Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1895-06-28


done.
By the time that is accomplished,
the Young men begin to drop in, and
so continue to do until dark, when
"the fiddler" arrives, and the grand
fun of the occasion commences.
The morning of the quilting, while
Miss Tillie Redwood was embellishing
her charms as BETTE the occasion,
her brother Rob sought the privacy
of the smoke house, there to address
himself to the business OF writing q
note to Charity.
After an hours hard work he wiped
his perspiring brow, and surveyed the
following:
'DEAR CHARITY: I want everything to be
settled tonight for good and all. If you
care tor me more than for Jake Hargood.
and will drop him and set our wedding day,
send word by Jimmy Tibbs befor night, and
I'll come to your dance too happy to hVe,
for you don't know how good L love you.
If you're ondecided-like and want to stick
to Jake. don't send no word nor look for
me. III 90 to the Indies, and [ don't keer
if 1 scorch and all s'rivel up and die.
"Your loving Rob.
"P. S.-Please send Jimmy quick IL It's
yes. I'm awful narvOus-like.
"Look-a-here, Tillie," said Rob,
waylaying his sister at the gate as she
was setting out for the festal gather
ing, "you give this here note to Char
,tv but not till YOU find her alone.
You hear?"
81 Eear," said Tlllie, securing the
note in her blue-bordered handker-
chief, which she tucked through her
belt, "aud all right"
Charity, in morning costume OF
pink gingham, and several other
young ladies were on their knees on
the sitting-room carpet, spreading
layers of white cotton upon the lining
of the quilt when Tillie arrived.
"1t's a scandal didn't have it all
ready" apologizel CHARITY. "There's
been such piles to do. We're all
ready now for the top. Tillie, we'll
get You to help us spread it on"
"It's awful hot" said Tillie, pulling
out her handkerchief, forgetful for
the moment of its contents, and wip
ing her round face, which her walk
had heated.
Charity brought forth the gorgeous
hued patchwork of her quilt.
Chow pretty that basket pattern
is !" said TiIlie. "I'm a-makinS the
mousechase pattern.
And then the top was spread on, and
no one saw anything in the cotton that
did not belong there.
But an hour after, when Tillie
fould Charity alone, and prepared to
fulfill her brothers behest, she found
no note in her handkerchief, and no
ideas in her head as to what could have
become of it. Hunting for it was i'll
vain.
ooh, dear !" sobbed Tillie, "Robll
be so mai. l daren't tell him l lost
it."
Tillie Redwood was one Of that
numerous class of feminine towards
who will stoop to deceit, subterfuge,
or even lies, rather than encounter the
Just wrath of any dark browed lord oil
creation for any sin or blunder com
mitted against him.
"Anyhow," she quieted her con-
science with, "if it was 50 awful I'M
portant he can come over and tell her
himself. And if he finds out she didn't
get it, I'll go home with jimmy Hicks
and stay till they've fixed it all right,
and by that time he won't care.
And so Rob waited in vain for
Jimmy Tibbs Farmer Meadows'f
chore boy-whose tow head and
freckles he would have hailed as wei
come vision that day. He cherished a
feeble hope until after dark.
"It's just possible" D." he said, 10th to
resign himself to his doom, "that Til
lie forgot to give her the note, or
something. I'll step in there for a
minute, and I'll know mighty quick
by the looks how things ain. "
SO Rob stepped in, and ran against
Tillie in the passage way, on her way
to the kitchen.
He clutched her by the arm.
"Tillie," said he, "did you give it
to her?"
And TiIlie laid up future worry for
herself by telling fiat fib, as the only
way of dodging an immediate scolding
''Did she say anything?" queried
Rob, anxlously.
''No! Let go, Rob!" said Tillie,
twisting her arm away and darting off.
The door of the dancing room swung
open, and Rob could see in. A quad
rilIe was in progress, in which Charity
having concluded that be was not
coming-was dancing spiritedly with
Jake Har8ood.
A couple of young fellows arriving
at that moment swept Rob into the
room, and the swinging door concealed
him.
Jake and Charity were not far away,
but had their backs toward him.
"They say Rob Redwood's goin' off
to furrin parts, said some one in the
pause of the dance. els tnat so,
Charity?"
81 suppose it is, replied Charity.
coolly.
Rob slipped from the sha low of the
door and walked out unobscrved.
"Rob Redwoods gone to the In
dies" was the news Charity heard two
days later. 1t was Aunt Hulda Pitcher
who brought it. "For whole year, !"
cba od1ad ellis uncle made him