Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1895-12-04
Here Mr.. Baker laughed again. he

Here Mr.. Baker laughed again. BE
made no other answer for several minutes.
At last he said:
az was sorry enough when my wife
died"
A great pile Of quartered apples was
heaped up in the wooden bowl before either
spoke again.
Then Ann exclaimed, with piteous in
tensity:
"oh, I'm awful tired of bein Aunt Man.
dany's fool"
Mr.. Baker stamped his foot involuntarily.
"How jew know they call you that?" he
cried in a great voice.
"I heard Jane Littlefle1d tell Mis- Monk
she hoped nobody'd ask Mandany's fool to.
the sociable, and Mr.. Fletcher's boy told
me that's what folks called me-"
% Jane Littlefeldl D. that
little devil of boyl''
These dreadful words burst out furiously.
Perhaps Ann did not look as shocked as
she ought.
In a moment she smiled her immature,
simple smile that had a touching appeal
In it.
"'Tain't no use denyin it." she said.
81 amt jes' like other folks, n that's a
fact. can't think stiddy more'n a min
ute. Things all run together somehow.
N the back er my head S odd s 1t can be"
"Poohl What of it9 There can't any Of
us think stiddy, n If we could what would
1t amount to, should like to know 1t
wouldn't amount to row of pins"
Ann dropped her work and clasped her
hands. Mr.. Baker saw that her hands
were hard and stained almost black on
fingers and thumbs by much cutting Of
apples.
aye see, +" she said in a tremulous voice,
"sometimes 1 Tho II mother had lived
she'd er treated me sot could think std
der. s'pose mother'd er loved me- They
say mothers do. But Aunt Mandany told
mo mother died the year got my fall from
the cherry tree. was then. l don't re-
member nothin bout 1t, nor bout any
thing much. Mr.. Baker, do you remember
your motherT'
Mr. Baker said, Eyes" abruptly.
Something made 1t impossible for him to
say more.
minor voice, "but 1t always did seem to
mes though If could remember my
mother could think stiddier somehow.
Do you think couldP"
| nlT. Dhh6T bthIbcu W LILO AOOo
"I'n be dumbed 4 en- stan It,, he
shouted. "No nor won't stan 1t nutherE'
He walked noisily across the room.
Hecame back and stood in front Of Ann,
who had patiently resumed work.
"Come," he said 81 think lot of ye.
Les git married"
Ann looked up. She Strengthened her
self.
"Then 1 should live with your she
asked.
"Of course"
She laughed.
There was SO much of confident happi-
ness in that laugh that the mans heart
glowed youthfully.
81 shall be real glad to marry you, Mr..
Baker," she said. Then, with pride, :" N
Ion cook, n know first rate how to do
housework."
She rose to her feet and flung up her
head.
Mr. Baker put his arm about her.
"Le's go right along now, he said more
quickly than he had yet spoken. we'll
call to the minister's N engage him. You
ON stop there Well be married today"
"Can't We wait till en- put on my bun
nit N shawlr" Ann asked.
She left the room. In a few moments
she returned dressed for going. She had a
sheet of note paper, a bottle of ink and a
pen in her hands.
ST en- write" she said confidently, " n
I call it fairer to leave word for Aunt
Mandany."
"All right" was the response. "Go
ahead"
Mr.. Baker said afterward that he never
got much more nervous in his life than
while Ann was writing that note. What
If Mandany should appear He wasn't 60
ing to back out, but he didn't want to see
that woman.
The ink was thick, the pen like q pin,
and Ann was a good while making each
letter, but the task was at last accom-
plished. She held out the sheet to her COM
panion.
"Ain't that rightP" she asked. Mr..
Baker drew his face down solemnly as he
read:
"Dere Aunt Mundane, I'm SO dretfull
Tired of beeing you're fool that ime going
too be Mr.. Bakers. He askt me. Ann
"That's jest the thing" he said explo-
sively. "Now come on"
As they walked along In the hot fall
sunshine, Mr.. Baker said earnestly:
"I'm certain sure we sh'll be ever so
much happier"
"So'm l." Ann replied with cheerful
confidence.
They were on lonely road, and thw
walked hand in hand.
"I'm goin to be good to ye," said tb
man, with still more earnestness. Tion
In a challenging tone, as Ii addressiI { J
world at large, II guess faint nobody
business but our'n."
Ann looked at him and smiled trustfully
After awhile he began to laugh.
"Im thinkin of your Aunt Mandan.
when she reads that letter." he explained
Maria Louise Pool In Chap Book.