Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1893-02-17

afforded, and nothing Miss Prissy ever
tried to do or make ever resulted in fail
ure. 1t was neither the eatables nor yet
the drinkables that caused the cloud on
the deacons brow. AS he expressed it.,
be "felt blue as whetstone,"' and the
cause arose from the tightness in money
circles.
Miss Prissy, the deacon's strong
minded daughter, perceived the lower
ing countenance, and wishing to con-
ciliate the old gentleman little, put an
additional lump of sugar in his tea.
"Third, and lastly" he said, i'll an
abstracted manner, as he passed the cup
for refillment.
Prlssy smiled almost involuntarily at
this "power of habit exempli6ed.
The worthy deacon, busy with his
bread and butter, did not see his
listeners face.
'I1l tell you what" said he, carefully
adjusting his knife and fork, "uuless
something happens in our favor pretty
soon, we are gone to smash completely. !"
Even the lingering shadow of the
smile that had played round the corners
of Prissy's mouth died out, and she
looked anxiously at her father as he went
on:
"There is four. hundred dollar mort
gage on the house, with interest at seven
per cent, and no man can stand such :
per cent. as that. There is that one
hundred dollar note, and two of fifty
dollars each, besides one hundred and
sixty dollars yet unpaid on the lumber,
seventy-fve dollars-gOt to come some
how-for the carpenters, twenty-five for
the mason, twenty-five more for the
painting. Besides, that leaves us with
the house not yet hall finished, the
ground yet to be grubbed and laid out
and fenced, and not cent, mind you
not a single cent-to do it with.
The deacon leaned back in his chair
and fairly groaned.
The strong minded Priscilla got up,
and walking round to his side of the
table. laid her hand on his arm.
"Listen to me, Deacon" said she,
thoughtfully-she always called him that
when she fels particularly in earnest
"listen to me, now, and Ill tell you the
plan have for extricating our affairs
from financial annibilation.
"Talk away" growled the bear.
"Talk, at any rate, is cheap enough
even in these hard times"
Prssy declined to notice the slight
put upon her tongue, and continued.
bravely:
"You know you have always refused
10 keep COW, pig, or chickens. Now,
then, let us have all three, and I will
show you this fail that your interest
money shall be forthcoming, besides
having our grocery bill footed as it is
made"
"Psbaw, Prissl' calculated he, with
a groan OF disapproval, Chow could you
do it9 Besides, my credit isn't worth a
blue bean. l haven't the money to pay
for COW, nor pig, nor even the chick
ems, so there's an end of that"
In no wise discouraged, the strong
minded young woman coolIy continued
"I have ways and means for all OF 'em,
deacon. And it you will solemnly agree
to do in all things as suggest and ad-
wise, l in turn will promise and ratity it,
too, to take these debts aud the un6n-
ished house on my shoulders, metaphor
cally speaking, and in three years time
we will owe no man, and our house and
ground shall compare iavoyably with
any in the country"
The deacon considered moment.
"Show me your ways and means,
Priss."
"Well," a little reluctantly, "you
know the Laurels5 Mrs. Laurel wants
TO trade young new mich cow, with
the calf, for twenty-four yards of that
new ingram carpet of our, and as l have
already carpet enough, besides that to
cover all the floor we shall use for year