Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1894-12-31

looking at her mother. Mrs. Bentley
was twenty or more steps away, and
the chickens were making so much
noise she had to raise her voice to
disagreeable, rasping pitch. "What'd'
l want Why, want ter know why
you don't feed them chick'ns, missy
that's what l want Step around
lively, now, n don forget s Chris mas
Eve, n lot O. extry work ter be
done. You ac' s if you didn't care
whether the minister he'd anything fer
dinner tomorrow r not |"
81 don't care," said the girl, with
sullen emphasis. She came out into
the lane, and stood near her mother
Her apron, gathered up in her left
hand, was full of wheat. With her
right hand she began scattering it on
the hard, ungrassed ground.
"Mebbe you think tits fun ter hev
ministers N their wives n a lot O.
children ter cook n work fer an
Chris mas" she said; "but I don't.
wish Chris mas 'ud never come fer
oil the good it does us! Maria
Quackenbush's paws got her a new
org'n," she added, suddenly. A glow
of eagerness came across her face, but
faded almost instantly.
"Has hep" said Mrs. Bentley.
stolidly watching the chickens.
"'N It's twenty-four stops, maw."
"What has?"
''The org'n Maria's paw got 'er fer
Chris mas"
The elder woman shut her lips to-
gether with kind of grimness.
81 guess it won't give no better
music than one with twenty -two," she
said.
"No," said Mandy, with q sigh of
indifference. "Oh, maw," she added,
suddenly, with very passion of long
ing in her tone; ed you think paw'll
ever get me n org'n fer Chris mas?''
81 do know" replied her mother
Clocks kind O like snow, don't it ?
Which O. them pullts r you go'n' ter
kill fer Tomorrow"
81 do know; any Of ems fat
enough"
A dull grayness lowered upon the
farm. The wind whistled little as it
came around the corner of the big
barn, and pushed some stray locks of
the girls hair across her neck. A
horse came runningup from the lower
pasture, and looked over the tall bars,
neighing and paving the ground i'm
patiently. Far off, down near the
river, was the tinkle-inkle- of a
COW bell.
"There comes the cows" said Mrs.
Bentley, signing unconsciously. 1t
was sigh of resignation, however,
for Mrs. Bentley had been a farmer s
daughter before she was a farmer s
wife. ''Ihere!" she exclaimed, in
mild triumph, as cock crew, "Didn't
tell you it was go'n' ter storm? You
can tell it by the mournful sound O.
thet roosters voice. Oh, say, Mandy |!
Dick Underwood got home las week
from town ter spend Chris'm mas n
New Year. l just heard it while you
was out gether'n punk Ms !"
81 knowed it yesterday" said the
girl. She did not stir or lift her eyes,
but faint color came into her face
and a pulse in her throat began to
beat quickly.
Her mother gave her keen, search
ing look.
81 guess he'll mos likely be go'n'
ter Maria's ter-morrow, a-seein' her
new org'n )" she said. looking away.
eyes, l guess" said the girl. After
a moments hesitation, she added ::
"Maria's NAV got 'er n offul pretty
new dress"
"Did she ?"-with look of inter
est whats it like?"
CTS sort O. brown n gold stripe
-camel's hair. IT'S offul pretty, "
added the girl with kind of bitter re-
luctance.
Mrs. Bentley was awed into silence
for a moment in contemplation of