The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1893-02-11


she'd act as if she was tryin' to be jest the
same, but she couldn't. She begun to
look real miser'ble too. She got thin as a
rail, and she lost her color Silence used
to have real red cheeks 1t alters seemed
to me it had somethin to do with that
valentine, but I never said nothin' about
it nor she nuther
III guess it was nigh six months arter |
found that valentine, and she tainted away
that she looked kind of queer at me one
day when I was in there, and sez she:
"Cynthy Ann, l want you to come
over here, and stay all night with me to-
night, if your mothers willin'.'
'I was so tickled didn't know what to
do; l run home and asked mother, and
she said 1 might stay if Silence wanted
me to, and then I come back, and we had
supper Silence had it all ready. 1t was
fall of the year, and it was dark early.
Arter supper, Silence and washed up the
tea things, and then we sat down, front of
the hearth-fre, and she knit, and read
some in story-book she had. 1t was
leetle arter nine o'clock, when she looked
up, and sez She
"Cynthy Ann, are you afraid to go out
leetle ways with me ?
"'No, ma lam, sez /.
'She kept lookin' at me kind of doubt
full as if she didn't know jest what to do.
"'I dunno but I'm doin' wrong, sez she
kind of pitiful, because 1 want you to go
with me unbeknowst to your mother, and
1 don't want you to tell anybody, but there
amt nobody else can call on, and it
seems to me 1 can't go alone nohow. It's
so different from anythin' I've ever done.
'Silence she had on a black silk gown
with satin dots on it, and she looked kind
of prim, but real handsome. She had
slim white hands, and she kept foldin and
unfoldin' EN-. She acted kind of mar
vous. spose it did seem a good deal to
her, what she was goin' to do, for she'd
been brought up real nice and delicate,
and she'd alters walked with one-size steps,
so to speak.
"Well, we put our shawls on, and we
went out; | didn't have no idee where we
was goin to- We kept on goin' and we
passed the store; it was shut up, and we
went up the hill till We come to Amos
Dawson's house There was light in the
settin room winder, and the curtains was
up.
"Silence and me jest went up the path
to the front door, and then we stopped.
1 thought she was goin' to knock, or open
the door, but she didn't She jest stood
there, and | could hear her kind of pantin
for breath. 1t was ruther late for 'em,
but the katy-dids was tunin' up in patch
of weeds opposite, and there we stood,
with it Jest as still as death, sayin' Silence
breathin', and them katy-dids.
"All of a sudden Silence she moved to
one side, and got nearer the settin' room
winder, and l followed arter her. And
what did we see but Amos Dawson, asst
tin there, trying to mend his coat. His
face looked terrible pale, and long, and So
ber, a-bendin' over the old coat, and he
was jerkin' his elbow way out when he
sewed, and he hadn't no thimble and the
room looked like Hudy.
"Silence she jest stood there, and looked
minute; then she give my arm grip.
"'Come,' sez she, come home. And
she Jest took bee-line for home, and me
arter herr / didn't know what to make ont.
carter that things went on jest the same.
She looked wuss, and wuss, and folks be-
gun to say she was in decline. Some
times | used to 60 home and cry aFter I'd
been there, Silence looked so bad guess
it was month or six weeks arter she and
me went up to Amos Dawsons that | was
goin to stay all night with her again. She
used to keep me quite often along there,
and she sent me down to the store with
the valentine. l never was so wonder
struck in my life, as | was when she took
that valentine out of her pocket.
"Sez she; 'Cynthy Ann, do you want
to do somethin for me?' Her voice
sounded dreadful sad, and she looked at
me with her big, black eyes as if she was
kind Of afeard of me,
e'Yes, do, sea /. I do, Silence i
Lor sakes I'd done anything fur her.
"'Well, sez she, 4 want you to carry
this down to the store, and when Mr..
Dawson amt busy. and there amt nobody
near enough to hear what you say, | want
you to hand it to him, and I want you to
say this to him Then she said it over
kind of solemn and tremblin' Silence
wanted me to give this to you, and say
she'd Jest got 1t, jest little while ago.
That she didn't ever know you'd sent it to
her before
AShc kind of stopped, and waited,
What else 2 sez finally.
a'Nothin' else, sez she, i guess that'll
do. l never thought I'd do so much as
that.
a'What will he do when I've given it
to him?' sez I, will he tell me somethin'
to tell you?'
@she blushed up all over her white
cheeks. 'Mebbe he'll send it back, sez
she
@Well, | did jest as she told me to. l
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