The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1892-11-26

Z Out ne WAS Keen ftll4 SllStI Y CHOuSS55A 0AHgSAS
his own interests and had bought mp
much valuable real estate in the town tor
purposes Of specula tion. Sister Martins, 4
in her own dark room, spied on these
two lights as she heard WINES stealthy
steps. The two lights had looked across
intervening space at each other Tor III
teen years. Sister Martha had never
read the affecting ballad of the knight
who turned hermit on the mountain to
watch the candle in his lady's window
across the valley, and had she known II
it.would probably have seemed to her
sentimental stuff.
Sister Martha had her own thoughts as
she gazed at the lonely bachelors WIN
dow, and at times blended with them
was something like q twinge OF remorse-
She hoped when the ketchin took her IN
the side did not betoken incipient heart
disease. Ann Baskett had sealed her thin
lips about Captain Bllgh. anG was not
very communicative on the subject OF the
neighbor's ;anairs. Her opinion that Mis-
Whitcumb was "a lzerryin and fetchln
woman was no whit lessened by the gift
of the linsey woolsey piece for winter
petticoat. Ann received it somewhat
grimly with an intimation OF counte-
nance that she could afford to buy such
clothes as she needed She let it lay neg
lected two days on kitchen chair before
she carried it to her own room. AIMS
scorn of presents was due to her con-
sciousness of good bank account. She
had saved money during her long service
in the Mathew family, and she thanked
God she was not hard on her things.
Her principal employment in the long
winter evenings was to sit at her clean
kitchen table, with a brightly burning
kerosene lamp, and make over her Old
clothes A new fashion hardly ever
came up that she did not get some odd
wrinkle Of it ON her garments. When
the high sleeves first We're in vogue she
was one of the earliest to appear at
meeting with queer little puckered
bunch on each shoulder. Meeting was
AIMS great resource and pleasure. 1t
was her theater and opera, her concert
and lecture. She never missed service
at her church however stormy the night,
and with her kitchen key in her pocket
she felt her dolninions We're safe, NO
matter what might happen to the front
Of the house.
One morning Ann came down stairs
with the breakfast tray and a message
from her mistress to Sister Martha, beg
ging that she would excuse her that day,
as her head was unusually painful.
well, it's about as lively here as q
graveyard, amt it," said Mrs. Whitcumb,
pushing o,1t her foot as she sat stoutly
on kitchen chair. II can't go thrustlng
myself i'll on folks when they haven't.
called on me, and know pretty we'll
why they don't CALL They've got tired
of a one sided business. Vinie's been
shut up SO long they know there's moth
ing to look for from this house. You
can't expect to be asked to places if you
don't do something in return" Mrs.
Whitcu1nb felt the black silk dress ana
bead trimming up in the press burning
to be worn. 81
"Whsst do you say Ami" after musing
moment: 81 have an idea. Suppose
was to give {. tea party? W.
Ann turned slowly aroruld from the
table where she was dong up the break
fast things, and Mrs. W.. y :.7mb noticed
that her gray pebble eyes ID turned
green. "Why, Marthy NE: = Whit
cumb,'' said she deliberat ~ ~ 'be yoa
crazy?'
'No, Ann" snapped Mrs, Martha;
'sI'm clothed and in my right mind. But
what's to hinder my having a few people
to tea in my own mother-in-lawss house
that was? There's the parlor and dining
room all sweep ana garnished, needing
only few punches of flowers set around
to brighten things and some sparrow
grass bushes in the chimney"
'Iguess should hev something to say,
leastways about the part of the HOUSE,
that belongs to me, Them are her rooms.
don't claim no control over them"
/ 'Of course you will have all to say,
Ann. am aware of that If you put
down your foot that is the end Of the
worsted. l should think it$might liven
you, Ann, to have few folks in to tea
almost as much as prayer meetln?''
| II don't want no iveliness,' said Ann
gri1nly. GIVE got along these fifteen or
twenty year without any and I'm puff
UCkIN We4ls llOG bill ttCle Oily w 1G1S, Aoaov"
wise it might be kind Of stifenin of
the joints on damp 1nor1ins,
/ 81 don't see as she need know anything
about it, at least at first. We might get
well started so as not to fuster her"
! Ann again withdrew her parboiled
hands from the hot suds and rested the
right-doubled into O. rather formidable
looking fist-on the table, while her look
went through Sister Martha like a sew
ing machine needle.
| s1'll hev no underhand contrivin, Miss
Whitcu1nb. Them rooms are her part,
and if she says you may hev 'em you
may, that's all. III do what can to
oblige, but she's got to be consulted first.
If you locked her up in the attic You
couldn't keepit from her, for her ears
are like one of them telephones that
ketches ever whisper. You may take
back your piece Of linsey woolsey Ell
you're mad at my plain speakin.'
/ II amt mad, Ann, only thought TO-
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