Middletown transcript., 1892-06-16
Mr.. HARKINS'S NIECE.

village Of Compton Elms. including
the Flint family. The village govern
ment was an oligarchy composed Of
Flints and their retainers. Mrs
Jacob Harkins. nee Flint. was never
weary ofimpressing ON Mr.. Harkina
the vast superiority Of the Flints over
the rest of mankind. Some people
thought it would have been better for
Mr.. Harkins if Mrs. Harkins had re-
mained Flint. There was vulgar
ism in common use in the village to
the effect that if anybody picked
Uncle Jake Harkins up for fool
they would have to drop him pretty
quick. The truth was that Mrs. Har.
kins had made that slight mistake and
had found herself unable to drop him
afterward. "You know, Mr.. Harkins,
what kind of folks the Flints are, u
Mrs. Harkins would say.
Uncommon Gurus folks, I know"
Mr.. Harkins would reply.
Mr.. Harkins had several exaspera.
ting peculiarities. One was deaf.
ness that varied according to whether
he wished or did not wish to hear
q
Mrs. Harkins. Another was the total
inability of the whole tribe Of Flint,
singly or en- naasse, to move him one
inch from the even tenor Of his way
Still another was his fondness for his
wife's niece, Rose Haller, who, by the
pervsrsity Of destiny, was no more a
Flint than she was q Montmorency
although her mother had been Anne
Flint, own sister to Mrs. Harkins.
"Wife's relations is powerful
troublesome but Rose Hallsrll most
likely git all me and Mis- Harkins
has saved up. Savin' woman Mis-
Harkins,--born Flint; most of 'enl
is born skinfints, I say" was a fre-
quent remark Of Mr.. Harkins.
1t was against the Flint traditions
to receive the prodigal with open
arms. Therefore, when poor Anne
Flint came back to Compton Elml
I four years after running a#aF With
one Haller,-a college student from
somewhere in the South, "where the
poor negroes used to be tied up and
beaten till they bled to DEATH" said
all the Flints, who held young Haller
directly responsible for these atrocities,
mo plying hand was held out to her,
no friendly door was open to her.
Deacon Haverstraw, who had married
her eldest sister, met her the first day
she got to Compton Films, as she
walked down the familiar shady street,
holding little dark-eyed girl by the
hand.
Deacon, don't you know mef"
| said poor Anne, throwing back her
widows veil and showing pale and
altered face.
mo, young woman, I don't know
ye," said the deacon. putting ON bis
death. and. .hell.fre countenance with
which he was won't to preach judg-
msnt to come on slnners in the grim
Westinghouse on Sundays. II don't
know ye, say" he continued, little
louder, observing how poor and pinch
ed his sister.in.law looked. "When
young folks is stiA.necked and rebel
lieus and goes against their superiors,
and unbeknownst to their payments
goes and gifts married, then say,
Touch not the unclean thing; come
come ye out from among them the
wrath OF the Lord be upon them"
"And vet I am your wifs's sister" "
said Anne faintly, red spot coming
on each pallid cheek.
You was: but you amt now.
Good-mornin'. I hope the Lord will
touch your heart and show you the sin
and iniquity Of your COINS on" re-
piled the deacon, pounding his old
mare into trot and leaving the
widow clutching the childish hand
within hers little tighter.
"That mans God is not the God of
the fatherless and the widow" she
said.
Just at that moment she saw Uncle
Jacob Harkins come slouching down
the village street. Now, it had been
considered come-down for Sairey
Jane Flint to marry Jacob Harkins,
and Anne remembered that in the
days of her youth and folly she had
made game of Uncle Jake's queer
ways and uncouth looks, she dared
not speak; but when he came close
and stopped, and stood with his honest
eyes full OF pity, the little girl ran
forward and caught his great paw be-
tween her little rose.leaf hands and
made some pretty childish noise that
went straight to Uncle Jake's heart.
You're Anne Flint that was -
said Uncle Jake. "And this is your