The Opelousas courier., 1893-09-30

| SIG CHIuG III uA CpeL AuAt Ous6u 3
black silk. "I couldn't believe my
| own eyes at first. It don't seem no
longer than yesterday that Jimmy was
runnin' round here in p~inafores and
to think Of him bein' married-I de-
clare I can't git over it!
But I'll give him a s'prise, too. l
don't intend to give him a hint that
I'm comm to his weddin', and if he
! won't be took back when he sees me
marchin' in on him. my name amt
| Susan Elizabeth Dake! Don't you
reckon his wife'H be tickled with that
quilt, Elviry?"
"They'd ought to be, that's sure,
said Elvira.
81 think it's q kind ofspecial Provi-
dence that l put in the frames when I
did. I didn't callate on q%uiltin' it
until next winter, butt had a kind of
feelin' that I'd better do it when ] did,
| and now it's turned out that there vas
o good reason why [ should quilt it
then"
There was quite company of Aunt
Susan's friends at the little station to
see her off on the morning she started.
There was unusual color IN her cheeks
and unwonted sparkle in her eyes.
| She babe each of her friends goodbye
two or three times, and promised to
take good care of herself. Some OF
them she promised acrumb of Jimmy's
wedding cake, and a full account OF
the wedding festivities.
"An' if you could git me a scrap of
the brides weddia' dress an of any of
her other dresses for my silk quilt.
Susan, I'd be SO pleased with EN- y
said old Mrs. Gray.
81 will if I can, Nancy said Aunt
Susan. There's the train comm !
I'm SO glad I could get my trunk
checked clean through I'd be in a
nice fix if that trunk should get lost
with Jimmy's quilt and my black silk
in it! Where's my lunch basket? Oh,
yoh're goin' to carry it away on the
train for me, are you, Hiram Drew?
I'm 'bleeged to you, but mind you git
off the train fore it starts. Goodbye,
Nancy goodbye ALL"
IN q moment the train was on its
way, Aunt Susan's handkerchief fut-
tered from one of car windows as long
as the train was within sight Of the lit
tie station.
All the people in the car noticed the
happy old lady in her queer, old fash
toned garb. Some had not seen for
many years a shawl like the one she
wore, with its fringe a foot long and
silk embroidery in the corners; but
nothing was coarse or amiss in her
dress, and there was a qu%aintness and
charm about her that attracted the
sympathy of all the passengers.
She had not gone twenty-five miles
before she was telling ONE of them
nearest her all about Jimmy and Jim
my's quilt, and the wedding to take
place on the coming Wednesday.
She was delighted to find that q mid
die aged, kindly looking oma who
was one of the passengers lived in the
city in which young Mr.. Larkin lived,
and could easily show her his board
ing house.
"T'm SO much obleeged to you y said
Aunt Susan. 1--WE been dreadful nerv-
GUS bout trying to find the house my.
self. I hated to write to him to meet
me, cause it'd take off the best part OF
the s'prise. I Jest want to walk right
in on him"
That was just what she had the
pleasure of doing the next afternoon.
James Larkin was taking his wed.
ding suit from the box in which it had
beel sent home, when there came
knock at the door Of his DON
Aunt Susan was trembling with ez'
element when her nephew opened the
door.
"Why, Aunt Susan! T. he cried, and
then he took her into his arms and
| kissed her on both cheeks.
There was nc lack of tenderness il
her nephew's greeting, yet the change
in him was painful to her. He was
beardless, boyish-looking young mai
when she had seen him last. Now he
was q tall, broad shouldered, full
bearded man with a way that made il
a little hard for her to call hin
Jimmy" He did not say so, but
she felt that he would rather have he1
call him James," and that sounded
so cold and formal to her.
He now had the graces Of a city.
bred young man. She found it hard
to accommodate herself to them, and
to the usageso Of the fashionable board.
ing-house in which her prosperous
young nephew lived.
He might, perhaps, have wished that
Elvira Hodge had made his aunt's
garments more stylish when he took
her down to dinner, but he was in nc
sense ashamed of her. When they
we're going down stairs with her hand
timid1y resting on his arm, he made
her very happy by looking down into
her face and saying tenderlya and heart
lily, "I am SO glad you came Aun'
Susan"
"I thought you would be-" she said
patting his arm affectionately. "Yo.
know you're the only boy 7 ever had.
Sand you we're always the best o
mothers to me-"
But when she was alone in her room
she wondered il it had been wise TO-
her to come after all. She did no
doubt now that James was genuinel.
happy to see her. but she had discov
cred that his betrothed was the daugh
er of a rich man, and that the wed
ding was to be an elegant affair. Aun
Susan feared she would be out 9
place-that she might in her innc
cence do or say something to Civ