The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-12-27
brown. woman's wiles often hide un.

der just such covers.
David, when he was not sleeping, spent
most of his time watching the door.
Sablna, when she was not cooking or
making bouquets, spent most of her
time gliding stealthily by the door, for
OF course she was too modest and prop
er to enter it except occasionally with
neighbors who called upon the unfor-
tunate minister.
Mrs. Tabitha Topp, u neighbor and
great believer in tho law of conpensa-
ton, mado Sabina blush herself nearly
to death by saying: well, Sabina, the
Lord took the minister's foot, but he'll
be sure togivc him something in place of
it. You've been good enough to let him
have the little parlor you don't even
open for most folks, and maybe you'll
get your pay i'll some manner you're not
expecting" Sabina pretended not to be
thinking about pay, but she was already
thinking about possibilities.
Well, there's no situation in life but
changes sooner or later. David Ware,
minister, could not lie forever in that
little parlor being waited on, and Sabina
Wilkins could not go on forever broiling
chickens and arranging sweet flowers
for n strange man.
David was at last able to limp out to
the porch, where he caught Miss Sabina
sitting under the vines. The nurse was
down III the village; Rex was asleep on
the doormat. Sabina blushed like a girl
OF Is and was afraid to sit with the minis
ter for fear IL neighbor might come and
catch her. She was afraid to get ND and
lQ0Va for fa1r hn lo
opportunity, and woman mt 40 can't
afford to DO reckless.
David rocked; Sabina rocked. Then
he said, Pleasant evening" Miss Will
kins"
YES, very" she answered.
David rocked; Sabina rocked. Then
he said: "Sweet little home for YOU here.
Miss Wilkins. Suppose you never get
lonely, do you:'
YES, very" she answered him. 1t
announced to him that here was a ten
der. loving woman robbed by some bro
ken law of the love and sympathy to
which she WAS entitled. Modest and re-
fined as David WAS, he was suddenly
moved to an outburst of admiration that
filled the very air about Sabina with
music and light and fragrance. Miss
Sabina," he said, Il think you're tho
sweetest woman ever saw. Why don't
you get lnarricd:'
Poor little Sabna felt for her salts bot
tie. She had never been attacked that
way about marrying! And she never
dreamed that love and courtship could
be condensed or reduced to one sentence.
Recovering herself after prolonged
culver of joyous surprise, she came back
at David facetiously: MIR. Ware, l
think you are the incest man ever saw.
Why don't you get married!'
Because | can't find woman with
my name in her hand, Miss Sabina."
"Oh, my! What do you mean, Mr..
Ware?"
Don't you know, Miss Sabina, some
palmistry philosophers claim that every
woman's hand has mans initial in it?'
"Do tellV' gasped Sabina, with ewes
afiarc and palms instantly upturned
while bushes chased with burning hone
over her cheeks and throat would
you mind my looking at your hand,
Miss Sabina!" David asked, construing
favorably her excitement. Sabina ex.
tended her hand. David examined it
closely, looked up into her eyes, then
spelled slowly, Ware! There it ISL
Sabina gasped, held her salts bottle to
her nose, having jerlled hand from
him with coQuettish that said.
Take it again" "You mustn't fly in
the face of Providence, Sabina. Be-
wareT' a pun and proposal in one
word. Seeing that Sabina was unspeak-
ably happy, David continued: "Only as
my wife, Sabna can L repay your kind
ness. 4ou and l are Il pair of scissors,
divided and lonely. Come. let us unite
and after this 'cut the fabric of life to-
gether.'"
Sabina's head dropped, Rex barked
and the minister and maiden kissed
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