as to tell
her that. Isn't it strange that people
can't mind their own businessl"
"Oh," said Patty, laughing, "Cousin
Cassandra never couldw
Patty was sewing the last feurette oil
white ribbon on the unpretending we'd
ding gown Of snowy albatross, when
Miss Cassandra came in, rather fur
ried.
"White may do very well for you,
she said; "out for a woman o. my years,
| sort o think dove color would be moro
suitable. How many yards dye think
it would take, Patty, for dress for
mel"
The girl opened hereyes very wide.