New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-10-09
MISS KIBBY'S LOVERS.


the low ceiling. wherever she saw a fly. The I'M
suspecting insect dropped down into the innocent
looking death prepared for it. wriggled a little in
the simy mass, then still Patiently the
woman kent going with her arm held up, and the
flies kept falling.
She was not very tall, very thin. nor very
much of anything. She was strictly medium
She had hair which was neither very gray
thick. combed tightly off her forehead. She said
"shc couldn't do her work if her hair want out
of the way, AM twisted tight" 1t twisted
tight now; it VAS so very snug just above the
nape of the neck that seeing it involuntarily
felt the pulling of the hair from the roots. and
wished 1t might be looscned. But it never was
looeened. If you Miss Kibby. you saw her
with that knob of hair in just that place A
neghbor, who had suffered long from the sight
vcntured one time TO speak of this arrangement.
and TO suggest something which looked less tor
turing.
"Blindy,' said this friend, :" jest femme try to
do up your hair orcc. will YEP"
Belinda Kihby looked up from rolling out her
PIE crust.
Il hope" she said humbly, 81 amt offence
nor no stunblin' block to my neighbors. be I ?"
Size slapped small sheet of crust to
cracked pie late and nipped up the edge 50 that
it would hold the custard There was no reply
10 her question presently she went on in an al
most naudiblc voice:
There's two reasons why amt goin' 70 change
my notion of dom up my hair. One is, 5 I've
said hundred times, it's out the way. m can
work with il this way. The other is" she leaned
both fioury lands on the cake board and looked
at her friend. sinking her voice almost TO whis-
per he liked it So
Mrs. LOBBY felt very much subdued by this
loct bufS ho
was persistent woman. and she persisted
aud said
oh, land. Blndy, You needn't talk like that.
lie amt noheres round to see your hair. N amt
ben for twenty year n in all human probability
he never will be aglr. / wouldn't think no moro
of him, il was YOU"
But you amt me-" very Justly remarked
B!lndy, and 60 guess sha'n't never agree on
this subject I'm cApectin' to hear from him
every day now
With slight dignity of manner as of one who
was conscious Of having lover, though she might
not look as if she hal one: Miss Kibby lifted her
bowl of egg and milk and poured it into the
crust on the plate.
Notwithstanding all her past experience with
her friend. Mrs LOBBY was almost deceived. She
asked with quick interest:
Have We heard from him lately? ?"
Pm eXpectin' to-"
Mrs LOBBY could not help saying "Oh, dear"
impatieptly. Rising to her feet, she pushed her
chair back against the wall with almost a jerk.
Some folks are dretful foolish she said.
I'VE all have our ways of bein' foolish. re-
marked the other. who had deposited her pie in
the oven. ard now shut the door
Il guess I'll be gon'," said Mrs. LOBBY; Il
won't stay n hender you bout your work any
more"
You don't hender me nonc,' was the cordial
respopse Stay : long $ you feel you can
But Mrs LOBBY went down the narrow board
path and out at the gate. which clicked with de-
cison behind her
Miss Kibby stood a moment and looked through
her screen door at her departing friend. She held
herself very straight and the folds OF her clean
gown hung accurately about her.
Il s'pose that's what all the neishbors think.
she said aloud after "a moment. Then after
another moment she added. And d. know S
care if they do"
Being conscious that her fire just right,
and her pie doin, we'll as it could she looked
about for more flies two on the ceiling over
the sink. caught them in her tumber, Topped one
dead with a newspaper from his place on the wall
then standing in the middle Of the kitchen with
the folded paper in one hand and the tumbler in
the other, size repeated aloud with considerable
energy. And a know 5 | care if they do.
1t will therefore plainly be seen that B'lindy
Kibby did care because her neghbors thought she
was foolish about him" She cared. but there
was in her feeling curious kind of pride in the
fact tbats though she might be forsaken now,
there had been n time when she not forsa ken.
and had had her " beau like the other girls. 1t
was not every woman who could look back upon
the DAYS when she could boast an admrcr. She
knew Of three females right in the town who had
never even had anybody 90 home with them from
evening meeting. She was great deal better Oh
Imam they were She wouldn't complain. But
she wished he would write. He had been gone
almost twenty years. and it did seem as II nc
mi.ht find time to send line IL was 'ruc Tic
had written twice in the first three months' ai'er
he had gone West. She went 10 the old desk ID
Tho ,ycst room and brought out those two letters
IN read while the custard was baking. She could
reneat them word for word and knew just where
the bots WERE but she loved TO read them. III
was almost like being young again.
He sad he should come back East as soon rs he
co,Id 500 his way clear. and take her out with
him How .mary times she wished he conld see
bic ,vov clear She had written almost interim
nahle epistles in reply 10 these She had promised
70 bc ready.
She Looked I'D now from the much-folded page
and exclaimed in whisper;
And mean to he ready. Let the folks think
strange il they want to- I'm Goin' to be ready
II would be a great piece of business II Mai
should come. and not eXpcctin' OF him.
She sat and read the letters in hai1 voice.
with inexprcesible satisfaction. Perhaps IN those
DAYS when Mial first stopped wiring. H. lhdecd
IL NAV be said that he had ever begun writng'
B'Iindy may have felt real grief But that 'ih'e
was long past She was now In the iu' 'iue u
nursing and enjoying her sorrow ohe i~'''" ~
and made much of il. What was more s''' ''"'''
believed it was sorrow. and there were s'dSo'''
at twilight. and on lovely summer days ""eii S'o
would aft and remember and be de 70 coax
$3.50 W. =, .LooI,s nolicious tears they