Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1891-10-24
DECKER'S REWARD.

''The days are shortening" sghe
Friend Decker, as he folded up hi
spectaeles and replaced them in thei
tin case, "or else my sight isn't what
used TO be. Welladay. one can't ex
pect TO be young always. Is it thee
Leah7 | did not look for thee sc
soon.
Leah Decker came into the room like
n breezy young whirlwind. She had
none of the repose of manner at present
so much in vogue Born and bred a
Quakeress, there was nothing of the
Quakeress about her except her quaint
Scripture name
"Yes, it's mel" said Leah shortly.
did thee go to Friend Anastasia n
gently inquired the old man, readjust-
ing the big pine logs so that they should
burn brighter for Leah's benefit.
"Oh, yes, went there"
II hope she is better of her rheuma-
tisln."
Yes; she is better. But-but she
will not buy the apples father Mean,
stingy old thingl" cried Leah wrath
fully, flinging her coal scuttle bonnet
on the table "She says she can buy
all she wants at fifty cents a barrel of
old Jacob Joyce; SO she can, perhaps,
wretched, knurly, worm knots, not fit
for pigsl Ours are apples She says
thee asks an exorbitant price"
Friend Decker slowly shook his head.
Friend Anastasia is under n misap-
prehension, said he. Eighty cents a
barrel is what they are paying at the
cider mill. Only one does not like to
see such beautiful, rare colored fruit
ground into baleful spirits to set mems
brains on fire."
"Much she would stop to think Of
that" said Leah, still ruffled.
81 am sorry" said Friend Decker
mildly. 81 need the money much, and
think she would have been better sat
lstied with my apples than with Friend
Jacob Joyce's"
"And after all that" flashed out
Leah, the spirit of Indignation rife
within her, "she had the impudence to
ask me for jar of PLAN sauce l made
She says Friend Mary told her how nice
Il was and"---
"And, quietly interposed her father,
'thee said, l hope, that thee would be
glad to oblige her."
mo, didn't, "bluntly answered Leah.
II said that gathered the wild plums
myself in the Crook road, and cooked
them after Aunt Mahala's recipe, and
that there were four jars, and wanted
to keep them for thee, especially since
thy health was SO poor and thy ap-
petite so variable"
~ am sorry, dear" said Friend
Decker. Friend Anastasia is very
old, and old people are apt TO be fanci-
full about trihes. Moreover, she's our
kinswoman, a degree or two removed,
perhaps, but
Then why don't she do something
for us, flashed out Leah, besides Civ
ing us good advice and tormenting us
with her fault finding. | didn't mean
to mention it, father, but she told me
out and out that she had adopted
Moses Sawyer, and that she meant to
make him her heir
"Well, daughter, why should she
notf' eomposedly questioned the old
man.
because he is no relation TO her al
oil, cried Leah, "and the property al
came from our great grandfather Len
nox. thee knows"
Thee attaches too much inportanc'
20 mere dress, Leah, said FrienC
Decker. Thee must study the ten
OF the lilies Of the field in the Bible
We shall all be provided for II only ",
can have patience to watt"
Leah bit her full, red under lip a
she glanced around the sparsely fur
nished room, and noticed her father
dropping figure and rapidly whitening
head, but she made no reply as sh
took up the coarse pile OF vests ol
which she had been working butto
holes for a nelghboring clothing con
tractor,
FATHERS a saint, thought she, ''bu
am not, and ann afraid ] never sha
be. l should like TO cut of Anastasi
Akerly's ears. II every one had the
rights, half Of that big Lennox farl
would be ours She gained possessio
OF It by the mercst legal quibble, an
II father was like any one else b
would have gone 10 law about Il Ion
ago and got back his own And mo-
TO SEQ Il deliberately wllled % some on
alsew
And I.eah's needle ilew vindietive.
in and out Of the cloth like miniaini
jayelln piercing the heart Of an niisoe
enemy.
Bat the next mornins when LeA