The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1892-01-07

privations, and now that there were but
two months more To stay. She was hall
sorry.
She had been putting away some Of
her summer clothes and a white Mother
Hubbard wrapper, favorite garment
Of til widow S. hung upon clothesline
beside the house. II was a dainty
tAinE. white camb9ic. with lace-edred
rufIles and with n pink ribbon bow with
long ends AZ the neck. Indeed, TO have
seen the widow in It would have recon
ciled the most prcjndiced person TO the
much-naligncd Mother Hubbard.
There had been little htful gusts az
wind all day aud late in the afternoon i
became quite gale. The tumble weeds
hurried from spot To spot as the wind
Tccred about, and the dainty Mother
Hubbard fanped furiously in the breeze,
Jut the widow was reading very in
teresting book and never looked up until
crash came flying board against the
side Of the house and the shanty began
. to sway and rock ike a cradle.
1t was Il short-liyed storm and there
was no damage done, and in half an
hour the sky was again clear; but
when Mrs. Drake went out to look for
her gown it was gone. Of course the
wind had torn it TO tatters. There was
no use to look for it; it was gone for
ever and with sigh the little woman
went into the house.
The next two months flew very
swiftly. The bachelor had grown
bolder and had come 10 call, but the
lively widow did the most of the talk
ing and he replied in broken monosyl-
tables.
The weather was still bright and
pleasant, and there had been no biz
yards, no snow That was remark
able" too, for it was nearly holiday
time.
Then came Nmas, such a queer, quiet
day with not even a letter from Priscil-
la. But even then there was genuine
regret in her heart when Mrs. Drake
began TO pack her belongings prepara-
tory to going back to the states. She
was in better health and spirits than
ever before, and she had Il quarter sec
ton of land of her own and she had
made some pleasant friends On the
whole it had paid well.
IL was Ne" ear eve ana she was
| to leave the next morning. She put on
an extra lump of coal and set the
| lighted lamp in the window. She
thought il might cheer some one, you
know, and it did, it shone way out on
the path and lit the way for the bach
elor as he came hurrying across the
fields.
| As he came into the little room, bare
of all the pretty little articles which
had made it 50 cheerful and homelilc,
his heart gave thump to think that it
would so son be empty and deserted,
and he resolved to say what was on his
mind at once.
| But the words would not come: he
could only open the parcel which he
| had brought and take out-guess what.
| The tattered remnants of -ambric
| Mother Hubbard.
| AS the widow gave little squeal Of
surprise, he said, with a stately bow:
Il have bring ze--zc chemise of
madame. which zc wind brings TO me
SO long ago" And with an impctuous
motion he tore open his coat and there
over ms heart Inv the folded pink rib
! bon which had been at the throat of the
| gown.
somehow after that he didn't need
words. for the widows dark head rested
on the ribbon and both his arms were
about her.
Now there is something irresistibly
funny about the courtShip Of middle
aged lovers. Young lovers are interest
ING enough, and old lovers are pathet-
ically Grotesque, but when two com
mon-place people in middle life fall in
love with each other | defy them to
behave so that they are above ridicule
] So we will draw the curtain here
when Htcll You that after her lover had
gone the widow whispered to Tom: 80
romantic. isn't it? But how absurd to
call it a chemiSe" The widow returned
to her old home and to Priscilla: and it
has leaked out that she is wearing a
ring with Happy New Year engraved
inside, SO the nelghbors believe that the
wedding is to come off on an anniver-
sary Of that day.
! But | have told all that I am going to.
now, and if you really want to know if
they are married, just look among the
marriage notices on New Years day.
MARIE NORY MARsH