The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1895-03-07

Y II N N[~@ DAY pes u
I ny I'M that you must
a silk mixed and a mantel maker to
cut and haste it. In mine and your
mothers days we didn't have such fine
fiXin's"
But society makes more require
ments, now than it did then, Aunt
Jemimy."
1T don't require paupers to be
dressed in silk mixed no more now
than it did then, and it's rot accordin'
to fitness"
you must not call Satiry pauper
to me, Aunt Mime. You know she had
respectable bornin', and it's not her
fault that she's poor and an orphan.
When mother and me took her to raise
"a little, slim, big-eyed thing of ten
I promised I'd be "a parent to her,
and | amt no cause to regret all I've
done for her, for she's been more than
daughter Toto mother. She's so
kind and good that even the cats love
her more than common"
That's cause she gives them their
eatin' It's sinful waste, the plates
of good broken vittels she sets down to
them cats"
Aunt Mime, [ think we can feed
two cats off our table scraps without
its bein' imputed any great extrava-
gance, specially as the mice would
pretty nigh take us if we didn't keep
'em. As for Satiry, every brute critter
on the place loves her.
An some that amt brute critters
too, I'm guessin'."
Gabriel colored and gave his aunt
sidelong glance. She saw, but, pre-
& tending not Ito, went on:
1 "How's b. am Luke Smell gettin' on?
You've trigged her out 50 fine now
reckon he'll be poppin' the question
pretty soon, for fear some of the other
fellows gets ahead of him; for 1t can't
be gainsaid that S'tiry Ann has plenty
of admirers, but for my part l never
could see any beauty in a complexion
of chalk and cheese. Shouldn't wonder
if she'd make a heap of doctors ex-
pense for the man that marries her"
''Satiry has perfect health, aunt"
mo sign she'll always have; but if
Luke wants to risk it reckon he's
able, an it's none of our concern"
Gabriel flushed again, and then
turned pale to the tips of his fingers,
all the blood in his being seeming to
surge in one great wave about his
heart.
II must be going" said he rising.
"Must tell mother you'll be over to-
morrow? She wanted special for you
to come
Eyes; | reckon"
cts wonderful how Gabe sticks up
for S'tiry Ann" said the aunt as she
looked after the retreating form of her
nephew, AN faint for nothin' neither
or | miss my reckonin'. | wish Luke
would marry her offhand an get her
out of the way, for | don't want my
children knocked out of the prospect of
inheritin the best farm in the county
by that little white-faced thing Mems
never too old to make fools of them
selves, an Gabe's only thirty"
Yes only thirty; that was all, but he
had been called odd Gabe" so long
that the idea of seniority had long
since attached to him. He had not re-
scented the appellation when, in his
teens, it was first applied to him, but
now, as he pursued his way along the
meadow path, it impressed him with
keen sense of injustice.
II wonder if Satiry cares anything
out of the common for Luke Smell" he
went on thinking. II never thought of
them as anything but friends till Aunt
pnN,, 10 IL.
she doesn't think of there being any
thing in me for young girl to fancy.
l wonder if she really has suspicion
of She state of my feelin's, and what
shed think if she had Think me
fool, | reckon; which | s'pose am.
Well, if it's to be Luke, I'll not stand
in the way, and most of all, I'll never
let Satiry guess. She's more than life
to me, and it'll be more than death to
give her up and make no sign, but old
Gabe can do it.
Wise Aunt Mime! She had counted
not amiss on the effect her words
would have on Gabe. Once make him
think that Satira's happiness depended
on his silence. and he could die and
make no sign. For, if she loves Luke,
it would pain her kind little heart to
know that | care" thought he; but a
great surge of pain swept his being as
he thought how in the plenitude of
his affection he had lavished on his
hearts idol the personal adornments
nc so rejoiced to bestow, only the soon
er to lose her because of the added at
fractions they gave her in the eyes of
a younger and handsomer rival; but,
having made his pronunciation, it was
tue nature of the mau that it be whole