Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1895-12-17
CORDELIA.
ILLS IN Ni
Bx FRANK N. SWEET.

\ and baking anu mdNlug IOr the hungry
| Hackett family. She had smoothed
the way down into the valley for her
poor. paralytic father, and had paved
the cwaFaip the hilpof life atd into an,
Medication fore her brothers and sisters
lcandy was now thinking jof performing,
the. lsafife officeforlthe ni6therless chill
dren OF an older half-brother. .loli5B.
But Cordelia did not look old, in spite
of the 80 years. Her face was as fair
and viyacious as the riotous, clambering
roses. that essayed to soften and hide
the dilapidated fence; and her eyes
were the Same merry, bewildering eyes
that had proved the joy and torment 9f
more than one susceptible heart in the
days of her girlhood. But duringthese
later years she had been tod busy for
such things; and her brusque, business
like manner had effectually prevented
admiring chances from developing into
anything verbal.
!. In spite of its general air OF, decrepi-
t1de, the Haekett place was very pretty
and homelike. bright flowers and
clambering vines had been influenced
by Cordelia to screen the unsightly
spots; and IL would have been a poor,
heartless sort of mortal who would
have looked behind them for broken
weather-boarding and lettering pickets.
Birds seemed to like the arrangement,
for the vicinity was surs to be melodi1
Qua Of bright spring morning, and
butterflies and bees and fragrant odors
also appeared to be we'll suited, for they
could always be found lingering about
the phase. v.fyo,,yaI.
Tap, tap, tap. rang Cordelia's hammer
d aha went along the fenos, straighten-
ing slAntinS picket here and driving
fresh nail In place Of q rusty qpa these;
and zap, tap, tap. sounded firm. APP
preaching footsteps con .thh 0sidwalk
Bat the. artist Of tho hammer did, not
potics. Her thoughts were busy b re-
viewing ths bAst aud dn MAILING plans,
for TIA future The week before, her
, young brother had R gone &c bo thu
jw6sh toSmAEs 1 pla6SNfoTS hlmss1f and
new she was a}one--for the first time In
her life. She had Thoughts to reiraili IN
her proSty, VINO covered ecbtaas and
read and study and do lust Us she liked.
But only this morning letter had coma
from her brother John. inviting has 10
i've with him and book sfter his chill
draLl We'll, Of COURSE she would go;
but was with aIshafp pank she made
the decisions ~ y j. ~
Presently the nails gave out, and she
rose with the intention of going after
more But as she did so,l she saw the
figure of man leaning on her gate,
and pair Of keen, quizzical eyes were
looking straight into her own.
An angry flush rose to her face, but
was quickly succeeded by look Of
pleased recognition. III
"For the land sake, Tom, Rogersl"
she cried, as she stepped forward anil
gave him her hand. "Who ever thought
to see youfhere! And with such whis-'
ker1l Why II declare 4 scarcely knew
went out west?'
lssIwelve, Cordelia Q 1s,s hs said3, srnil-
Iipgly., irYou remember it waa the year
after father sold his farm. That was
In 80. Lizzie White had a)lswn party
the evening before I left.
yes, remember" giving him an
srch look you went home with Sedie
Adams, and folks did say
..Oh. pshaw. Cordelial" he femon-
strsted, you and Sadie were together.
snd 4 stsrtsd to 70 homo with both Of
POO, butIthaA Httls Ed Purcsal came up.
sud yuq wsnA OF with kim Than.