The rustler., 1891-11-06

We'll nobody s'pcscd they'd b. mar
ned short 81 q year. kay the next
spring. but ne did czlc'iate pretty
freely on that. an laid car plans A.
eordln'. For Instance. turnsd the
6readths Of my black six. so's b have
Il In readiness. an Mis- Fisher did the
same thing with her gray. Susan foi-
lard bought a new wreath for her bun.
nit stead o. waitin' TN the next spring.
which would have been more thrifty.
But the spring an summer came an
went Then Ne said We sposed she
preferred the cool o. the fall. but that
came aud went. too People then com
menced 90 talk. an show morc interest
an ask more pinted questions than
really they was called on 90 make.
Hut Clorindy never answered en-; an.
although she was always sweet an
gentle In her ways. there was a some
thin about her that KEEP people Of;
she's been that way ever sence she was
q little girl For wonder. Jabe held
his tongue. too But finally Il leaked
out i've always suspieioned twas
Clorindy's mother that told H. secin'
she was most likely 20 know. an has
always been such perfect sieve she
couldn't keep n secret over night 10
save herself"
well, now. Elviry, what do you
s'pose twas? What do You s'pose has
KEEP Clorindy and Jabe apart these four
years. an yet brought 'em nearer to-
gether all the time, as Il 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"
Yes" continued the narrator. salts
fed with the effect she had produced,
twas Just that an nothin' more. II
seems that Clorindy asked Jabe. Just
after they was engaged, when he was
goin 10 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 II, but waited
almost year. an then told him she
want willin' TO be married till they
was attended 90. You see, she knew
Jahe Just as well an better'n most
folks by that time. an mistrusted that
II 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; leastwis,
he's never said So Still. time went on,
- 49,. f.stN GWt M IA.
new barn stead o. lookin' piney an
fresh commenced TO look gray an
black. you can see II over there, Ell
viry. II you'll look sharp; behind thai
, elum tree.l There always seemed to
be n somethin' to KEEP that fellow
back from finishin 'em, an doin' the
other Jobs round the farm-dear knows
he's always been shiftless enough
; thought Either he couldn't get Just tho
, kind o boards he wantedto finish IN,
pig-sty, or else no couldn't succeed II
hndin' the right shade o. red q
.. paint that barn with. But when
heerd tell how he'd sold all o. his pigs,
an then told Clorindy: OF course, ther,
want any use in havin' pig-sty wher
you hadn't any pigs TO put in IL,
thought / should die a-laughin'. al
though was just as mad as could bs
: : all the time. There was lot of other
excuses that l can't reclect just thii
; minute; but Clorindy's never accepted
any of 'em, an although she's beer
firm an KEEP to her word, she beer
just rs kind an gentle to Jabe, an
clung TO him the same rs though h,
/, was a man to be leaned on. But III
! wore on her dreadful. Oh, Elviry JUS
think how she must love him! Sh,
must find in him somethin' that non,
of MS can see"
Both women wiped their eyes, ant
there was a silence while they looked
: at the couple on the ridge.
81 wish was near enough to see an
hear all that's been goin' on up there,
said Miss Elvira.
Two weeks had passed and Mrs. Stet
son stood on her front porch looking
anxiously up the road "If Elviry dom
/, come pretty soon," she murmured tc
herself II shall Just bust Cats art
pretty good company" she continued
, | - Ah' Jun iAb Nlkbl'
ously against her, "an' hens are awful
! KNOWN. but there comes times when
you feel as though you wanted fel
low-creature to talk to. Well, there
If that amt Elviry now, walkin' as
though nothin' hadn't happened! and
hastily swooping hens and cat off the
porch, Mrs. Stetson went forward to
meet her friend. There was an air OF
suppressed excitement and determine.
ton about her and an intensity of ex.
preston as she peered over her glasses,
which made all superfluous converse.
tion, such as greeting, seem out OF
place.
Miss Woodhouse's tragic form sank
on the first step as she whispered;
Hannah Maria Stetson, who's dcad?''
"Now, Elviry Woodhouse, ifyoull Just
get up an come an set in this little
rocker I've got out for you, I'll tell you
about the goln's-on sence you left, "
was the firm reply "Somethin's hap
pened that's worth talkn' about