Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1892-06-08
A MOTHERS MATCH.


Mrs. Farman was sweeping the best
room. She raised her voice and sent
1t In a strident cry into the kitchen
where her pretty daughter was iron
ing.
There vas moments silence.
"What ye want?" was finally the
petulant reply.
"Ain't that Joe Myers comm Tong
by old man Wingate's? Looks like i'm,
don't it?'
Foolish, foolish Mrs. Farman. Why
could she not have guessed that
Rachel's longing gaze had been fast
ened, from her window, on that tell
tale white horse and load OF grain ever
since they turned the corner by the
mill; that Rachers heart was beating
thumpl thumpl thumpl against her side
while she answered carelessl,:
"Mebbe tits. Seems some like his
rig" Then, after a bit OF silence.
"What ye want t. know for, map" as
If this Innocent speech could not stand
by itself.
80, nothing" feebly. "Ain't ye 60
in t. pick the peas fer dinnerP"
The girl set down her iron with an
impatient thud that brough dull blush
Of consciousness to her mothers cheek.
"Ye said ye didn't want none," was
the sullen answer.
Mrs. Farman frowned into her dust
pan as she poked the broom under the
squat little sto,e. Really, Rachel
seemed to have no wit at all. The pea
patch stood at such a convenient angle
TO the highway.
"Things didn't go like that when
was young" the simple woman mused
Folks es' KEEP comply tell they was
t be married an then they was mar
Iied, m no trouble'n quar'lin'. IT any
rate, twas so with me an jeremiah. F"
This was, indeed, the truth. The
late Mr.. Fan man ad found amost COM
PLEASANT listener to his tale OF love.
Meanwhile Rachel went on slammIng
her irons in the kitchen Neither her
angry sweetheart, driving in unhappy
heaviness along the dusty road, nor her
distracted mother, listening for some
cOnciliatOry sign, could kno v that her
eyes were too full or Fears to see her
work.
Mrs. Farman started suddenly In des-
peratiOn as the wa on drew near. L
got to train that rosebush by the gate, "
She muttered in self excuse, sieali z
softly out Of the door; "I been goin' to
do it all summer. 1t looks dretful. ~
Still she reached the fence without her
shears.
Joe had determined not to turn his
head toward the house; but, you see, he
had not counted upon the eager figure
in the tapping sunbonnet which leaned
across the palings and peered up into
his face. 1t had long been fayorite
joke at the corner grocery, Mr7. Far
mans pursuit of this eligible young
man, and he was possessed of no slecIal
fondness for so apparently willing a
mOther-in-law;y yet it would be outl u ,e-
Gus rudeness e. drive past when any
one stood waiting with speech for him
on her lips, If it was Rachel's mother,
and in front OF Rachel's home. lie
must see what she wanted and he must
stop old Jim TO listen.
''W'y, how dye do, Mr. Myers5" was
the first remark, with a clumsy attempt
at surprise, 81 amt seen ye this long
time. How's your map"
"She's tOl'able," Mr.. Myers answer
ed cOldlv, by no means appeased at this
polite addre 3. He was not in the hu-
NOR for a go-between. "You pretty
well, Mrs. Farman2"
She chose to consider this inquiry IN
its hrOadest sense.
"W'y, Pm enjoyin' good health, ="
the honest soul rel ined, I" IN 'th' boy 8
Is real rugged. But Rachel she seems
sort % peaked this summer. Don't
eat Eothin' m don't git 'er nat raj
sleep I'm worried bout Rachel"
The lines around Joe's mouth seemed
to tighten. "Boneset teas good" he
retorted coolly and gave his horse a
oluek.
Poor little Mrs. Fsrman made a
clutch at the gate railing. "Joe," she
said in high, shrill whisper, ''wat
jest minute. | want TO say somethin'.
Be ye mad at Rachel?'
"Well, ye know WY, eff | be-" roared
the injured youth, growing vety red.
II aln't never been treated 50 before IN
all my life. Made reg lar fool of like
thatl When l take a young lady''-
with superb pOliteness -''t' prayer
msetin' ! gen'rall expect t. see 'er
homa. That amt unreasonable"
''Oh, l know ye do" walled tile un-
happy mother, "but Rachel does feel
fearful bad, Joel don't see wot ever
made 'er go off that way with Ben Mar
tin. Most times, she wouldn't wipe 'er
ole shoes on I'm. 1t does seem, some
times as if girls was possest."
Joe was hot at all placated by her
distress.
"Ma says" be Interrupted In a tow
sring rage, "that you're crazy for th'
match on account of our hoidin' tn
mortgage on your place. But she says
anybody could see, with half an eye,
which way Rachel was lookin.' | guess
she's about right"
He slapped the reins upon old Jim's
back and started off grimly pa t his
horror stricken auditor.
''That amt So" pleaded Mr.. Far
nan, wringing her hands. Then, driven
to bumiliating confession by the exigen-
cles of this ptrplexing case: II taxed
'er," " she went on, with bein' heady
m Quarl'some, that night when we
got home, m says she:
"'Twant' that at all. Twas yOu'-
that was me-'a-pushin' forrard m ask
in ef Joe'd gone fer lis buggy; 'n' tell
in mustn't keep I'm waitin," says
she, an there stood Mrs. Myers,
with her nose up in tn alrl jes' felt
SICK o. TN hull thlng,' says she, AM
when Ben asst me, | slipped off with
him. An III do 1t ag' g'in Of We act Ike
thatl' Dye ever hear sech talk ter own
mother?"
She looked up through dim eyes to
the young mans softened face.
"Well," he began moving about IN
easily OH his seat, ''ef that's all, an ef
Rachel's wIllin' to 'pologiza-"
(which she sin't," cried a clear voice
from the porch. The cOnspirators look
ID up guiltily. OF course the gill has
known when Joe's wagon has stopped.
OF course, with her hard won acQuaIn-
tance with her mothers tactics, she
had come to see what followed. 81
thank ye very much, ma," she went on,
her blue eyes blazing with a pride
wounded unto death, "hut ye neenter
rt fore IN n