River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1892-04-28

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bObbed up
from the BURBERRY patch and looked
around half guilty, then drew a re-
assured breath, for no one was within
ear-shot. True as stand here" she
said, addressing a mingled multitude of
ferns, rocks and berry bushes, ''some
day III do il. And when I'm worth a
million a minute, IN have gold heels to
my Shoes"
She shut her lips tightly, defying
more thoughts to escape; but even then
the line of her mouth was pleasant
She knelt and industriously stripped the
low bushes, holding her pail beneath
with an experienced hand to catch the
dropping berries She had fifteen
quarts TO deliver at sunset, and the
terms of her contract left no time for
monologue.
This was Abby-"Miss" Abby to the
children, ''Aunt" Abby among the
sick, simply Abby to ordinary adults.
People did not trouble themselves
about her surname They did not
even think much about her, but ac-
cepted her as their just due from a
friendly providence. Children discov-
cred her living in little house in the
edge of Pomfret. and spoke of Miss Alb
by as an acquisition. Then some sick
man, yeaTning for herb remedies, was
gratified by her, and thereafter declared
Aunt Abby had saved his life. The
wise-those who moiled with an eye
single to the inrolling dollar-began ny
mistrusting her sincerity and ended by
questioning her mental balance. They
did not perceive how one could live by
works non-resultant in a stipulated
wage
Abby moved towards a competency
as steadfastly as did the wise, but by a
different path, pleasanter and as di-
rect. There were happy, kindly faces
along her way. And if they did not al
ways comprehend her they at least
nodded and smiled encouragingly as
she passed. To such one, Frightening
some dark turn of the path, she would
say:
You wait till get my gold-heeled
shoes. Then l can smile for you"
Real gold, Abby?" inquired the
practical one.
Eyes, indeed Why not? When
you're worth million a minute you
can do that sort of thing
At sunset she walked. fatigued, to
the village store and delivered the ber-
ries.
"And here's your pay" said the
storekeeper. Eight cents a quart,
fifteen quarts, dollar twenty What
you going to do with SO much money,
Abby?" with an expectant, oblique
glance for the benefit of some dozen
loungers.
1T all goes towards those gold-heeled
shoes, ;" said Abby, chez rily. Then the
loungers followed the storekeeper in a
laugh.
'Abby's all right" said he, after she
went out. ''You don't have to measure
her berries. But she's little queer.
A fellow has to laugh at her now and
again"
Abby plowed her way home along the
dusty July road. Zone twenty, one
twenty" she repeated There's days
work for you. There's another peg in
your gold-heeled shoe. They're com
ing, coming"
She invigOrated herself, mind and
body, by this alchemic formula. Gold
heeled shoes" to the storekeeper and
his ilk was a vagary for their diversion
To Abby the words were mere quanti-
tative signs.
The widow Barker, with her way
ward son Jim, were Abby's nearest
neighbors. Barker pere had served in
the navy. Af'er his death a small pen
sion came regularly, affording the
widow meager living. 1t was her sole
support, for Jim was thorn. Upright
mothers quoted him to children as a
warning. He even priclxed Abby, until
she was half minded to report his lapses
to his mother, when she would fall in
a temper, and rate herself roundly.
Gold shoes, indeed! ] don't deserve
leather, As if that woman didn't have
trouble enough without its being piled
on free, Providence has been too good
to me; there's nobody to mourn over;
nobody to worry over. A little crcss
like this viii do me good"
Abby had intended to stop for a mo
ment's chat with the widow. but the
house appeared deserted. and she passed
on.
Its pension day she thought. AZ
know where she is. Upstairs crying
for him that's gone. Blue-blue as she
can be. HIM. I'm blest that my past
don't sorrow me, nor my future either.
There it is now. Million a minute!
Gold-heeled shoes. Keep it up!''
Abby spoke of wealth with rich ex-
aggeration Her ideal independence
was simply freedom from debt. She
had one desire that ruled her life-and
that. to possess a home. The knowl-
edge that her landlord might, on
lapse in payment, turn herout, rode her
as a sense of inferiority. Her material
standing seemed as insecure as her
credit But to own the ground she
walked On. that was 20 wear gold
heeled shoes. Every step left the i'm
press Of wealth's equality. All her eff
forts, then, were directed to the reduc-
ton of the insufferable mortgage that
threatened her home.
She labored hard in every channel
known TO single countrywomen. She
picked ana sold berries She gathered
and cured sweetfiag. She had patch
of garden with many herbs in it, and
others she gathered wild and dried in
punches for the druggists and medicine
makers. She stitched boots when that
seldom work offered. She knit and
sewed. She did not know an idle mo
ment the year round.
By years o. patient toll Abby had re-