The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1893-07-11
THE OLD WOOD STOVE.
BY Selling It Mrs. Ralston Got a
Son-in-Law.
.Tinkle, tinkle. tinker

1t was no sound of sheep-hells on the
Apennines, no Ginning of the Angelui
at twilight across empurpled vineyards
and Pontine marshes, yet it had 9
CHEEKY echo under the white blossomed
elderbushes and close to the old farm
even though it was only a string o.
bells stretched across wagon anc
agitated by the jog-jog of an ancient
white horse, that was as blind as the
little god Of love, while shrewd ole
man trudged beside him, guiding his
devious way.
''Tinkle, tinkle, tinlxlei'
Anything in my line to-day, squire9'
asked Moses Minton, checking his march
as he caught sight of Mr.. Ralston gath
ering the early apricots from the sunny
side of the wall.
'Git outl' was the terse reply.
''RagsY'' suavely added Moses, stretch'
ing his neck to look at the red-cheeked
beauties whose subtle fragrance allied
the air. Bottles? Old iron9 Noospa
pers?"
"Git out, sayi'' growled Ralston
never once glancing up from his occu
patton. II hain't no time to bother"
mo offense, hope?" said the indom
itably cheerful itinerant. Il seen an
old wood stove in the shed as came
by"
"Well, and If you did, what business
was 1t of yours2" retorted Ralston.
oval, none, not If you look at 1t that
ar way" said Moses. but If SO be as
a1..1l 1~s~~o +-nla
1--WE can't then, and there's an END
ont" answered Ralston.
And after one or two seconds further
waiting, Moses Minton chirruped tc
Old Gray, and once more the bells
tangled merrily on the air indicative Of
a move.
''Strange how persistent them mis-
cradle creatures is, thought Farmer
Ralston.
Strange how Grabbed Simeon Raj.
ston gets, as he gets older" meditated
Moses. "If that ar's what money
brings with 1t, I, for one, don't want
to be richl Get up, Old Gray"
Farther down the lane, however,
where the ripening blackberries hung
their knobs of jet on every Dough and
spray and the sound of little brook
somewhere in the distance made q
dreamy gurgling, Moses Minton came
across Mrs. Ralston, fat, comfortable
old dame, as unlike her husband as the
motherly barn-door hen Is unlike the
gaunt, hiRh-shouldered game-cock.
well, declare" said Mrs. Ralston,
''if wasn't jest a-thinking about you,
Nose Mintonl"
'sWas you, thought" chuckled the old
man. Anything in my line to-day
Who-oa, Grayl sw'ar to goodness
las the old horse contentedly buried his
nose in green bank that there crit
ter couldn't find out where the clover
clumps grow no better, not If he had
forty pair of eyes, inste'd o being stun
blindl'
me and Comfort, we was a-sayin', ("
contentedly purred on Mrs. Ralston,
who was in full pursuit of flock Of
lemon yellow duck1ings who were evad-
ing her guardianship in every direction,
''that you hadn't been along in quite q
spell. And the bag of mixed rags is
quite full, and there's lot of old num-
bers of the Missionary Review. and
But don't speak so loud. kind o. don't
want father to hear, he's 80 mortal set
ag'in' partin' with anything. It's kind
o. second nature to him to hoard up
things; and as he gets further on in
years he's more set In his ways than
ever. Jest you come round the back
door, He's out and Comfort is out, and
now's 6rst-rate chance to get rid of
the old wood-stove as has been rustin'
in the shed for hull year"
Moses Minton's eyes twinkled. It
was not the first time he had become
an accessory to just such harmless do
nestle plots as this.
"I'm at your orders, num-" said he.
"And prices warn't never better for you
nor wuss for me. Half cent a pound
is what we're a-givin' for old iron now. !"
'''Tain't much" said Mrs. Ralston.
''It's better than nothing" argued
Moses. "And really, now, amt it wuth
that to get a lot Of old truck out of the
house2"
"Well, l dunno but what you're
right" said Mrs. Ralston.
And while Mr.. Ralston was yet Gull
ing out the ripest and deepest-colored
of the apricots for an especial order for
a dinner party at DR.. Jessup's on the
hill, old Moses loaded up his cart, with
the rusty wood-stove In the center of
the bags Of rags and bundles Of old
newspapers, and drove away, jingling
his bells through the purple twilight,
to the infinite disgust of the gray horse
who knew an Eden of clover and daisies
when he found 1t and was correspond
ingly reluctant to leave 1t.
Presently Comfort Ralston came In; q
tall, rosy girl with impid brown eyes
and luxuriant auburn locks pushed OF
her fair, freckled brow.
Am / late, mother2" said she. "But
they kept me longer than expected. !"
"La, child, no." Mrs. Ralston re-
sponded. II hain't but jest hung the
kittle over. I'm sort O. behindhand to-
night. Old Nose Minton has been here,
but don't, for goodness sake, tell your
fatherl And I've sold the rags and all
them old papers and the wood stove
out in the shed"
s'Mother The wood stove?"
81 got forty-five cents for It," said
Mrs. Ralston. "And it wasn't no use
to us, all rusting away there"
HAS he gone, motherP"
''Your fatherP Why, no, he's busy
with them apricots out by the orchard
wall for
mo, / don't mean father. mean
Moses Mintonl Has he gomez"
more than half an hour ago." said
Mrs. Ralston, scooping the tea out of a
little japanned tea-caddy with leisurely
composure.
Comfort turned red, then white. She
made step toward the door, but al
most instantly checked the movement.
tits no use" she said to herself II
must wait until tomorrow"
The morrow's sun was we'll slopinR
on toward afternoon. when Mr.. Raj.
Bton hurried into the kitchen where his
wife was pricling plums to preserve,
each purple sphere with q re-
lentless fork.
Mother" said he, "be gettin' blind
as well as deaf, or be losin' my sensesp
If l amt, where's that old sheet-iron
stove as used to be in the corner of the
Mrs. Ralston's guilty conscience sent
the red in hot flood to her cheeks.
"That sheet-iron stove. Simeon" said
she. "Why-I sold i'll"
sold itl'' shouted Ralston. "When?
Why9"
Yesterday AFTERNOON" said the old
lady. ITO Nose Minton, as goes around
with the rag-and-bottle wagon. 1t
wasn't no use standin' there--and he
gin me forty-five cents for It.
''Forty-five centsi' roared Ralston.
'For-ty-fre-cents"
And he rushed frantically out of the
house
mercy on mel" said Mrs. Ralaton.
''Is father crazy2"