Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1893-07-12
a THEFT CONDONED.
IL GERTRUDE SMITH.

one OF the seven houses in Pawne
faced toward the south. 1t was th
house where Mrs. Dyer lived. Tn
other houses faced the west. The rail
road track was across the stree. from
these houses, with broad plank wall
and little unpainted box OF a station
The houses in Pswnee were all one
story wooden buildings, with the gable
ends toward tho street. Mrs. DYER
house was painted a dull red; the o,he
houses were not painted.
1t had been a warm day and the su,
had shone glaringly on the uubroker
prairie around Pawnee.
The town was on slight rise O
ground. You could see more thar
twenty miles in three directions. A
narrow strip Of woods broke the view
on tho north, half u mile away.
Mrs. Dyer stood in her front door auc
looked over the prairie. The railroad
track wound away toward the south and
disappeared where the earth and sky
seemed to meet. The sun was goin
down and the short thin prairie.
grass looked white and gold. The rail.
road track shone Ike silver. There
were no clouds. In places the blue o!
the sky was so light that it was almost
white. The air was cool and clear afte,
the warm day.
1.-The suns going down without an,
fuss tonight" Mrs. Dyer said, sittins
down on the doorstep. "Just droppin
oif the edge, like the string that held it
nad been cut"
She folded her arms In her lap and
turned her face away from the bright
light. She vas a small, old woman
with thin features. She wore her hair,
which was still very black, combed
smoothly behind her ears. Fer eye,
were black, with keen look of resist.
anca in them. This look was empha.
sized in the lines around her mouth.
| Mrs. Dyer lived alone. Her son KEEP
lt;le store and the postofice IN the
front room Of one Of tho other
houses. Two years before when her
/ husband had died Mrs. Dyer had come
West to DC near her son. Her son had
invited her to live with them, but she
had refused
''You amt goe room for your own. J
didn't come out here to be beholden to
anybody. I'll have my own place, and
you'll sec enough of me, dodgin' in and
out, as it is"
She had spent the greater part of tho
ime watching the carpenters at work on
her house, during her forced stay at her
sons, urging them to work faster, and at
last in her impotence moved IN before
they had finished shingling the root.
She had decided to postpone the plaster
ing until some tina when she should &c
away on visit.
The sun had gone down. The air was
soft gray and very still.
"Weu, 1 mustn't sit here gettin' the
cramps" she said, getting up from the
step. al do say ! amt seen them mover
wagons before. l wonder now if they've
stopped since been sitting here. They
camped near enough! l suppose they'd
buy something up to the store. The NOV
ers bring in John quite a little, off and or.
There comes John up this way. wonder
now whats he comm up here for. What
you want, Johu2 They amt anything
the matter, is thoy7" she called.
John came slowly toward her. II.
vas large man, but his clothes, which
hung loosely, gave him the appearance
OF being thin. 10 wore q soft felt ha.
pulled well over his forehead. His
eyes were like his mother. IN color, but
there was none of the determination in
them.
"Have you seen the movers campin'
over yonderp he asked, pointing across
the prairie.
"Yes, just was lookin' at them when
1 see you comm up"
Well, they were just two of them up
10 the store, and they was eviI-lookin',
can tell you. Msrthy was IN the store
and see them, and she would have 1t
you must come over and stay to our
house tonight"
"Why, l amt afraid of movers, as
know Of"
"She don't want to think of you stay.
in here BY yourself, and I'll own I dom.
neither"
'Well, ain. goin' to leave my bed
cause some movers happen 10 be camp.
n near. There's always movers comm
and goiu'. I guess If they stole me
they'd drop me when it come light
enough to SEQ what they'd got"
swell, l think you'd better como.
Marthy won't feel easy unless ycu do"
II amt goin' to be SO silly,
to please Marthy or no one.
amt got anythin' they want, with
out IT'S that money I've saved to have
ny carpet rags wove up, and they'd
never think of lookin' In can for it.
It's enc of them cove oyster cans. I've
made pin cushion that fits down into
the can, and sewed cover around the
outside. You'd never know it was can
to look at it. I see one made something
like 1t when lived East"
"You amt got much money in it,
have youl"
"It's all in nickels. I've been savin
If it up for near two years. Oh, guess
they must be four or Ave dollars. amt
counted It just lately"
"Well, think you're foolish to stay
here By yourself, when you can just as
we'll come over. l think you'd better
change your mind and come along"
He turned and went back along the
grassy road toward his own home. He
walked with his head bent down and
with shambling gait. He was dreading
bis wife's reproaches that he had not
been able to induce his mother to come
hack with him. He did not believe there
wa, any real danger In letting bis mother
Itay alone.
az guess ain't goin' to set up for
,ovard, at my time of life," said Mrs.
D,er. ~ wonder now if Marthy really
thought I'd come"
An express train was coming
rom the south. The light from
The engine could be seen for
,ome time before there was any noise
rom the train. Night had come quick
u. L vas already quite DARK.
Mrs. Dyer took off her gingham apron
and put it over her head, and stood