The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1892-12-24

flowers again to give 'em another trial.
L wasn't thinkin' he meant to play me
trick, an was lookin' up at him, inno-
cent enough. Course he had his revenge
an his kiss-fore I knew it. was
clean took aback, for l want one to let
the boys take liberties in that way as
some girls do. All my Injun posies tum-
| bled IN heap to the ground, and Just
stood there, not KNOWN whether to laugh
or to cry.
Kit took one look at my face, then he
dropped down on his knees III front o.
me, an begun pickin' up my flowers as
fast as he could. Yes, Ireckon l can tell
you how he looked. Wait minute till [
put another stick on the fire. He was a
/ tall, broad-shouldered young fellow, dark
as was, naturally, an sun-burned
darker still, but he had handsome teeth,
an his eyes were clear and bright, the
sort that could flash EASTERN they could
cry-but they could grow tender for all
their keenness, an Pve seen 'em sad
enough for tears. Well, as l was tellin'
you, he picked up my flowers in great
hurry, an offered 'ein to me, still on his
knees.
Here they are, Rebecca," SEE he,
for maxim you drop 'em."
But l wouldn't look at him. 1 picked
up my basket an walked away; so then
he jumped up am come along too, takin'
the basket out o. my hand, fore L could
stop him.
What are you goin' to do with all this
stuff, anyhow" SEE he.
But l thought he'd got through his
apologizin' in rather too short order,
bein S | hadn't said nothin' bout for
glvin' him, so ] answered pretty stiff an
distant:
Its for grandfather; 1 won't trouble
you to carry it home for me. 1t amt
heavy"
Its no trouble, thank YOU" SEE Kit.
He'd slung the basket on the end of his
gun, an was carryin' it over his shout
der, an he went right on, tal1in' bout
June, am folks l knew in Essex, an
places he'd been to while he was away,
an one thing after another, just as I'M
concerned as could be.
IF l liked girl" SEE he lookin' at the
flowers in his hand, II should give her a
bunch O. these to remember me by"
III you liked dozen girls, you mean"
SEE l, for I'd heard o. Kit Madison afore.
If l liked dozen, 'twould be the
same as none at all" SEE he. "Only, one
would be different"
We'd reached grandfather's offset steps
by that time, an thanked him an took
my posies.
II can't ask you to come in," SEE I.
Grandfather don't like me to have much
company"
IN come some other time then, if 1
may" SEE Kit; 'have you forgiven me,
Rebecca ?"
Il don't see as it's any consequence
Whether have or not" SEE |. "YOu're
just as happy"
~, Pm not" SEE he, Ppm very miserable.
VIII you take this, Rebecca?" holdin'
out bit o. life everlastin'."
Course" SEE L, latter all my trouble, l
don't want to lose any of it.'
GU didn't have any trouble with that
piece" SEE Kit, Il picked it,
20, WELL" SEE l, ''every little helps.
when you're maxim pillow"
mats not goin' in pillow" SEE he.
W hat shall do with it then ?" SEE 1.
Put 1t in one o. grandtather's stews? |
don't s'pose he'd know the difference,
A thlng that's everlasting IS meant to
be kept" SEE Kit.
a lining that's everlasting IS pretty
hard to get rid off, SEE l. an he Went off
IN hurry.
| was glad he did, for grandfather was
out spnttln' up kindlin' wood. an, |
knew he'd have something to saw. /
LOOK my posles into the house an spread
EN- up IN the garnet to dry-all but two
punches put in the jars on the mantel:
l hadn't got my bitter-sweet after all. Won
see-an' the little piece Kit gave me.
Who was that you was talkin' to cut
to the door," SEE grandfather when he
came in with his kindlin' wood.
Kit Madison" SEE 1, flynn round.
lively, IS could, gettin' supper.
Il thought as much" SEE grandfather
an you may as well understand. Re-
becca, first as last, that l amt coin, fo
have nothin' o that sort goin' on here If
you're cut out after the same pattern as
your cousin Almiry, the sooner Won leave
the better. l can't be bothered in thai
way again-by Essex fellers Specially;
l didn't say nothin', but twas kinder
hard on cousin Almiry. She was a.
years old, an don't believe she'd ever
looked at man in her life till Deacon
Swan asked her to have him.
It's begun to snow, child, just as 1
told you. Look how thick it is down on
the river. Pm afraid you'll have a real
uncomfortable time gettin' home. You
don't mind 1t? Q, well, l didn't when |
was young.
The winter set in real early that year.
The ground was covered with snow nv
Thanksgivin' time. an grandfather an; I
went over in sleigh am spent the dav
with father an mother. was homesick
enough, when L went back AGAIN.
'Twouldn't "a been so bad if grand
tather'd only let me have some comnanv
| can't begin to tell you how the wind
howled round that great empty house.
We didn't use the main body of it never.
but just lived in a side wing, that was
built this way: First the keeDin' room
as grandfather called it, ioinin' the houSn.
that was parlor, Sittin room, kitchen am
dinin' room, all to once. On the end q,
that was storeroom and grandtather's
bedroom; mine was upstairs, over the
keepin' room, with windows on the north
side, am south side, too, Just as they was
downstairs.
Twas a slightly place. From nv south
windows l could see way down the river
past Essex, an a long stretch o. meadows.
all white an smooth, with never a track
across 'em. My north windows looked
up the steep hillside, covered with white
like all the rest, 'cept where the rocks am
the pine trees showed black under their
load o. snow.
Course the river froze up the first thing
an great blocks o ice lay piled am heaped
long the shore, an of all the unearthIv
noises that anybody ever listened TO. thai
rlverd make the worst at night, when
the tide was comm in. Twas 'nough 10
scare anybody to death If they didn't
know what twas. l never could get used
to it.
Well, the days was short, an kept to
work pretty busy. When night come
grandfather m l would sit down. one
each side the fire. I'd have NV knittin,
an he'd be stirrin' his herb teas, while he
talked an told stories. l was interested
in these stories, to be sure, but they made
me dreadful p'voked, for they was all
bout what lively times they used to have
in that house years ago, when he am
grandmother first come there to live am
keep the tavern. For you see l knew it
might be real pleasant, even then, if only
he was willin'. There was young folks
'nough, that would "a come if only he'd
let ZEN. The Madison boys did come
every once in a while. June had pretty
good luck bout not fndin' grandfather
to home, but he most always caught Kit,
He mortified me so l most felt I'd rather