Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1891-10-16
AIDA.

life!" said Miss Miriam Mills.
"So-what?' qucried the deacon.
Miss Miriam laughed.
ayes, know" said she, 81 don't
s'posc you can iiud tile word in the
dictionary. But it expresses just ex-
actly my meanin'. I'm puzzlcd-driv
to my wits end"
The deacon laid down the milestone
wherewith he was sharpening his
scy lie blade
'NNhat about, Miriam?' said he.
"About Aida. There's her name,
to begin wiill!'
"It is sort of a queer namc," adj
miltcd the deacon, smiling.
lie was not young man, but wien
he smiled his whole ruggcl face
lighted up like a beam of sunshine
on a rough rock, and his dark-gray
eyes sparkle
Opposite him stood Mis-, Miriam.
tall and lean, Ike bean-polc, dressed
in lilac calico, and topped Of with a
knob of sandy hair,
She was fully tea years older than
the deacon, an by virtue of those ten
years rul.d him as an indugent
mother rules little boy.
Bat could gel along with that"
said Miriam. "Shc d da't name her.
self, an don't s'po,c she's to blame
for the outandishncss of the thing.
But | can't do no:hin' with her. That's
why I'm nabbcrgastcd!" :"
"You picked her out yourself
didn't you, at the Home for Homeless
Girls?"
COZ course | did. But she don't
pear like the same girl now that she
did then. She was q little downcast
thing, as pale as a sheet, and quivc. :
ing all over, if You did but lock ut
her, an twas all you could do TO get
Yes an 'No' out of her. But now"
Dwell, ain't she qu.ct enough
now?"
"Quiet! heerd the greatest
soraechin' yesterday, an | ran to the
ten-acre medder, maxim sure the
black bull had broke loose, an there
was Aida on the very tiptop of Bal
loon Rock, with her hands claaped
over her head, hollerin'.
i" Mercy me" says |, what's the
matter?'
"'Nothin',' says she, lookin' sheep
ish. but the sun shonc an the birds
was whistlin', an I felt just like
singin'. Mother used TO sing says
she.
"'Where?' says I.
"'On the stage says she.
"'An omnibus stage?' says |.
"No,' says she; where the people
and the footlights are. But mother
died o consumption, says she.
"And last week | went out TO the
barn to git some eggs, aud there she
was curied up in the haymow, readin'
".Alda, says |, 'why amt you to
work? set you to weedin' them
young beets.
- j did weed EN- says she, till l
was ii ed; and I'm goin' back to work
when Pm rested
"'Look here, says /, 'this won't
do! You can't come and go as you
choose. You're my girl now, and
you've got TO do as say
''And she never answered word,
bit just threw down the book and
flashed out like streak o lightnin'.
And there in the barn chamber, when
went into it, was the biggest lot O.
tixins! She had part;tioned it of
with the horse blankets, and there was
the wooden settee in one, and lot o.
posies in no handled pitcher in an
other, and lot of old picture-papers
in another.
"Aldar says ], callin' out of the
window, whats all this?'
"'It's home,' says she.
i" 'Fiddlesticks says /. Come and
clear 1t all right out. l want this
room to store things in
"And then she began TO cry.
a. i never had a home BEFORE saws
She. Cant keep this one?'"
.Poor chidw said the deacon, feel
ing the edge of his scythe to sec il
it was sharp enough. '.It was most
a pity to disturb the place, want it?'i