News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1891-07-23
Miss FGrObia's Failure.

You're a Stannln In yer own light,
Feroby"
Timothy Filbert shook his head
solemnly as bespoke. Hewas a large
man, with small, light-blue eyes, and
a chronic stoop in the shoulders, sug-
gestive of too steady application to
the plow.
"You're a stannin' in yer own
light" he repeated, impressively.
"Mebbe you're right, Timothy"
admitted his sister meekly. She was
not naturally of q meek disposition,
but there are times when the most
spirited person feels crushed out by
circumstances, and such a moment
had come to Miss Ferobia. Timothy
felt somewhat placated by the uneX-
pected admission.
''Tain't toolate yet, he suggested,
briskly, taking his seat at the break
fast table, were his sister was already
pouring the coffee. You Jest say the
word, Feroby, an I'll give Jason
Smallweed hint that you've chang
ed yer mind"
His pale-blue eyes glanced inquir-
ingly at his sister, but Miss FerObia's
momentary meekness seemed to have
vanished as unaccountably as it had
appeared.
II haven't changed my mind" she
retorted with much asperity. Il
won't marry Jason Smallweed. nor
nobuddy else. I'll stay right here an
keep house for you the balance of my
days"
Timothy wriggled uneasily. He
had his own reasons for not appre-
ciating the generous offer. To forti-
fly himself for the disclosure which
must be made he swallowed half his
coffee at a guip.
'I-I-the truth is, Feroby," he
stammered, with a crimson counte-
nance, 81 felt so sartin was a-goin to
lose you, II asked Nancy Garget,
an she said she'd have me-"
The cat was out of the bag now,
and Timothy mopped his face with
his handkerchief and breathed a sigh
of relief.
But Miss Ferobia, like a sensible
woman, bore the shock bravely.
"And how soon am to- give up my
SlUuaUlOn! Sne asked.
Timothy grew uncomfortable again.
"Hey? Ohl-why-you needn't be
in a hurry. 1t won't come off fur a
week yet," he hastened to explain.
"An', of course, you know l wouldn't
hev nothin' agin yer stayin' right
along, same as ever, only Nancy
she"
''You couldn't hire me to stay"
was the reussuring answer, and Tim
othy congratulated himself on hav-
ing the matter so easily settled. 'It
puzzled me consider ble to know why
Timothy was so sot on me changin'
my mind" reflected Miss Ferobia, as
she washed up the breakfast dishes
and polished the knives and forks.
But it's plain as pike-staff now. l
might O. knowed he was sayih' one
word fur me and two fur hisself."
Miss Ferobia was as unlike her
brother in appearance as she was in
disposition.
while he was stoop-shouldered
shewas as straight san arrow. And
though, as she admitted, she was
'getting along" in years, her bright
eyes and fresh complexion contradict
ed the assertion.
AT her brother S request she remain
ed at her post until the wedding was
over and the bride installed in her
new home.
There was very little congeniality
between the two women, and Mrs.
Timothy Filbert was disposed to tri-
umph over her sister in-law.
81 Is'pose you wasn't a-cOuntin' on
your brother marryin',' she remark
ed, disagreeably, as she combed out
her ink-black treSses before the square
framed looking-glass in the best
room.
"He had a right to please himself"
rejoined Miss Ferobia, composedly.
But what are you going to do?"
persisted the bride. "As | told Tim
othy before promised to have him,
the house want big enough fur two
fam lies, an you couldn't expect to
stay after come"
can as | told him, 1 wouldn't stay
if he paid me for it, retorted Miss
Ferobia, emphatically.
ooh, you're mighty independent,
shifted Nancy, tossing her head. 81
suppose you're a-calculatin' to take
up with Jason Smallweed. You
wouldn't ketch me marryin' O. wild
derer," she added maliciously. eff |
couldn't be the table-cloth | wouldn't
be the dish-rag. But | s'pose he's
Hobsons choice with you"
The truth was that she was afraid
her sister-in-law might still manage
to retain a place in the household bv
hook or by crook, and she was deter
mined to provoke an alteration in
order to prevent such sequence.
But Miss Ferobia was not to be
drawn into a quarrel.
"He may be Hobson's choice. but
he's not mine," she returned, cooly.
Nancy, however, was as persistent
as a gnat or a gadfy.
Il don't doubt but what you'd
rather have Felix Byefield,'' she sug-
gested slyly; but you needn't to
count on gettin' him, for he's a-keep-
in comp'ny with the widder Cheese
man, an everybuddy says they're a.
goin' to marry after harvest. :"
1t was a random shot on Nancy's
part, but her black eyes sparkled with
malicious triumph as she saw by her
sister-in-law's burning cheeks that the
poisoned arrow had struck home.
Miss Ferobia deigned noreply, how
ever, but went coolly about prepara-
tiOns for her departure,