Sullivan republican. [volume] (Laporte, Pa.) 1883-1896, 1893-09-22

higher than beanpole; so L must be
going"
And reaching her calico sun bonnet
from n peg, she hustled off, stopping
to kiss Dolly, who was just entering
the front gate.
| Dolly accompanied Miss Martha as
she went into the garden to get a few
radishes for supper. 1t was poorly
cultivated garden, for it was not al
ways possible to get man to work it
properly. But there was a big cherry
tree on which the fruit was just ripen-
ing, and as they came in sight of this
they saw that the ground beneath was
strewn with torn leaves, while prints
of bare feet led to loose board in the
fence.
ooh, them boys" Miss Martha ex-
claimed. They've begun, Already,
jest as they do every year, and now I'll
have no rest nor peace until the fruits
oil gone. Last summer 1 could hardly
save enough to make three jars of pre-
serves"
Cant you do something to keep EN-
away, Aunt Martyr" said Dolly, sym
pathizingly.
"No, deary-there's nothing could
keep 'em away but dog, and haven't
got one. I'm afraid to keep q dog /;
he might bite me some time"
She hunted up some rusty nails, and
with an axe tried to fasten up the
loose board, but it was of no avail.
She was small, neat, delic ately
formed woman of forty, with q pleas
ant, comely face, which now became
flushed Us she toiled at her unwonted
task.
"The whole fence wants mending,"
she said at length, despairingly, "and
I'd be as likely to knock it oil down ms
make it whole. Run over to old
Chloe's, Dolly, dear, an. see if her
husband can't come and help me. If
this board amt fastened up at once,
Miss Curry's pigs will get in and root
up the whole garden"
Dolly skipped away as light as a
fairy, but in three minutes was back
again, accompanied, not by the old
colored man, but by Captain Winston,
bearing in his hands heavy hammer
and box of new nails.
"Aunty, old Uncle Jake wasn't at
home, so brought Cap'n Winston"
"Oh, Dolly"
"Be pleased to do anything for you,
ma am" said the captain, lifting his
hat politely. ''Took the liberty of
bringing these things, thinking possi-
bly, you mightn't have EN- handy"
He handled the heavy boards ms if
they had been shingles, and securely
fastened up half a dozen which were
hanging loosely by their rusted nails,
Dolly looking on admiringly.
Anything more | can do for you,
ma am?" he inquired, when the last
heavy blow had been struck.
"Oh, yes!" Dolly cried, eagerly.
"We want dog to scare away those
bad boys-,a good dog that won't bit,
cause Aunt Marthy's fraid of dogs.
Won't you lend us Pilot, cap'n?"
"Why, Dolly, I'm surprised at you, !"
demonstrated Miss Martha.
But the captain laughed.
"rhat's fust-rate idee, Dolly" he
said, patting her curly head. 'Pilot
never bites; he's too good dnatured for
that But he makes noise enough to
scare away band of robbers. So if
you're agreeable, ma am, I'll just fetch
him over at night and anchor him to
this tree till mornin, and you may de-
pend he'll do his duty"
So thenceforth every evening until
the fruit was all ripe and gathered,
| Pilot was tied ut the foot of the cherry
tree, and in the morning unloosened
by Miss Martha and allowed to go
home.
The result was that besides having
plenty of fruit to send around to her
neighbors, she made preserves enough
to fill a dozen iars-onc OF which she
presented 10 Dolly to take home with
her as her very own.
BY this time there WAS very good
acquaintance established between Miss
Martha and her bachelor neighbor, the
captain.
Whenever he brought over Pilot,
{ there would he little chat III the gar
I dem and he more than once insisted
upon doing her some little service,
such as pruning her grape vines and
mending the back doorstep, 10 which
I Dolly was afraid 10 in'rust her small
weight.
And once, when the captain Was sick
aud Dolly reported that he wouldn't
T eat the breakfast which Chloe prepared,
( Miss Martha sent over dainty tray OF
+ her own delicious Watiles and broiled
chicken, which the child reported Rlee-
/ fully the captain ate 'eyery bit, aud
said twas tho very incest cooking he
E ever saw.
ID was about this time that Dolly he
+ gan t. look rellectiyoly at her relative
as the latter would sit knitting ia her
F loss rocking chair ia the entry, aud
one day she surprised her lay saying,
grayelY
"Aunt Marihy, think you wants "a
+ mau o take care II you
I "Nood gracious, ehild What put
such an idaa into Your hsad p
Gauss, answered pnlls, wish un-
uullpi gravity cause there's "a heap
uf thlnss Yuu cant do for Sunrself
N3 papa takes eare of mY mamma.
Aant Marthy, why aint you never
married
Miaa Martha broke int1 q laugh bnt
shfu ihe question sas repeated, she
slil sith sigh ahiuh seemed 60 comm