The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1891-01-14

Something WINNIE Grange into 81
veritable specter.
Its kind o spooky,p the widow
Doble said to herself. Il do wish 2
hadn't let Hannah Jane 70 BY herself
do wish hadn't"
So she walked on until the village
stones were beneath her feet and the
store in SjShg, Ms, Coots stsnlsr.. On
rs step, arms a&jmbo, Is though busf
ness was over tor the evening
Il got scared about Hannah she
was gone 80 long, Mrs. Doble SAID. her
breath shortening. her voice a little
faint, Did she come into the store.
Priscillyf"
oh, yes, for that muslin, said
Mrs. CoOtS, mot ten minutes AGO.
was real sorry. You see. I cheated Won
without KNOWN it, Some of the nun.
bers is rubbed off the yard marks on
the counter, and my glasses got broke
and without EN- | couldn't see good
I've been cheatin unpre1ueditated. so
| didn't take nythin' fur the extry
piece, ! gaass youl find Hannah to
hum when you go back. Probably
she took the cross road way. seem
kept her talkin', and there was one or
two in besides. They all got talkin'
too-kind of laughin' and skylarkin'
you know. Boys and girls together
young folks will We used to our
selves"
80 we did, Priscilly," said Mrs.
Doble. "But | must run home"
And away she sped, happy when the
light from her own window was visible
'Of course she came home cross road
way" she said to herself
But when she had opened the door
she saw that Hannah was not in the
room Neither was she upstairs in
either of the tidy bedrooms or in the
darkened parlor
Shes stopped somewheres or other
I suppose, she said. But that amt
ike my Hannah Jane, neither"
Out again she hurried into the gar
den, fearing to leave the gate lest tine
girl should come home while she was
away. But the o'clock bell rang
out, and still she stood there chilled
through and through, but most of all
cold at heart.
She had gone down to the village by
the cross roads; she had called her
daughters name over and over again
returning always to the gate-always
peeping in at the window to see if Han
nah had returned Now she bethoupht
her of neighbor who would help her
hunt for Hannah-who had men and
dogs and lanterns at command. Tie
awful stories told of girls found muir
dered in lonely places were making the
poor woman i'll with terror, and off she
went again.
The clock was striking 10; the farm
er was making the last rounds of sta,
bic and barn with his little son at his
heels.
''HalIoo, Mrs. Doblei" he cried,
Nothing wrongf'
Yes" she answered, grim and gray
in her mortal anguish-'yes; Hannah
is missing - my Hannah - sence 3
o'clock-sence 6, anyway. She'd been
to the store-I'm thinkin' of tramps"
GOOD Ludl '' cried the farmer "Ob.
hope not, Mrs. Doble-I hope notn
Nothing is the matter, Mrs. Doble,"
cried the boy at his fathers side. Miss
Hannah has gone on the cars. | saw her
at the depot. She was along with jeff
Larkin. Seven o'clock train they took
She had quite stable bag, for saw
her get it from the baggage master,
like he'd been keeping it for her"
Nothing the matter" the child had
said in his ignorance; but the father
understood why Mrs. Doble turned her
face to the side of the barn and shook
as with an ague.
Garry them kindlings in, Tom" he
said, and when they were alone his big
hand came down softly on the elderly
woman's spare shoulder.
Dunno as can help you any, Mrs
Doble, " he said, "but l feel for You"
THANK you," she gasped. II was
so afraid she'd marry him talked to
her. She didn't answer back; she
never does"
well, the best you can hope now is
that she will, " said the farmer.
He walked home with her across the
road and saw her seated in her rocking
chair
The biscuit were black Goals in the
oven, the tea kettle had boiled dry.
and the bottom, fiery red mass, had
dropped upon the stove. The cat was
drinking the milk, but for the first
time in her life Mrs Doble took heed
of nothing Even on the dreadful day
of her husbands death she had tidied
up her room as usual, had seen that all
was in order. Now she sat where her
neighbor had placed her, fearless white,
almost motionless, all night long. In
the morning neighbors aocked in and
put her to bed and gave her strong
green tea, and later the postman
brought paper with the marriage no
tees marked In blue pencil. There she
read:
ION the evening of the - of Octo-
Der, at the residence of the Rev. Sam
uel Dove, Jefferson Larkin to Hannah
Jane, daughter of the late John Doble,
all OF Strawville."
THAT ought to tighten your heart, "
said a well meaning friend, their be-
ing properly married"
'Of course l knowed they would
be, the mother answered sharply. II
brought her up to be decent"
A few days afterward she was up and
at her daily tasks again. She never
mentioned her daughter; no one ever
spoke to her People asked her to tea
often, thinking that she must be lonely. |
She always accepted their invitations.
Whatever her feelings were she locked
them in bpr bOSpup ap1 che foIlol ~.