New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-10-09


round the room and one might judge that he APP
proved. for his face grew more and more pleasant
| Finally he said that he had called
| Bindv was not in n position to dispute that
| statement so she only made an indstlnctlve
murmur.
| He took out his handkerchief, passed 1t across
his forehead, and said that :" he had been think
in for some time that he would call
Another murmur from Blindy She tried TO
gay that it very pleasant weather, but rather
dry" but somehow she could not The clock
licked almost insolently. After awhile the gen
teman said that he always did like to hitch up and
call on old friends, and make new ones.
! Blindy said YES" and wished she had her
shoe and buttons within reach, so that she might
use her hands, for she did not know how long
this might last, nor how embarrassing it might be-
come.
She supposed, in hay kind OF way, that THIS
person had hitched up this particular OCCASION
! not that he might call on an old friend, but that
he might make a now one The idea was gently
pleasing to her Although she looking for
| Mial from the West, this expectation need not
preclude entirely tie possibility Of gentlemens
society
The stranger now informed her that his name
was Mann, and that he lived over in farnham
"lIebby you've heard Of me-
Miss Kibby shook her head, and felt that she
had been rcmss in not having heard of him.
I've been a member Of tho orthodox church
over there eoin' on thirty year. I'm person OF
means"
Blindy gave her murmu: in response TO this
piece of biography. She had conviction that
it was keenly interesting, bat she hardly knew
what it meant She was glad he was man OF
means. She would have guessed that
NJ Mann with Il
cradle emphasis, to refer you to most ANYBODY
in Farnham.'
Blindy desired to protest that no reference was
needed. but she hardly knew how to do it, and 80
only smiled and looked interested as she could
Furthermore. said Mr.. Mann, gazing round
the room again. ave been widower nearly
year | had a most excellent wife. | think II
amt no exa9geration to say that She made the
best butter Of any woman in the town OF farnham'
Blindy felt painful color creeping up from her
neck over her checks and forehead. She was
silent.
do YOU make butter, Miss Kihby?'
At this significant question Blindy longed In
vain for cool self possession. She could not
raise her eyes She managed TO answer that she
used to make good deal when her father was
living and that they kept lot OF cows, bu' that
now she had kind Of got ont Of the notion of it,
but snc GucSseu, lnOsV llktly, N'"'' 'VN' o.
the hang of it a2in."
"The great .hing is to get the buttermilk out
said Mr. Manu. with something like animation.
She said mceky that she knew il was.
After n few minutes more, during which abso-
lutolv nothing was said, the gentleman so and
explained again that he had thought he would call
He sail something also about "hltching up nut
Blindy was so confused that she did not catch 1t
all.
When he had reached the little entry, which he
almost filed he expressed a wish 20 call again next
Sabbath evening.
Miss Kibbys heart beat flutteringy that sh"
could not reply cohcrently No one VINO mas not
lived in Nev-Encland can know the full measure
Of such request as that now made by Mr. Mann.
To call on Sabbath evening.
She did not tell him he might come, but neither
did she tell him he must not come.
As he shuflcd heavily along the plank walk
no turncd to say that the great thing was t. git
all the buttcrmilk out; he glad she understood
that.
He nodded at her as she stood at the door after
he had gained The wagon seat. Then IN" sorrcl
horse trotted of in the direction Of farnham'
and Miss Kibby watched Mr.. Mann's broad back
until she could soc it no longer.
She did not know how the rest Of the dav. nor the
next lay passed. She sat down and worked lever
ishly on the shoes until they were done She dla
them up and carried them down to the village -
the factory She went home and cleaned tn" back
shed. When night came she sat down with Mails
letters but somehow the words ran together, ana
didn't seem to mean anything. II was the first
time they had ever done So and she felt that this
might be a crisis in her life
She tried hard to feel n tender sentiment when
she read over Malls assertion that as soon as ne
could sec his way clear, he should come for hcr.
These lines now made her accuse herself oil being
a tickle holow-hearted woman
"Tm lest like them folks in novels that amt
faithful" she whispered in awe at her owr SUD
denly suspected capabilities in the direction OIL
f,lscncss 10 lovers vows II did not count for
ANYTHING with her that she had every reason 70
believe that Mial had long since forgotten hor
Although She accused herself in this way she
was conscious that the situation was full Of an
enjoyment which she did not pretend to under
stand She had kind Ct sense that it was like
boirc in q novel instead Of merely reading IT.
Tho next morning she could not settle to any
work and she nut on her sunbonnet 10 run over
IN Mrs Loobv's She met that lady coming care
fnly alon: the dusty highway to call on her
Every EXPRESSION was carefully excluded from
Ure Joobv,s face She said " il was so dry there
couldn't nothin grow" and Blindy snd h"r GU
cumbors were Jest about crisp AMI wouldn't
amount To nothin now, even II it did rain. She
turned and walked toward hcr own bone, ana
whom they had entered the cool kitchen Mrs.
LOBBY pushed back her shaker and announced
that she had como over to get BindyS rcccipl
for. sugar seed-calics She never had 10 luck
with her own receipt
While Miss Kibby turning over the leaves
Of her carcfully-kept cook book her visitor taxed
with more than usual volnbllity. careful CD
server might have thought she was trying 10
approach certain subject 1ihahy BIC en-
claimed:
M husband he'd caller yiserdy
Blindy thought Of her own caller and biushcd.
CHI ala NOT sneak but waited with her finger on
III nf spn0-caIns