Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1895-10-05


swop for groceries in the spring
Mr.. Baker made deep cash in an
apple and held his tongue.
Ann continued her work, but she
took a good deal of Seek-no-further
with the skin in a way that would
have shocked Aunt Mandany.
Suddenly she raised her eyes to the
sturdy face opposite her and said:
II guess your wife had real good
time, didn't she, Mr.. Baker, when she
was livin'?"
Mr.. Baker dropped his knife. He
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. Il do
declare | tried to make her have
good time"
'How longs she ben dead?"
Most 10 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.
Il s'pose," said Ann, that folks are
sorry when their wives dieg'
Mr. Baker gave a short laugh.
''Wall. that depends"
"0h, does it? thought folks had to
love their wives m be sorry when
they died"
Mr.. Baker laughed again. He made
no other answer for several minutes.
At last he said:
Il 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 a piteous
intensity:
"oh. I'm awful tired Of bein' Aunt
Mandany's fool
Mr.. Baker stamped his foot invol-
unfairly.
How jew know they call you that?'
he cried in great voice.
Il heard Jane Littlefield tell Miss
Monk she hoped nobody'd ask Man
! dany's fool to the sociable. And Mr..
! Fletchers boy told me that's what
\ folks called me-"
"Confound Jane Littlefeld! Confound
/ that imp of boyn'
These dreadful words burst out furi-
ously.
Perhaps Ann did not look SO shocked
as she ought
'Tain't no use denyin' it, she said:
Il amt just like other folks. m that's
a fact Things all run together, some
how. m the back er my heads odds
it can be-"
Pooh, what Of It? There can't he
any of us think stiddy; m if we could
what would it amount to, / should like
to know? 1t wouldn't amount to a row
of pins"
Ann dropped her work and claspeds
her hands. Mr.. Baker saw that her
hands were hard, and stained almost
black on fingers and thumbs by much
cutting of apples.
''Ye see" she said in a tremulous
voice, sometimes I think If mother
had lived she'd treated me soft could
think stiddier. I s'pose mother'd loved
me. They say mothers do. But Aunt
Mandany told me mother died the year
II got my fail lfrom the cherry tree.
I was then. / don't remember moth
in bout it, nor bout anything much.
Mr.. Baker do you remember your
mother?"
Mr.. Baker said YES" abruptly.
Something made it impossible for him
to say more.
I'D know how tits; went on the
thin minor voice: "but it always did
seem to mes though if could remem-
Der my mother could think stlddier.
Do You think / couldE'
Mr.. Baker started to his feet.
"Ill be blamed f / en- stan it." he
shouted. mo, nor l won't stan it,
nutherm
He walked noisily across the room
He came back and stood in front of
Ann, who had patiently resumed work.
Come" he said, " / think lot of
We. Les git married"
Ann looked up. She Strengthened
herself
"Then I should live with your" she
asked.
"Of course"
She laughed.
There was so much Of confident hap
piness in that laugh that the mans
heart glowed youthfully.
II shall be real glad to marry Won.
Mr.. Baker," she said
Then with pride M I can cook.
m | know firstrate how to do house
work"
She rose to her feet and flung up her
head.
WI bdheF put his arm ABOUT ner.
Lets go right along now" he said.
more quickly than he had yet spoken.
We'll call to the minister's m engage
him. You en- stop there. Wen be
married to-day"
Cant you wait till en- put on nv
bunnit N shawlT Ann asked.
She left the room. In few mo-
ments she returned for going. She
had sheet Of note-paper, bottle Of
ink and pen in her hands.
II en- write" she said confidently.
N ] call it fairer to leave word for
Aunt Mandany.' n
"All right" was the response; ego
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 an.
pear? He wasn't going to back out
but he didn't want to see that wo-
man.
The ink was thick, the pen was like
a pin, and Ann was a good while maxi
ing each letter, but the task was at
last accomplished.
She held out the sheet to her com
panion.
"Ain't that RIGHT y, sba asI,o5