Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1895-06-26

took q good deal of Seek-no-further
with the skin in way that would have
shocked Aunt Mandany.
Suddenly she raised her eyes to the
sturdy face opposite her and said:
81 guess your wife had a real good
time, ,lidn't she, Mr.. Baker, when she
was livin'?"
Mr.. Baker dropped his knife. Hs
glanced up and met the wistful gaze
upon him.
Something he had thought long
dead stirred in his conscience.
81 hope SO, he said, gently. 81
do declare 1 tried to mako her have O
good time.
"How longs she ben dead?"
"Most ten years. We was livin'
down to Norris Corners then"
The man picked up his knife and
absently tried the edge of it on the
ball OF his thumb.
81 s'pose," said Ann, "that folks
are sorry when their wives die?"
Mr.. Baker gave short laugh.
"Wall, that depends"
"Oh, does it? thought folks had
to love their wives n be sorry when
they died"
Mr.. Baker laughed again. He made
no other answer for several minutes.
at last he said:
"[ 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
intensity:
"Oh, I'm awful tired of bein' Aunt
Mandany's fool!"
Mr.. Baker stamped his foot invol-
unfairly.
Glow jew know they call you thet9"
he cried, in great voice.
"I heard Jane Littlefeld tell Mis-
Monk she hoped nobody'd ask Man
dany's fool to the sociable. And Mr..
Fletcher's boy told me that's what
folks called me.
"Confound Jane Littlefeldl Con-
found that imp of boy!'.
These dreadful words burst out fu-
riously.
Perhaps Ann did not look SO shock
ed as she ought.
In moment she smiled her imma-
ture, simple smile that had touching
appeal in it.
"'Tain't no use denyin' it," she
said; 81 amt JUS like other folks, n
that's a fact. I can't think stiddy
more N minute. Things all run to-
gether, somehow. N tho back er my
heads odds it can be.
"Pooh What of it? There can't
any of us think stiddy; n if we could
what would it amount to, I should
like to know? 1t wouldn't amount to
o 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.
eye see," she said in q tremulous
voice, sometimes I think if mother
had lived she'd treated me so't I could
think stiddier. I s'pose mother'd
loved me. They say mothers do. But
Auut Mandany told me mother died
the year I got my fall from the cherry
tree. T was eight then. I don't re-
member nothin' bout it, nor bout
anything much. Mr.. Baker, do you
remember your mother?"
Mr.. Baker said eyes," abruptly.
Something made it impossible for him
to say more.
ssI'd know how 'tis," went on the
thin minor voice; but it always did
seem to me s though if I could remem-
Der my mother I could think stiddier.
Do you think I could?"
Mr., Baker started to his feet.
"I'll bo blamed # I en- stan it," he
shouted. "No, nor I won't stan it,
nuther! %
Hc walked noisily across the room.
He came back and stood IN front oil
Ann, who had patiently resumed
work.
"Come," he said, 81 think lot OF
ye. Les git married"
Ann looked up. She straightened
herself.
"Then I should live with you?" she
asked.
"Of course"
She laughed.
There was so much of confident
happiness in That laugh that the mans
heart glowed Youthfully.
II shall be real glad to marry you,
Mr.. Baker," she said.
Then, with pride, "'N' can cook.
m ! know first rate how to do house
work"
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 en- stop there. Well be
married to oday."
"Can't yc witt till l en- put on my
bunnit N shnwl?" Ann asked.
She left the room. In few mo-
mcnts she returned for going. She
had sheet of note paper, q bottle of
ink md pen in her hands.