The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1894-11-14


dried her eyes, and ripped the skirt of
the "changeable" silk that had been
her mothers wedding dress, to make
a "stvlish" waist to wear with her old
black cashmere skirt. And then she
couldn't resist the temptation to run
across the field TO Naomi Jenks's to
tell her of the joyous prospect. And
she was really angry with Rufe because
he shook his head doubtfully, going
right on eating huckleberry pie, when
she told him of Uncle Enoch's promise.
When the day came she ran out as
soon as she had wiped the dinner
dishes TO watch for Uncle Enech. He
was late and in hurry. He handed
her out rather largesized pasteboard
box.
There, / amt one to be small when
l make up my mind to go a-shoppin'
If you take good care of that twill last
you till the next Worlds Fair comes
round" with a grim chuckle. "You
tell your mother it's her own resk let
tin you go; faint any of my doin'.
I've got other uses for my money"
Selinda carried the box into the
house. 1t was light, but oh, how
heavy her heart was And Rufe, who
had been standing behind the great
butternut-tree, turned a somersault.
Rufe always had provokingly little to
say for himself, and he turned somer.
saults as an expression of his feelings
on the most inopportune occasions.
al 10 IL 1,k hot n
to have more sense. There was 81
lence in the room for the space of q
full minute after the cover was taken
off the box then Mrs. Kittreige said
with fearful gasp, "Oh, don't feel so
bad, ,Selindy ; it's real pretty satchel. ="
Selinda had a temper. wish that
she had had it as fully under control
as all but the very bad girls in stories
do; but alas she flung the pretty
sntchel with all strength, box and all,
up into the high cupboard beside the
mantelpiece. The box came tum-
bling down, and the cover followed it,
and Rufe carried them off, saying he
had been wanting some pasteboard to
make fan for his vim owing ma
chine. (Rufe spent his leisure expert
menting upon miniature machinery.)
The bag stayed up in the closet, and
Selinda sulked and cried, with inter
walls of trying to be good and make
the best of things, and her mother
took the egg money, with which she
was to have bought herself pair of
gloves, and bought gilt belt for Sc
linda, and she made q great many
cream pies in anxious, silent SYM
pathy, and opened the strawberry
preserves, of which Selinda was very
fond.
Sometimes when Selinda was away,
Mrs. Kittredge opened the cupboard
door and looked at the satchel, and
said regretfully. "It's real pretty
satchel." At last one day, three weeks
after the satchel had been flung up
there she said it in Selinda's hearing.
"You think SO much of pretty
things" said Selinda, a little con.
temptuously. "You wanted some pink
vases like those the minister's wife
had, and q watch and chain like Mrs
Deacon Palmer had, and a spray of
lilac in your bonnet like aunt Jemima /!
You always liked pretty things and"
Selinds looked up, suddenly, as if struck
by new thought-"you never had
any !"
Rufe looked up from the tiny wheel
that he was securing with emery paper.
81 wonder if this is the first time
you ever thought of that !" he said in
gruff voice, as if he had a lump in
his throat. And he scowled medita-
lively at her, as Selinda now remem-
bered she had caught him scowling at
her before.
"Well, 1 don't know" was all that
their mother said, in a meek, half
guilty little voice, and Selinda saw her
furtively wipe away tear.
"Aunt Jenima has sent word by
Phoebe Bascom that she wants you to
come over and help her get ready to
go to the Worlds Fair" said Seliuda
when she came home from the dress.
makers the next day. (She was find
ing little consolation in the change
able silk waist, although she couldn't
wear it to the Fair "Aunt Jemina
is going, and Mrs. Prentice aud Roxy
Fowler, with Jonas for an escort"
'Tm real glad for Jemimy. They'll
have a beautiful time. l guess 1 will
go over and help her fix off, if you
think you and Rufe can get along, u
said Mrs. Kittredge.
Selinda was at the dressmaker's
again the next day when Mrs. Kit
tredge's nephew, Jonas, came after her.
Going to the cupboard for her best
handkerchief and her gloves, where
she kept them ''handy" for Sundays,
Mrs. Kittredge caught sight of Selin-
da's satchel.
II don't believe Selindy would care
a mite if should take it, She said
she never would carry it and it would
look as if had things like folks, she
said to herself.
''Mother does like so much to g
visiting" said Selinda, as Rufus cam,
in that night She was in the pantry
with her back toward him, but sh,
kept on talking. "She'd be a regular
CAD about, like Aunt Jemima, if she
could" Selinda's tone was slightl,
aggrieved; she did hate to do house
work.
"And she never had chance to g,
anywhere /"
Rufe's voice was so gruff now that i
made Selinda come out of the pantr,
and stare at him. His face was red
and he breathed quickly, as if he hat