The Colfax chronicle., 1892-01-09


my 'Lisbeth.
well, nobody s'posed they'd be mar
ried short of year, say the next
spring. but we did calc'late pretty
freely ON that, an laid our plans ac-
cordin'. For instance, l turned the
breadths of my black silk, SOS to have
it in readiness, an Mis- Fisher did the
same thing with her gray. Susan Pol
lard bought new wreath for her bum
nit, stead o. waitin' till the next spring,
which would have been more thrifty. |
But the spring an summer came an
went. Then we said we s'posed she
preferred the cool o. the fall, but that |
came and went. too. People then COM
menced to talk, an show more interest |
an ask more p'inted questions than
really they was called on to make. |
Rut Clorindy never answered 'em; an,
although she was always sweet an
gentle in her ways, there was q some
thin about her that KEEP people of;
she's been that way ever sence she was
a little girl For a wonder. Jabe held
his tongue, too. But finally It leaked
out. I've always suspicioned twas
Clorindy's mother that told II, seein'
she was most likely to know, an has
always been such perfect sieve she
couldn't keep secret over night to
save herself"
.sWcll, now, Elviry, what do you
s'pose twas? What do you s'pose has
KEEP Clorindy and Jabe apart these four
years, an yet brought 'em nearer to-
gether all the time, as it were9"
Miss Elvira searched her mind wildly
for the most plausible reason, and then
whispered hoarsely: Jealousy"
| .'Nonsense!'' said Mrs. Stetson;
"twa'n't nothin' but an old pig-sty and
q barn.
.Yes," continued the narrator, salts
fed with the effect she had produced,
"'twas Just that an nothin' more. 1t
seems that Clorindy asked Jabe, just
after they was engaged, when he was
goin' to finish that pig-sty, paint his
barn, an fix up the place generally;
an he answers in his easy way: oh,
before long; there amt no hurry. But
he never fetched them. Clorindy didn't
say nothin' more about it, but waited
almost year, an then told him she
want willin' to be married till they
was attended to. You see, she knew
Jabe Just as well an better'n most
folks by that time, an mistrusted that
IL they want fixed before she became
his wife, they never would be. They
say Jabe's never thought she was on.
reasonable in the matter; leastwise
he's never said SO. Still, time went on,
an the pig-sty want finished, an the
new barn stead o. lookin' piney an
fresh, commenced to look gray an
black. (You can see it over there, FL
viry, II you'll look sharp; behind that
elum tree.) There always seemed to
be q somethin' TO KEEP that fellow
back from finishin' 'em, an doin' the
other Jobs round the farm-dear knows,
he's always been shiftless enough,
though! Either he couldn't get just the
kind o. boards he wanted to finish the
pig-sty, or else he couldn't succeed in
fndin' the right shade o. red te
paint that barn with. But when
heerd tell how he'd sold all o. his pigs,
an then told Clorindy: OF course, there
want any use in havin' pig-sty wher
you hadn't any pigs to put in it,
thought / should die a-langhin'. al
though / was just as mad as could be
|, all the time. There was lot of Other
l excuses that l can't rec'lect just thi!
) minute; but Clorindy's never accepted
D any of 'em, an although she's beer
firm an KEEP to her word, she beer
1 Just as kind an gentle to Jabe, an
: clung to him the same as though HI
!. was a man to be leaned on. But it,
! wore on her dreadful Oh, Elviry! jus
think how she must love him! Sh'
> must find in him somethin' that nom
. of us can see."
J. Both women wiped their eyes, ant
there was a silence while they looke'
at the couple on the ridge.
II wish / was near enough to see an
hear all that's been goin' on up there,
; said Miss Elvira-
Two weeks had passed and Mrs. Stet
son stood ON her front porch looking
= anxiouslv up the road ''If Elviry dom
!, come pretty soon," she murmured t
!. herself, Il shall Just bust Cats ar
4 pretty good company" she continued
:. as the buff cat rubbed himself vigor
!, ously against her, ''an' hens are awfu
!, KNOWN. but there comes times whe
= you feel as though you wanted fel
low-creature to talk to. Well, there
:. If that amt Elviry now, walkin' a
|, though nothin' hadn't happened!' an
+ hastily swooping hens and cat off tn
porch, Mrs. Stetson went forward t
r meet her friend. There was an air @
a suppressed excitement and determine
!. ton about her and an intensity of e1
: preston as she peered over her glasses
|. which made all superfuous converss
= tion, such as greeting, seem out c
!. place.
Miss Woodhouse's tragic form san
y on the first step as she Whispered
!. Hannah Maria Stetson, who's dead?
/. "Now. Elviry Woodhouse, ifyou'll ju'
get up, nm como an set in this littl
n rocker I've got out for you, I'll tell yo
- 81 1nft