The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1895-12-03

you, Matilda"
Pheasant night indeed ~ repeated
Miss Matilda, who had finally settled
isn't like Abigail and nobody else
When she knows that my heads
aching to split, and that I've got rheu-
matism so that / can fairly hear my
knees squeak when L bend them. and
I'm just dom out with all the talking
I've lived through this week What's
tho matter with you, Ephraim? You
haven't opened you mouth since we got
off the train"
saplied Ephraim, slowly. "There's
fSlike better than to near
boSand his family"
began Miss Matilda, Gin
ACE, just as / told Syou beS
Z Arted, it would have& hean.
netCc FOR yos-und Sarah
have gone there instead of,
snding Abigail and me to visit them.
They doLat feel pleasant about it, Pm
. you had been there"
but they know why" said her
brother. What, with scarlet fever,
and measles, and every other catch.
ing disease last year, and all the
trouble I've had getting help on the
farm this year, and Sarah Jane 80
taken up with her sick old mother,
and"
"That isn't a bit like Joe II. inter-
rupted Mrs. Grant, Indignantly. Off
he does feel SO, Sucy must have put
him up to t."'
tilda.
Poor Joe! He's got lots of bur-
dens, and he used to be such "a jolly
boy He looks older, l tell you, and
he's getting gray, and wrinkles on the
forehead and around the eyes. Lucy
the dark side. Maybe 1 do. ii hone
SO, Pm sure"
oh, don't be SO a~ggravating, Ma
tilda !" cried Mrs. Grant.
Well," began Miss Matilda again,
"if you will have it, nobody can blame
me- I'm sure. Lucy's a city woman,
with city ways and bringing up, and
she's no manager"
How is poor Lqcy?" inquired
Ephra'm, kindly. 81 always liked
Lucy"
Nell, that accident to her knee is
turning out bad enough. She is lame
for life has to veal q machine to
keep the bones in place, and it weighs
live pounds. L guess it makes her
about sick most of the time. Joe has a
helpless wife on his hands for the rest
OF his life. She can't get about much,
=, and that reminds me Of another thing.
\ She stays home from church because
she isn't comfortable in the pew, and
4 go Joe has to go alone with the chill
dren, and naturally the next thing
Well hear will be that he doesn't 90
either.
And talking of the children, thew
set the broom on fire il the parlor
CRATE n day and then ran out with
1T all ablaze and laid it on the sitting
room sofa. If L hadn't been there,
tnat whole house would have been In
flames. And If you'd believe it, those
children weren't punished one bit.
Lucy just took them into the bedroom
n talked TO them a little, and when
che told Joe about it she actually
laughed Oh those chiliren are
coming up in q sad way. L must tell
you another thing they Used to do
The gate posts are high and hollow,
and it vas their favorite amusement
to climb up and take off the top OF the
post and then drop the kitten In clear
down to the bottom. Then they'd let
down q rope for her to come up on.
and they really trained that poor beast
to be drawn up on that rope. They
- - reScpjng the p%erishing.'
under heaven that
that cat, and her
77'S71 a al size while [ was
/sighed Mrs. Grant. ut
E.dful to think OF the Chill
Egwild like that, and allowed
i, too ]"
means WE'LL" continued Ma
fbut she's queer, not like our
Now she doesn't manage right
IDS two girls"
girls p interrupted her sister,
, two girh. Of course being
s6d in tine city she'd naturally
bne. But Instead of doing the
Aewing and mending she keeps
help with the room work and
4 cbffm4y3 and do the sewing, while she
Z tits dabbling with paints. She said
4 yomething once about selling the
a, better, and you know Lucinda tried
IN sell hers and couldn't. And | know
4 Joe,s business worries him sometimes,
q and that he has hard work to make |
4 both ends meet
s,Im afraid things are In q bad way
1tbere, Nphraim. | guess we'll just
ave 10 90 there n see for ourselves"
mot Tonight replied MIR. Grant,
"Here we are at last. Hullo, Frank |
8Bring q lantern y
I'm going straight to bed,n said
] Miss Matilda, as SOC as she entered |
| h bonse. sim actually too tired to
sneak, / hope / haven't said anything
ttpp worry you. Very likelyyou haven't
teken Il as / meant 1t. I'd rather not
have said q word, but you would have
It."
Enbraim Grant and his wife retired
late that evening, and poor Mira. Grant
had a restless, uncomfortable night.
= arose the next morning feeling
Eli more distressed in mind, and
sna1g resolved TO take the fret OPP
,,ortnnity TO visit the disordered house
hold of her 0
4 said. almost crying. 81 dreamed
&ot eli the cats on J0e's place land
re we're dozens of them, too) had
Hen their knees and were all going
like kangaroos, and Lucy had +
ed both children into the gate