The rustler., 1891-11-06
CL0RINDYs STORY.
How II Really Game 70 an End
at Last

IN about ten miuuteas said Mrh Hannah
Stetson. rocking slowly back and forth
In her little yellow rocker. as she laid
down her knitting . moment 10 shade
her eyes while looking In that dircc-
ton. I've got 40 In the habit O.
watchin' for 'em that l find myself
sort O. worryin' when they don't appear.
an calc'latin that Clorindy must be
sick or somethin' ! don't worry much
about Jabc. though; trust him 20 be
tough enough for n whole regiment.
But then. don't s'pose they've missed
mectin up there in summer more'n 4
dozen times the past four years; an
they keep Il mp pretty late IN the fall,
toa II you'll believe me, I've seen EN-
up there In the winter with the snow
on the ground an the wind BLOWN
Clorindy's clothes all around her while
she stood there = quiet an meek as n
lamb. You might hlEen JRbe 10 the
shearer. There they be" and Mrs
Stcts ON stepped 20 the end Of the porch.
followed by her friend and visitor.
Miss Elvira Woodhouse. who. being OF
romantic turn of mind, although
somewhat scared and withered by time.
took lively interest in the matter.
Poor dearvH continued Mrs Stctson,
after gazing mournfully at the couple
for n moment. aud shaking her head
slowly as she resumed her seat; ''an
that's all she's got. after waitin' more'n
four years for that great fool Of a Jabe
Hutchins; a piece o. bare rock TO see
him on. an not the least chance o his
ever marryin' her-or rather her ever
maryin' him."
Miss Elvira coughed slightly, and
gave n little sigh.
But there" said Mrs Stetson, ~
promised to tell you all about IT, FL
viry. from the very beginnin'; and here
I'm commencin' Mt the very endin', as
You might say. But it's all OWN to
my not bein' able to bring my mind to
bear on your bein' stranger in these
parts II seems sort o queer 20 think
o. anybody's livin' an not KNOWN
Clorindy's story. I'll just turn my
chair round SOS not to see Jabe Hutch
ins. He kind o. riles Inc up So"
"Clorindy amt much TO look at now;
but II You could have seen her Us
used 70, with her cheeks as red rs
roses, an her blue eyes bright an
shinin', you'd never forget il, but kind
o. still put the red cheeks in the place
of her pale ones, an the shinin' eyes in
the place of her sad ones Just as ! do.
Clorindy amt but twenty-eight now,
an Of course that amt old. II she'd
married she'd have been called n young
woman now, but as long as she didn't
she seems like sort of an old maid, an
yet not exactly like one, neither, as
she says she still expects to marry
Jabe.
"Clorindy used to have ever so many
followers from the time she was seven
teen or thereabouts, an we used TO
calc'late among ourselves that she'd
take first this one, an then that one;
partic'larly Hiram Scott's son, who
was the likeliest young man around,
an Just ready 10 eat Clorindy up with
his eyes when she sung in the choir.
But she let 'em all 20, one after anoth'
cr, an Just when we was gettin' all
pretty discouraged at the way she was
goin' on, she appeared at meetin' on a
Sunday mornin' with Jabe Hutchins.
Clorindy looked so happy an Jabe set
so like u bump on n log at her side, that
we all knew what it meant. My,
want we surprised" Mrs. Stetson
dropped her work in her lap while she
looked absently at the distant hills,
and seemed to see the bright young
face in the pew at church
''But that was four years ago." she
ooas;nu,d ttNNa oil aeotydaI round
her after meetin' was over TO try an
say somethin' pleasant on her account
an her mothers. But twas awful
hard work. Not but what everybody
liked Jabe; ! don't s'pose he had an
enemy in the world, except himself; an
that was just the trouble. You liked
him because you couldn't help your
self, considerin' his sweetness o. dis
position, an also cause it want worth
while doin' anything else. Although
was feelin' like death, couldn't help
smilin' to myself for the life o. me to
hear all those people sayin' the same
thing to Clorindy-'Jabe's awful good
natured, anyhow in the perlitest man.
ner possible, an yet sort o. helpless,
too. as IL they felt they want quite
doin' their duty by her" Mrs. Stet-
son laughed gently. and then, after
shooing the hens off the porch with her
apron, and iuquiring anxiously of her
friend il she was ''pufickly comfort
able" resumed her discourse.
"Well, guess we didn't any of us do
very much tallxin the next few weeks
except about Clorindy an Jabe. We
KEEP at that stiddy"
There, they're a-settin' down now"
interrupted Miss Elvira, IAN he's TAX
in her hand"
"Yes, dare say; ! know all their
motions" said Mrs. Stetson, dryly
without turning around. But rvc got
TO hurry up with this story If expect
to finish 1t before candle-time"
''Clorindy an Jabe commenced right
off to use that ridge as meetin'-place.
Most likely because it was just half
way between their two houses, an
then it always gave n good view of the