The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-11-23
DELPHINE'S DEVICE.

Delphiny, your contrary mndedness ez
q wearin me inter my grave but if yer
don't want to try on yer wctldin dress. Won
KIN wear 1t a-ittin you good or bad fur all
me" said Mrs. Long, or the "Widder
sam" ~ she was called by the neiphbors
regarding her pretty daughter ruefully
over her silver trimmed spectacles. "Ineyer
see girl make sech n finder about pittin
married, n there hain't likeier nor II
genteeler man in the hull keounty then
the elder she continued cXcitedly
That's So" said Mrs. Sampson. the
dressmaker. breaking her thread with the
force of her conviction; che hain't one o.
them shif'less kind that breaches fur pork
n taller candles out er folkses sullars m
stores. but jest s5ts up fur his pny in money
like anybody else, IN he gifts it, tew," the
dressmakcr went on. Mis- Isril Baker
don't git no chance to change the gospil
fur n tub O. soft soap when he's consumed
tell you. He's got ez good a farm ms
there is in the state. N frame house cz
snug n neat ez yeou please. He's a-goin
TO put up front yard fence. tew, come
spring. He told me SO the other day"
but l detcst the man, mother" said
the slender, dark eyed girl, whose brow
wore anxious lines, but whose clear.
brave eyes shone with II determined light
which bodied i'll for the success of her
mothers plans. IL have told you over and
over again that would never marry him.
Still, if it will be any satisfaction to YOU.
will try on the dress"
You re talkin nonsense, Dclphiny. You
know ez well ez dew tibet the weddin day
ez fixed fur day after tewmorrer, IN tcw.
morrer the elders a-comin up with his
friend, Elder Knight. Miss Sampson
brought me word. by way of Seth Per
kins. ! can't say I'm sorry tits so soon,
nuther fur you hain't bin consolin
darter tew me no way. The 'cademy edi-
cation at gin you hez only set yeou ND
fore yeour folks. N when | lay my
self eout for your own good. N will tibet
yeou shell marry genteel II intew the gos-
Pill, yeou go'n get your mind sot on n young
Teller tibet haint got nothin but store
clothes n sarcy N glib tongue to reck-
crmcnd him. A kind O. furriner, tew, Twin
away off up in Canada. with the Lord only
knows what kin 'ur bringin up. The
elder said did wrong when | harbored
SIGH character under my roof, fur idleness
is the mother ev vice. N he spent two hull
months a-doin nothin but huntin and fishin.
with plenty of sly courtin thrown in
when my back was turned. 'spose prober
able"
1T wouldn't make any difference if had
never seen Tom, mother; nothing would
induce me to marry Elder Taylor if there
wasn't another man in the world" And
Delphine hastily removed the stone colored
silk gown which had been chosen by the
united heads of her mother and three aunts
as suitable for n preachers bride, and
left the ROOM
The wide kitchen door was open, over
looking sunny fields and the blue gloom of
far stretching pine woods. She stood there
few moments with her hands clinched
tightly together. and with almost despair
ing eyes, which were fixed on the road
which wound beyond the fields like d
brown thread into the hilly distance
"Oh, why doesn't Tom Gomez" she said
half aloud. "He must have got my letter
in time, or can it be that he wasn't at
home when the letter reached Stanford?
will not believe that he is the fathless, de-
ceiving william which mother and the rest
of the family declare him to be. Oh, no.
Something must have gone wrong or he
would certainly have been here by this
time to save me from this dreadful
marriage. What shall do?''
Delphine stared about her in despair, and
suddenly her eyes were fixed on huge
brass Kettle that was suspended from the
rafters overhead What grand hiding
place that would bel Rather cramped, but
she was tiny person. and it would hold
her, she was sure. Tom would get her let
ter, and must comein twenty-four hours.
She could see from her lofty perch the first
moment the stage came in sight She
blessed her grandmother for having left
this precious gift, only used once year for
making apple butter.
She climbed up on a great wooden bench.
and from thence to the kettle to try it.
Delphine was n squirrel for climbing. 1t
held her. She could stay there and be on
the spot when Tom came.
She rose softly Mt o'clock the next
morning and put on her wedding gown
bonnet and also that her mother might
think she had gone on a journey. She
smugged some provisions and hid them in
the caves near by.
Through the chinks in the upholstered
wall she could see the sun rise. Then she
heard her mothers high pitched voice,
and Barbary came just under where the
kettle hung to peel her potatoes.
"Wot's up this morningS" asked Seth.
stopping near her.
why. don't you know tewmorrer's Del
phiny's wedding day2 We're a-goin to
bake the cake" said Barbary.
IL did think tibet Delphiny wouldn't
give in to her ma, 'baout margin the
cider. Did you know how awful sot she
was agin iti Pears tew me the gal acts
kind er queer, naow; tew resignedlike all
OF sudden. shouldn't wonder Of some
thin was a-goin to happen tibet ha'n't
looked fur" biting a red apple with sig
niiicant tightness.
"Sho!" exclaimed Seth. dropping; his en-
pacious pan and opening his pale blue
eyes to their widest extent IL want To
knaowl''
"Barbnry, wish you'd run up stairs N
call Delphiny; she'd orter know enough to