The Colfax chronicle., 1892-01-09
CLORINDY'S STORY.
How It Really Came to an End
at Last.

'.You'll see em up there on the bridge
Ia about ten minutes, said Mrs. Hannah
Stetson, rocking slowly back and forth |
in her little yellow rocker, as she laid
down her knitting a moment to shade |
her eyes while looking in that direc-
ton. "rve got SO in the habit O
for 'em that find myself
sort O. worryin' when they don't appear,
an calc'latin that Clorindy must be
sick or somethin'. don't worry much
about Jabe, though; trust him to be
tough enough for q whole regiment.
But, then, / don't s'pose they've missed
meetin' up there in summer more'n
dozen times the past four years; an
they keep it up pretty late in the fall,
too. II you'll believe me, I've seen 'em
up there in the winter with the snow
on the ground, an the wind BLOWN
Clorindy's clothes all around her while
she stood there 8 quiet an meek as q
lamb. You might liken Jabe to the
shearer. There they bew and Mrs
Stetson stepped to the end OF the porch
followed by her friend and visitor,
Miss Elvira Woodhouse, who, being OF
q romantic turn of mind, although
somewhat scared and withered by time,
took a lively interest In the matter.
ssPoor dearv' continued Mrs. Stetson,
after gazing mournfully at the couple
for a moment, aud shaking her head
slowly as she resumed her seat; IAN
that's all she's got, after waitin' more'n
four years for that great fool OF Jabe
Hutchins; q piece o. bare rock to see
him ON, an not the least chance o his
ever marryin' her--or rather her ever
marryin' him."
Miss Elvira coughed slightly, and
gave little sigh.
but there" said Mrs. Stetson. II
promised to tell you all about it. FL
viry, from the very beginnin'; and here
I'm commencin' at the very endin', as
you might say. But it's all OWN to
my not bein' able to bring my mind to
bear on your bein' a stranger in these
parts. 1t seems sort O. queer to think
O. anybody's livin' an not KNOWN
Clorindy's story. I'll just turn my
chair round SOS not to see Jabe Hutch
FMS. He kind o. riles me up So"
s.Clorindy amt much to look at now;
but IL you could have seen her as
used to. with her cheeks as red az
roses, an her blue eyes bright an
shinin', you'd never forget it, but kind
o. still put the red cheeks in the place
of her pale ones, an the shinin' eyes in
the place of her sad ones, Just as / do.
Clorindy amt but twenty-eight now,
an of course that amt old II shed
married she'd have been called q young
woman now, but as long as she didn't
she seems like sort of an old maid. an
vet not exactly like one, neither. al
she says she still expects to marry
Jabe.
ssClorindy used to have ever so many
followers from the time she was seven
teen or thereabouts, an we used Il
calc'late among ourselves that she't
take first this one, an then that one
particularly Hiram SCOTS son. wht
was the hkeliest young man around
an Just ready to eat Clorindy up will
his eyes when she sung in the choir
But she let 'em all go, one after anoth
er, an Just when we was Rettin' al
pretty discouraged at the way she was
goin' on, she appeared at meetin' on ,
Sunday mornin' with Jabe Hutchins
Clorindy looked SO happy an Jabe Sc
so like bump on log at her side, tina
we all knew what it meant. My
want we surprisedr' Mrs. Stetsol
dropped her work in her lap while sh'
looked absently at the distant hills
and seemed to see the bright younl
face in the pew at church
'But that was four years ago." sh
continued. "we all crowded roun'
her after meetin' was over to try an
say somethin' pleasant on her accoun
an her mother'a But twas awfu
hard work. Not but what everybod.
liked Jabe; don't s'pose he had Al
enemy in the world, except himself; ar
that was just the trouble. You like
him because you couldn't help your
self, considerin' his sweetness o. dis
position, an also cause it want wort
while doin' anything else. Although
was feclin' like death, couldn't hel
smilin' to myself for the life O. me t
hear all those people sayin' the sam
thing to Carbohydrates awful good
natured. anyhow in the perlitest mar
ner possible, an yet sort O. helpless
too. as il they felt they want quit
doin' their duty by her." Mrs Ste'
son laughed gently, and then, afte
shooing the hens of the porch with he
apron, and inquiring anxiously of he
friend If she was ''pufickly comfor
able" resumed her discourse.
''Well, guess we didn't any Of us d
very much talkin' the next few week
except about Clorindy an Jabe. W
KEEP ut that stiddy."
There, they're a-settin' down now,
interrupted Miss Elvirs, IAN he's tai
in her hand"
"Yes, / dare say; know all the
motions" said Mrs. Stetson, dryl,
without turning around. but I've g
to hurry up with this story il I expe'
TO finish it before candle-time."
''Clorindy an Jabe commenced rigl
OF to use that ridge as q meetin'-plac
Most 1sEo1v hona,sco ~ uoe inst hal