Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1891-11-14
a THEFT CONDONED,
BY GERTRUDE SMITH.

NAANSN AASAHNes NAtAA ~ hANiA llluuh W al
and little implanted box of a station.
The houses in Pawnee were all one
story wooden buildings, with the gable
ends toward the street, Mrs. Dyer's
house was painted a dull red; the other
houses were not painted.
1t had been a warm day aud the sun
had shone glaringly on the unbroken
prairie around Pawnee.
The town was on Il slight rise OF
ground. You could see more than
twenty miles in three directions. A
narrow strip of woods broke the view
on the north, half mile away.
Mrs. Dyer stood in her front door and
looked over the prairie. The railroad
track wound away toward the soutt and
disappeared where the earth and SKY
seemed to meet. The sun was going
down and the short thin prairie
grass looked white and gold. The rail
road track shone like silver. There
were no clouds. Iu places the blue OF
the sky was so light that it was almost
white. The air was cool and clear after
the warm day.
"The suns going down without any
fuss tonight" Mrs. Dyer said, sitting
down on the doorstep. "Just droppin
off the edge, like the string that held it
had been cut
She folded her arms in her lap and
turned her face away from the bright
light. She was a small, old woman
with thin features. She wore her hair,
which was still very black. combed
smoothly behind her ears. Her eyes
were black, with keen look of resist
auce in them. This look was empha-
sized in the lines around her mouth.
Mrs. Dyer lived alone Her son kept
a little store and the postoffice IN the
front room Of one of the Other
houses. Two years before when hel
husband had died Mrs. Dyer had come
West to DC near her son. Her son had
invited her to live with them, but she
had refused,
You amt got room for your own.
didn't come out here II be beholden tC
anybody. I'll have my own place, and
you'll see enough Of me, dodgiu in and
out, as il is.
She had spent the greater part OF the
time watching the carpenters at work OF
her house. during her forced stay at hci
sons, urging them to work faster, and al
last in her impatiencc moved in before
they had finished Singing the root.
She had decided 10 postpone thc plaster
ing until some time wbcu she should 90
away on visit.
The sun had gone down. The air was
soft gray and very still.
''Well, mustn't sit here gettiu' the
cramps, she said getting up from the
step. 81 do say amt seen them mover
wagons before, J wonder now if they We
stopped since l been sitting here. They
camped near enough! l suppose they
buy something up to the store The NOV
ers bring in John quite little, of and on.
There comes John up this way. wonder
now what's he comm up here for. What
you want, John? They amt anything
the matter, is theyl' she called.
John came slowly toward her. He
was large man, but his clothes, which
hung loosely, gave him the appearance
of being thin. He wore soft felt hat
pulled well over his forehead. His
eyes were like his mothers in color. but
there was none of the determination in
them,
"Have you seen the movers campin'
over yonder" he asked, pointing across
the prairie.
eyes, just was lookin' at them when
/ see you comm up"
Well, they were Just two Of them up
to the stogc, and they was cvil-lookin', /
can tell you. Marthy was IN the store
and sec them, and she would have 1t
you must come over and stay to our
house tonight"
"Why, amt afraid of movers, as l
know Of ~
"Shc don't want to think of you stay
in here by yourself, and I'll own | don t
neisher
swell, | amt 2oin to leave my bed
cause some movers happen to be camp.
in near. There's always movers comm
and goin'. guess if they stole me
they'd drop me when it come light
enough to see what they'd got
"Wcl, think you'd better come.
Marthy won't feel easy unless you do. ="
81 amt goin' to BE- 50 silly,
to please Alarthy or no one. |
amt got anythin' they want, with
out it's that money Eve saved to have
my carpet rags wove up, and they'd
never think Of loolin' in a can for it.
It's one of them cove oyster cans. I've
made pin cushion that fits down into
the can, and scwed a cover around the
outside. You'd never know it was can
to look at it. see one made something
like it when lived East
You amt got much money in it,
have you:'
ats all in nickels I've been savin'
of it up for near two years. Oh, l guess
they must be -four Or five dollars. l ain
counted it just lately"
"WeU, think you're foolish to stay
here by yourself, when you can Just as
well CONC over. think you'd better
change your mind and come along.
He turned and went back along the
grassy road toward his own home. He
walked with his head bent down aud
with shambIing gait. He was dreading
his wife's reproaches that he had not
been able to induce his mother to come
back with him. He did not believe there
was any real danger IN letting his mother
stay alone.
81 guess ain't goin' to set up for a
coward, at my time Of lifc," said Mrs.
Dyer. ~ wonder now If Marthy really
thought I'll comc,'
An express train was coming
from the south. The light from
the engine could be seen for
some time before there was any noise
from the train. Night had come quick
IL. 1t was already quite dara.
Mrs. Dyer took off her giugham apron
aud put it over her head, aud stood
watching the light from the engine as it
drew nearer, and finally when the train
had dashed by the little station sle
turned and went into the house. There
were but two rooms in the house-the
iving-room aad small bedroom open
ing out Of it. MIS-. Dyer went over to
the window and looked out.
alt does beat nc how soon night
comes out here" she said; "bac!1 in
York State we had little between-time
There's the moon shiniu' away as if the