The Logan County banner. [volume] (Logan, W. Va.) 1889-1903, 1891-12-31

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70 hnrr mp with this story r. expect
70 finish Il before candle-timc." Al
this gentle reproof Miss Elvira relaxed
into silence, although still keeping her
eyes turned on the narrow ridge where
the increasing dusk made thee outlines
of the couple more and more indistincts
''Clorindy an Jabe commenced right
on TO use that ridge as meetin'-pl
Most likely because It was Just half
way between their two houses, an
then 1t always gave good view of the
settin, sun. Dear, deari how used TO
set and watch for 'em every~night, Just
to zee Clorindy in her clean, light cali
co, lockin', as knew. SO fresh an pref
ty IN the face falthough couldn't see
that from this distance), an Jabe a.
hoIdin' 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 'em do now.
Folks might think I'd been kind O
spyin' 'em all these years, but it amt
sol only that I'm a lonely old woman,
an they made company for me- be-
sides, Clorindy reminds me little OF
my 'Lisbeth.
We'll, nobody s'posed they'd be mar
ried short Of q year. say the next
spring. but we did calc'late pretty
freely on that. an laid our plans ac-
cordin'. For instance, / turned the
breadtis Of my black silk, SOS to have
it in readiness, an Mis- Fisher did the
same thing with her gray. Susan Pol
lard bought new wreath for her bun
nit, stead o. waitin' till the next spring,
whish 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
ap' ask more p'inted questions than
really they was called on to make.
Rut Clorindy never answered em; 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
5C1orindy's mother that told it, seem
she was most likely to know. an has
always been such a perfect sieve she
couldn't keep secret over night to
save herself"
! The crucial point in her story had
now arrived, and, fully appreciating it,
Mrs. Stetson came to full stop Her
needles clicked briskly as she cast
covert glances at her friends excited
face.
Well, now, Elviry, what do you
s'pose ,twas2 What do you s'pose has
KEEP Clorindy and Jabe apart these four
years, an yet brought 'em nearer to-
gethcr 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
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. 1t
seems that Clorindy asked Jabe, just
after they was engaged, when he was
goin' to finish, that pig-sty, paint his
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
Jabc just as well an better'n most
folks by that time, an inistrusted 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' Ito KEEP that fellow
back from finishin' 'em, an dom the
other Jobs round the farm-dear knows,
he's always been shiftfess enough,
though. Either he couldn't get just the
kind o. boards he wanted to finish the
pig-sty, or elsehe couldn't succeed in
findin' the right shade o. red to
paint that barn with. But when l.
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 / should die a-laughin'. al
though Twas just as mad as could be
all tile time. There-was lot of other
excuses that can't rec'lect just this
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 JADE, IAN
clung 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
hearall 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, Il 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 a fell
to talk to. Well, therel
il that amt Elviry now, walkin' as
though nothin' hadn't happenedp and
hastily sweeping hens and cat off the
porch, Mrs. Stetson went forward to
meet her friend There was an air of
excitement and determine
ton about her and an intensity of ex-
precision as she peered over her glasses,
i. 1. Ill x~.A.