Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1891-11-07

this gentle reproof Miss Elvira relaxe,
into silence, although still keeping he
eyes Turned on the narrow ridge wherI
the increasing dusk made the outline
OF the couple more aud more indistinet
"Clorindy an Jabe commenced RICH
off to use that ridge as a meetin'-place
Most likely because il was lust half
way between their two houses, an
then it always gave a good view of the
settln sun. Dear. dear, how | used tc
set and watch for 'em every night, lust
TO see Clorindy in her clean, light cali.
CO lookin, as | knew. SO fresh an pref
ty In the face talthough | couldn't see
that from this ~distance), an Jsbe a.
holdln himself as straight as could be,
an prouder, too. They ALWAYS
kissed each other when they met,
an then they'd chat for awhile: an
very often they'd hold each others
hand, just as you see EN- do now.
Folks might think I'd been kind O.
spyin' EN- all these years, but It amt
sol only that I'm a lonely old woman,
an they made company Tor me-be-
sides, Clorindy reminds me a little of
my 'Lisbeth.
"Nell, nobody s'posed they'd be mar
ried short of a year. say the next
spring, but we did calc'late pretty
freely on that, an laid our plans ac-
eordln, For instance, | turned the
oreadtas of my black silk, SOS to have
1t In readiness, an Mis- Fisher did the
same thing with her gray. Susan Pol
iard bought a new wreath for her bum
MT, 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.
Rnt Clorlndy never answered EN-; an.
although she was always sweet an
gentle IN her ways, there was a some.
thin about her that KEEP people off:
she S been that way ever sence She was
a little girl. For a wonder, Jabe held
ms 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 a perfect sieve she
couldn't keep a secret over night to
save herself"
The crucial point in her story had
now arrived, and, fully approaching it,
Mrs. Stetson came to a full stop. Her
needles clicked briskly as she cast
covert glances at her friends excited
well, now, Elviry, what do YOU
S pose twas? What do you s'pose has :
KEEP Clorindy and Jabe apart these four {
years, an yet brought EN- nearer to. +,
all the time, as it were?" !
Miss Elvira searched her mind wildly |
Tor the most plausible reason, and then '
whispered hoarsely; Jealousy" 5
Nonsense" said Mrs. Stetson: /
'twa'n't nothin' but an old pig-sty and I,
1 barn" d
Miss Elvira flung herself back tragic. P
Ally in her chair. n
les,' continued the narrator. salts. II
led with the effect she had produced, u
twas just that an nothin' more. It II
Gems that Clorindy asked Jabe, lust l
utter they was engaged, when he was st
rom to finish that pig-sty, paint his IL
'arn' an fix up the place generally;
n he answers in his easy wav: oh. te
before long; there amt no hurry But in
ie never fetched them. Clorindy didn't
ay nothln' o about it, but waited al
lmost a year, an then told him she SC
va Wlllln' to be married till thew tn
vas attended to. You see. she knew tn
just as well an bet;er'n most tn
)lks by that time, an nistrusted that We
they want fixed before She became ju
IS VIE, they never would be. They til
~ JabeS never thought she wa on. trt
'asonable in the matter; leastwise di
Is never said so. Still, time went on, SO
4 the pig'sty want finished, an the tn
eW barn stead o lookin' piney an do
esh' commenced to look gray an ex
ack. (lou a see it over there, FL mi
II you'll look sharp; behind that thu
uin tree There always seemed TO tut
a somethin' to KEEP that fellow tel
from tinishin' EN-, an dom the loo
her Jobs round the farm-dear knows. SOC
IS always been shiftless enough. me
ongh. Either he couldn't get lust the II
nd o boards he wanted to finish the she
5-sty, or else he couldn't succeed in :
ldln' the right shade o red TO for
INT that barn with. But when I sin
erd tell how he'd sold all o his pigs, all
then told lorindy: of course. there an
mt any use in havin' a pig-sty when an
u hadn't any pigs to put in it, see
ought should die a~-laugh,n', al. gre
)ugh ! was just as mad as could he beg
the time. There was a lot of other tidi
uses that can't rec'lect lust this bic
mute; but Clorindv's never accepted SOS
of EN-, an although she's been ridt
n an KEEP to her word. she been apa
as kind an gentle to Jabe, an still
ng to him the same as though he =.
a man TO he leaned on. But it's cam
re on her dreadful, Oh, Elvirv, lust how
how she must love him, She now
find in him somethin' that none che,
20 ,ah sue clos
9th women wiped their eyes, and fain
was a silence while they looked war
he couple on the ridge. kne
wish ] was neal enough to see an, way
r all that's been goin' on up there oh,
Miss Elvira. an
wo weeks had passed and Mrs. Stet. His
stood on her front porch looking but
up the road. IF Elviry don't bed,
C pretty soon," she murmured to Clor
elf, II shall just bust. Cats are chile
W good company" she continued. hanc
he buff cat rubbed himself vigor. worl
y against her, IAN hens are awful that
win. but there ONE times when he m
feel as though you wanted a fell her i
to talk to. Well, there, ishet
at amt Elviry now, walkin' as place
Sh hothin' hadn't happenedy' and just
swooplng hens and cat off the 'Clor
n, Mrs stetson went forward to An S
! her friend, There was an air of he XII
ressed excitement and determine. an
about her and an intensity of ex. picioI
son as she peered over her glasses, short
n made all superfluous converse. seem,
such as a greeting, seem out of 1T