Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1891-10-29

spyin' 'em all these years, but it amt
SO; only that I'm a lonely old woman,
an they made company for me-be-
sides, Clorindy reminds me a listle of
my 'Lisbeth.
well, nobody s'posed they'd be mar
ned short of a year. say the next
spring, but we did calclate pretty
freely on that, an laid our plans ac-
cordin'. For instance, turned the
breadths of my black silk, SOS to have
it in readiness, an Mis- Fisher did the
same thing with her gray. Susan Pol
lard bought a new wreath for her bun
nit, stead o. waitin' till the next spring,
which would have been more thrifty.
But the spring an summer came an
went Then we said we s'posed she
preferred the cool o. the fall, but that
came and went. too People then COM
menced to talk, an show more interest
an ask more p'inted questions than
really they was called on to make.
Rut Clorindy never answered 'ern; an,
although she was always sweet an
gentle in her ways, there was some
thin about her that KEEP people off;
she's been that way ever sence she was
a little girl For wonder. Jabe held
his tongue, too. But finally it leaked
out. I've always suspicioned twas
Clorindy's mother that told it, SEEM
she was most likely to know, an has
always been such perfect sieve she
couldn't keep secret over night to
save herself"
The crucial point in her story had
now arrived. and, fully approaching it,
Mrs. Stetson came to full stop. Her
needles clicked briskly as she cast
covert chances at her friends excited
face.
''Wen, now, Elviry, what do you
s'pose twas? What do you s'pose has
KEEP Clorindy and JADE apart these four
years, an yet brought 'em nearer to-
gether all the time, as it were?"
Miss Elvira searched her mind wildly
for the most plausible reason. and then
whispered hoarsely: Jealousy"
''Nonsense!'' said Mrs. Stetson;
'twa'n't nothin' but an old pig-sty and
a barn.
Miss Elvira flung herself back tragic-
ally in her chair.
Yes continued the narrator, salts
fed with the effect she had produced,
'''twas just that an nothin' more. It
seems that Clorindy asked Jabe, just
after they was engaged, when he was
goin' to finish that pig-sty, paint biz
barn, an fix up the place generally;
an he answers in his easy way: oh,
before long; there amt no hurry But
he never fetched them. Clorindy didn't
say nothin' more about it, but waited
almost year, an then told him she
want willin' to be married till they
was attended to. You see, she knew
Jabe just as we'll an better'n most
folks by that time, an mistrusted that
if they want fixed before she became
his wife, they never would be. They
say Jabe's never thought she was on
reasonable in the matter; leastwise
he's never said SO. Still, time went on,
an the pig-sty want finished, an the
new barn stead o. lookin' piney an
fresh, commenced to look gray an
black. (You can see it over there, FL
viry, if you'll look sharp; behind that
elum tree.) There always seemed to
be a somethin' to KEEP that fellow
back from finishin' 'em, an doin' the
other Jobs round the farm-dear knows,
he's always been shiftless enough,
though! Either he couldn't get just the
kind O boards he wanted to finish the
pig-sty, or else he couldn't succeed in
fndin' the right shade O. red to
paint that barn with. But when I
heerd tell how he'd sold all O. his pigs,
an then told Clorindy: OF course, there
want any use in havin' pig-sty when
you hadn't any pigs to put in it,
thought l should die a-laughin', al
though 1 was just as mad as could be
all the time. There was lot of other
excuses that 1 can't rec'lect just this
minute; but Clorindy's never accepted
any of 'em, an although she's been
firm an KEEP to her word, she been
just as kind an gentle to Jabe, an
chung to him the same as though he
was man to be leaned on. But it's
wore on her dreadful. Oh, Elviry! just
think how she must love him! She
must find in him somethin' that none
of US can see."
Both women wiped their eyes, and
there was a silence while they looked
at the couple on the ridge.
81 wish was near enough to see an
hear all that's been goin' ON up there"
said Miss Elvira.
Two weeks had passed and Mrs. Stet-
son stood on her front porch looking
anxiouslv up the road. IF Elviry don't
come pretty soon," she murmured to
herself, II shall just bust. Cats are
pretty good company" she continued.
as the buff cat rubbed himself vigor-
ously against her, IAN hens are awful
KNOWN. but there comes times when
you feel as though you wanted fell
low -creature to talk to- Well. there!
if that amt Elviry now, walkin' as
though nothin' hadn't happene6!" and
hastily swooping hens and cat off the
porch, Mrs. Stetson went forward to
meet her friend. There was an air of
suppressed excitement and determine
ton about her and an intensity of ex-
preston as she peered over her glasses.
which made all superfluous converse
ton, such as a greeting, seem out of
place.
Miss Woodhousc's tragic form sank
on the first step as she whispered:
Hannah Maria Stetson. who's dead?"
''Now, Elviry Woodhouse, ifyoull just
get up. an come an set in this little
rocker I've got out for you. I'll tell you
about the goln's-on sence you left
was the firm reply. ''Somethin's hap
pened that's worth tallxin' about
Il don't wish to seem onkind. Elvi-
ry," she continued after they were
seated; '.for my not aslzin you how
l. I'll