Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1895-12-03


tones, that were her wont when defend
ing "the children. !"
"Seems right good to be home again.
Let's set an rest a spell afore we light
up," suggested the old man, dropping
into handy chair.
But his form had scarcely touched it
before he Strengthened himself out Of it
and said testify:
"It don't seem nat'ral. It most broke
my back to set in that cheer Mandy,
there's something wrong"
Mandy had been feeling along the
shelf for the candle that year in and
year out stood there like tallow senti-
mel, and had never failed her in the
darkest night. She found it, but not in
it's old place. It had been moved hairs
breadth to the left and felt queer to her
touch.
"Gimme match, Eben. want to
see what like is the can'le. Lord
a-mercy, look at it, MANI
It certainly was not the same brand
of candle that for all these years had
been run in the tin mold behind the
pantry door. 1t was gorgeous twisted
design in green wax with yellow stripes.
"That's the girls doin's, I bet f" said
the old man, putting on his glasses to
take a better look at the intruder.
"Gosh! What lookin candle"
As its rays diffused light through
the room the two old people began to
investigate. They looked around, then
into each other faces, and both fear and
wonderment were expressed in their
startled glances.
Mandy" said the old man at last,
"we've gone and got into the wrong
house!'
II b'leeve it," answered Mandy fee
bly,, "but then whereabouts is ours?"
''Let's look at the outside. P" And the
girls" who were watching at their
own windows, saw glimmering light
dancing like an ignis fatuus before the
old house and could discern the unwont-
ed spectacle of their father and mother
inspecting the outside Of their home Ivy
candle light. It struck them as very
funny.
Meanwhile the truth had revealed
itself in part to the old people, and hold
ing aloft the faring wax candle they
took an inventory Of the new furniture,
from the carpet on the floor to the
paintings on the walls. twas well the
conspirators were not there to hear
them. 1t might have given them shock.
tEven the PLAINLY g gone, " said Man
dy, wringing her hands, the dear old
| pianny where Ann Maria learned to
| play Hang Up the Baby's Stockin'
afore she was 10 years old I couldn't
have b'leeved it, and my hit and miss
carpet that made with my own hands
and the red tablecloth, the cheerfulest
thing!-you could see it for mile
when the door was open and we was
lighted up-and my picters Of the chill
dren taken every year. Of their lives
it's worse than robbery. don't doub
they meant we'll, but it's broke my
heartp
~ near broke my back tryin to SCI
in one Of them new tangled cheers,
said the old man, spurning the smar
chair with his foot lido wonder, Man
dy, if they left us anything to set on?'
They've left the clock, " said Man
dy. "I'm thankful for that declare
father, it seems like an old friend,
and holding fathers hand she stood lonl
before the venerable timepiece, regard
ing it with loving eyes.
It was near daylight when the TIVE
old people had seen the last Of their new
possessions, and arranged them to theil
entire satisfaction. The fancy candle
had burned down to a mound Of greer
and yellow wax and been replaced b.
a straight, incorporating tallow
homemade, that shed Q serene light OF
two old faces that looked very tired
but wore conscious expression Of peac'
and triumph. And even in their dreams
they smiled.
"To think Of itp' said Ann Maria
when she tells the story. "After al
our planning and continuing, when W
went over the next day to see how the.
were enjoy ling their new surroundings
they had put back every article Of tn
old stuff we moved, rag carpet, photo
graphs and all, and packed the new
things up in the attic. They wouldn'
have new chair, nor tablecloth, no
anything. Said the things weren't com
Portable. Talk about Ephraim beinl
Joined to idols-father and mother coul'
give him pointers out Of their expert
ence," and she sighed over the degen
eracy Of age.-Mrs. M. L. Rayne in De
troit Free Press.