The Opelousas courier., 1894-05-05

seem SO nice to be at hoAe again!"
Mrs. Cummings hurried, smiling,
to the door; but the deacon looked
soul enough as he drove around to the
barn.
"1 hadn't thought O. going!" fal-
tered Mrs. Cummings.
"But you must 60, mother!' said
Clara, with the bow of ribbon twisted
around her finger.
II hain't nothin' to take"
"There's that loaf of plumcake that
you baked for Sundays tea. Nothing
in the world could be nicer"
"I've got a piece O blue gingham-
three yards-that I hain't made up
into aprons yet. Would that do?"
wistfully questioned the poor woman
cit would be just lovely!" pro
tested Clara.
And then she confded to her mother
the secret of the ten-dollar gold piece.
"You see," said she, 81 feel some
how as if I were paying a debt to
these dear old people, who have
worked so hard all these years fer SO
pitiful a salary: And I've put the
money in the little, flat shopping-bas
Just like the one I gave you, dear
and I shall slip it into Mrs. Potter's
hand. Won't she be surprised when
she comes to open it?"
Clara Cummings, however, had an
auditor to their sweet ilial condolences
| of whom she little knew.
The deacon, hanging up his old
harness, back of the kitchen door, had
'It's SINFUL" said the deacon to
himself-"absolutely a-temptin' O
Providencel Ten-dollar gold pieces!
Ginghams! Loaves O cake, not to say
nothin' Of the dried apples l wal cal
culatin' to fetch! I-don't-see-"
Suddenly the deacon's dull eyes
frightened. He came to a dead stand
still on the stairs. The deacon had
an idea.
"The very thing!" he muttered to
himself.
Going softly to his wife's bureau, he
distracted the little leather reticule
which Clara had given her on her fifty
second birthday, a brief while ago, and
Quietly substituted it for Clara's, lying
on the pillow of her bed, first, how
ever, placing in its outside pocket a
squarely-folded one-dollar bill.
"That'l be a deal more suitable"
thought he. "The bags is just alike
and Clara won't know the difference.
And I'll keep this ere gold-pice, to-
wards, the shinglin' of the barn ruff.
Goodness knows, l need money a great
deal more than Parson Potter does,
and Clara 'ain't no business to be SO
wasteful and ~extravagant."
And he went down stairs, chuckling
softly to himself.
"Ain't supper ready?" said he.
"What! cold corned beef and parsnips?
And biscuit! There want no need of
anything but bread and cheese, SEEM
we're goin' to hev a slap-up supper to
the parsonage. But women hain't no
judgment. Here, Clara, put this meat
on the shelf for breakfast tomorrow
mornin'. An set them preserves back
in the closet. Humph! we'd all fetch
up in the poorhouse if we went ahead
this fashion"
Mrs. Cummings would have enjoyed
her evening at the parsonage, il her
husband had not glared SO severely at
her new bonnet.
"Gloves, eh?" said he, as she climbed
out Of the wagon. esquire Silleck's
wife don't wear no gloves. I'll go bail
them cost fifty cents! Humpht"
"But they're mended. father-and
I've had 'em a year!"
''Humph!" was all the reply he
vouchsafed.
The parson, a withered little man in
a threadbare black suit, received his
guests in a truly Christian spirit of
resignation.
81 hope there'll be enough for them
to eat, whispered lie to his better
half, a tnll, pale oma
81 guess likely there WILL" she re-
sponded. tMost of 'em has brought
victuals-and very little else. I do
wonder how they knew it was u we'd
ding anniversary! I tried all I could
do to keep it secret"
+: Everything was there. Plates and
dishes, which matched nothing; brass
warding pans, of Nc use except for
senseIess decorations; tissue paper
flowers, and gruesome worsted work
painted banners, and embroidered
''splashers;" crochet lace, and dam
aged tides; and as they kept arriv-
ing, Mrs. Potter's heart sank CORE.
spondingly.
Presently, however, she came to
Clara with tears in her faded eyes.
ooh, Clara!" she faltered, chow
can I thank you enough for your kind
ness-you noble generosity? Mr.. Pot
ter is as grateful as l am, but his voice
issimply gone. He can't speak"
The deacon Rugged himself.
II knowed that dollar bill would be
a plenty said he. "Bless me there's
that young Lawyer Harrison, the par
sons nephew, goin' off to the study
with Clara. lie ONCE had quite a no.
ton to the gal. Wonder if they're
goin' to company keepin' again? Kind
o. singular he should be here tonight.
Folks says it was him who brought the
handsome black walnut desk in par.
sons study. Strange how e~xtravagant
folks will be! Specially young folks.
Eth! what's that they're sayin?' A
in our direction! Now. J
wonder If Clara didn't leave the taller
candle burnin' in her room, an the
cat knocked it over? And there was