The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-10-10
STREET PIcKfRGS.
PIE or prunss."

hosiery in one OF the new and enteTpris-
ing towns Of the gas belt
The Pickings man looked up with some
surprise as he had not. been expecting
the remark. Hence, 1t came upon him
in the nature of a revelation. As his
eyes slowly assembled they fell upon the
ruddy countenance of a young girl. Her
eyes were bright and her step was firm.
True, one Of her front teeth was missing,
but this may have been the result of an.
accident when a child. Her dark hair
was corraied by a string Of faded blue
ribbon. which trailed down her blck. and
as she reached over the table to hand
one of the regular boarders the pepper
box it dangled for a brief moment in the
apple sauce.
Pie or prune5."
The mysterious phrase again smote the
ears of the Pickings man and ne started
from his absorbed contemplation Of the
fair young creature before him. Again
he looked inquiringly into that happy
countenance, and II was probably with
an expression of some amazement as the
real import Of the ejaculation had not as
yet trckied through his intellect. AS he
looked up the second time the girl was
wiplng her nose with her apron. OF
course there was nothing wrong-that is
criminally wrong-in the act, but the &C
ton drove all thought out Of the head
of the youth who sat before her. He
tried to speak. but the words ratified in
his larynx. At the moment his mouth
was full or dry cracker, and as he chewed
vigorously with his eyes fixed upon the
scintillatinC orbs Of the fair creature be-
fore him the two no doubt formed
beautiful picture. He was trying TO
empty his mouth so h could speak. She
had a cold.
The girl moved from one foot to the
other and. having dutfully attended to
her nose, began picking al a pimple on her
chin. She was in no hurry, but was wait
ing the convenience Of the young man be-
fore her. He was chewing and thinking
at the same time. He was trying 20 make
a selection and. like others who are out
shopping, found il difficult TO make
choice. He wanted to do the best thing
under the circumstances and therefore was
careful TO fully comprehend the situation
before committing himself.
Would he take pie? Would he take
prunes? Darned if he knew. Surprising
he took both. No, that would never do.
He had thoughtlessly asked for a second
cup of coffee, but a moment before and
after the girl had reluctantly taken his
cup and disappeared through the pine
door in the direction Of the kitchen he had
heard a terrible connection and a mo-
ment later had noticed the door carefully
pulled back and through the crack had
seen the forms of some half-dozen faces
peeping at him with an expression Of Won
der and CONSERVATION.
The Pickings man had just eaten his
dinner and was about 70 leave the table
when the vision of rustic. neglige beauty
had again confronted him with the OPP
portunity for a selection OF additional edi-
bles. The girl had noticed the action and
supposed that he was not used to dessert
SO was looking down at him with an ex-
preston of contempt.
Pie prunes."
This time the words were hurled forth
with vengeance and it was apparent
that no more time could be lost. Some
thing must be done and done at once.
Without thought and with the reckless
ness of despair. the Pickings man opened
his mouth and it was over.
He had selected prunes.
"How many childurn l got?" replied the
old man as he dipped up from the spring
back Of his house cup Of clear water and
handed it to the stranger. "Jes' two
Yes, jes' two-boy and girl" he con-
tlnued he wiped his face with his
tattered coat sleeve. Me an tn ola
woman live here an work the farm same
as we been doin' fer twenty year.
"Ye see we had four chidurn, but two
died. Nellie wuz born in 65 an Tom in
'63. They wuz likely childurn an We took
pride in givin them a good edication-
kind O. stinted ourselves We know fer a
few years. But that's neither here IT
there. We jist had the two an thought
we'd 90 the best by them we could"
The stranger had been surveying the
little log house that nestled beneath the
tall trees far back from the road. 1t vas
over in the edge Of Delaware county.
And your chiIdren-they've both gone
to town, suppose" he asked
NO" said the old man as he picked
up a splinter Of wood and began bend
ing 1t between his fingers, they're both
home and have been fer three year an
they're compny fer me an the old wom-
an too in our old age"
II thought maybe that after getting an
education they'd want to leave you and
move to the city,
wall, Tom did go off fer awhile He
wanted to see the world an he went 10
the city. Got a clerkshp or sumpin an
then went to railroadin', but somehow he
got to bein' what he called a good Teller
an had to put a plaster on the place fer
two thousand. Took long time to ply II
off, too. Tom got hurt a railroad an
had both legs taken Off He's in there
And Nelle?"
wall, Nellie-yOu know she wuz the
girl and mother allus thought heap OF
her Took on terrible when she wanted
TO go off to the city in office. But
we let her go an she wuz away year
an more. She looked jest like mother
did when she was young girl-mighty
purity too. One day | came in from
plowin' corn an I see mother had been
erwin. She had a letter in her hand.
"Nellle's comm home wuz all she
said.
II didn't read tn letter; somehow I
didn't want to. But Nellie came home
an she's been home ever since"
Just then a little blue-eyed girl. with
her hair tied with a pink ribbon, toddied
out of the door and came down the grass
walk. The old man picked the child UP
and Rugged it tender,y.
'Nellie's,'' was all he said. The strang-
err walked silently down the path and
+tovl-oa +pa old man for the water AZ