Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-10-12
THE GIRLS AFFAIRS
BY LOUISE r. PAKER.

| Written Exclusively for The Evening Star
| 1t would be a difficult thing to saw exactly
| when Miss Ann and Miss Hannah Gossa ee
| began to figure in the world about them as
| "the girls" but as 1.-The girls" they flour.
| ished, the respect and envy of the neigh.
| borhocd. The home of the girls consisted
| of a Northumberland farm and a brick
| house, the house alone giving them rank
| above their immediate neighbors. Bu
there was another distinction that the
| girls enjoyed, they were "own sisters" t.
81 Gcssage, who had 'got rich at the com
| mission business From time to time S
| brought his family to the brick house te
F., spend Thanksgiving; occasionally, too. they
| turned up at Easter, and always some OF
the town Gossases spent the warm months
in the cool delightfulness of the "old
| place." True, the girls were also "own
sisters" to Benjamin Gossage, overseer tc
i the Carmichaels of Nonesuch.
| But Benjamin had been a stubborn boy
| and he had grown into a stubborn man.
1t was no fault of the girls that he ordered
| another mans teams instead of ordering
ms wen. Perhaps in Miss Hannahs heart
| there was secret satisfaction in being
| own sister, to Benjamin Gossage, he was
| such a powerful big fellow, and he
couldn't be made to understand how it
were possible for Gossage to come down
| in the world.
| II was to put up in q mud house and
cook my own victuals, 1 wouldn't think no
less o, myself on account O. the change O.
| circumstances" Benjamin had said. cross
| ing one tremendous leg over the other and
smiling reassuringly into the face of Miss
Ann AS it Isl he continued, my house
Is as 1a1r as this'n, with hall two feet
| WIDER l have sent little Hammer Gossa re
10 the town school till she knowed more n
the teacher and I've married her we'll"
but there was Gossage who had come
uo"n IN the world no matter what Benja-
MN might say about the matter; this
member of the family was Samuel Cos
sage. once known as Wild Sam. He had
gone west or south; Miss Ann said south,
MSS Hannah thought west. Wherever
Samue! Gossage had taken up his quarters,
ne fau not prospered. Vague rumors from
someWhere-Miss Ann said from the south
reached them that he had gone from had
nerd of cattle over the prairie 1t was gen
orally supposed that Wild Sam had degen-
Grated INTO a cowboy, and that was the
eno OF MIN. Some years after the disap-
fearance of Sam Miss Ann received a let
Ter from the southwest, which she read
through and then put into her pocket To-
ward evening she sad to Miss Hannah
that Samuel GcsSage was dead
Poor Sam is dead" Miss Hannah found
herseif saying to the neighbors; but. why
was u that Ann had not shown her the
letter! Miss Hannah was aware that even
when telling the neighbors of Sans death
she had serious misgivings about the fact
ohe could net prevail upon herself to feel
mat Keen sorrow most good mortals feel
over the death OF a near relative, even
though he isn't dear as he ought 10 he
But benjamin Gossage also gave out to
those people interested in his family ties
that he had one brother in the commission
business in Washington a-doin' we'll two
SISTERS lVing in comfort on the old home
place, and one brother, Samuel Gosseg e
VINO had recently died somewhere IN the
west. And Benjamin Gossage, who took
lively interest in graves IN general, and
family graves in particular, listened at
tentively to sister of Mrs. Gossa:,e, cast
prairie
They jest teck em out and bury EN-,
without no regular funeral" said Mrs.
Gossage's sister. land hist a palm fence
around the grave. Eff you ever travels
cross the prairie on the railroad you're
found TO see two or three graves every
now ard then. loohin' mighty Iones ome-
like. Some of 'em. it's true added the
good lady. frightening. SIS only graves O.
the Mex!cans, and scme's n:ggers' graves
but you find yourself a-fcein. sorry. fore
you think o that. and then thar's white
foikses, too. when they amt sittiu' on
Wen: l reckon, Mr.. Gossage. as your
brother Samuel was buried thataway On
the prairie"
As the years went by Miss Hannah Cos
sage became accustomed to the idea of
Sans death became reconciled to it with
out any visible emotion, and even grew
fond of Wild Sam in a way. although he
had been the biggest torment of her life
and the one disreputable figure on the old
home place.
There was not much difference in the
appearance of the girls. In age they We're
scarcely i've years apart, Miss Ann being
the ne cider They both wore spectacles and
they both wore sacks. Their frocks
rather short in the skirt, We're neatly made
and of prn pattern.
Nv hen l got the chip basket in one hand
I amt a gunno have my train in the
other" Miss Ann had said as she brishly
ran a tuck in the frock she had allowed
Miss Hannah to make. You'd best try
yourn on before the glass. Hammer. and
give it to me while / got the needle"
Miss Hannah's heart had sighed for a
fTock Jest a mite longer" but she looked
at her work before the glass and resgnedly
delivered it into the hands of her sister.
The farm owned by the Gossage girls
was let the girls reserving to themselves
certain privileges. such as pasturage and
sned room for their horse and three cows.
BESIDES this. according to the valuable
document that Miss Ann kept under lccll
and key, brought out frequently to read
aloud. the girls held full possession of the
orchard. They We're, therefore, in very
Spect and envy.
Fifteen uneventful years had passed
since the intelligence of Samuel Gossage's
death had been received by Miss Ann, and
the girls. continuing TO prosper, had
changed but very little in appearance
They still spoke with satisfaction of their
brother In the commission business and
We're trif1e more placid in regard to Ben
1amin's position as overseer. Miss Ann
had. In fact, paid a recent visit to None
such. had found Gossage in exceedingly re-
spectacle quarters. Oh familiar terms with
John Carmichael" had had Mrs Carmich-
ael call upon her. and felt altogether as
sured that Benjamin Gossage was popu-
lar and important parsonage. Nobody
will ever sit down him." she said. wav-
ing her fan and speaking half condescend-
stock and folks know it,"
The girls were contemplating a visit to
SIS wife with the four younger children,
ana were accordingly in a fiuster of prena-
ration, when another event happened Miss
Hannah Gossage received a letter from
the southwest. Unlike her sister she car
ried the letter about in her pocket all day
before reading it. That night she turned
upon Miss Ann in their bed room, her face
looking CHASTITY in the candlelight
Ann" she said tim;dly, Sam wasn't
dead that time you got the letter"
Sam, Samuel Gossage," cried Miss Ann
Whats Samuel Gossage got to do with
us after all these years?"
Hes dead" said Miss Hannah.
Miss Ann backed against her bed and
gave a gasp.
1--WE must send for Benjamin." said Miss
Hannah.
Two red spots mounted to Miss AIMS
NJ ~