The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1895-06-07

Most ten years. We was livin down
+ to Norris Corners then"
The man picked up his knife and alb.
sentlyitried the edge Of it on the ball
of his thumb,
y s'pose, said Ann, s'that folks are
sorry when their wives dieq'
4 MIR. Baker gave o short laugh.
: @Wall, that depends
ooh, does it9 thought folks had To
love their wives N be sorry when they
died.
Nlr. Baker laughed again. He made
noother answer for several minutes,
AT last he said;
( II 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 piteeus
intensity;
oh, I'm awful tired of bein' Aunt
Mandany's fool!s
Mr.. Baker stamped his foot involun-
tarily,
How jew know they call you that?''
he cried, in a great voice.
Il heard Jane Littlefield 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-
Darn Jane Littlefeldl Darn that
little devil Of boyN'
These dreadful words burst out furi-
ously.
Perhaps Ann did not look so shocked
as She ought.
Ina moment she smiled her imma-
ture, simple smile that had touching
appeal in it.
Faint no use denyin' it," she said;
u amt jes' like other folks, m that's
fact. can't think stiddy more M a
minute. Things all run together, some
how N the back er my head Is odd $
it can be-
ssPeohl What Of it? There can't any
Of us think stiddy; m If we could what
would it amount TO, | should like to
know? 1t wouldn amount toa row of
pins"
Ann dropped her work and clasped
her hands, Mr. Baker saw that her
hands were hard, and stained almost
back on tngers and thumbs by much
cutting Of apples,
aYe see, she said in tremulous
voice, sometimes ! think if mother
had lived she'd er treated me so t /
could think stidditr. s'pose mother d
er loved me. They say mothers do.
But Aunt Mandany told me mother
died the year got my fall from the
cherry tree. Twas eight then. don't
remember nothin bout it, nor bout
anything much. Mr.. Baker, do you re-
member y6nr niother?n
Mr. Baker said Yes" abruptly.
Something made it impossible for him
to say more.
I'D know how t u.s." went on the
thin minor voice; "but it always did
seem to me S though if | could remem-
ber my mother, | could think stiddier,
somehow. Doyou think couldq'
Mr., Baker started to his feet,
.'Ili De aurnea I / en- stan it." he
sh01tca No, nor | won't stan it,
nuthert
lie walked noisily across the room.
He came back and stood in front Of
Ann, who had patiently resumed work.
Come, he said, Il think lot Of We.
Les git married."
Ann looked up. She Strengthened
herself,
"Then should live with you?r she
asked.
"0f course"
She laughed
There was SO much Of confident happi-
ness III that laugh that the mans heart
gLowea youthfuiiy.
4 shall BE- real glad to marry you,
Mr.. Baker, she said.
Then, with pride, IN can cook, m
/ know first rate how to do house
work.
She rose 10 her feet and flung up her
head.
Mr.. Baker put his arm about her.
LES go right along now" he said,
more quickly than he had yet spoken.
"Hell call to the minister's m engage
him. Yon cin stop there. Wen be
married to-day
"Can't 80 wait till c'n put on my
Brinnit d shawl2H Ann asked.
She lett the room. In q few moments
she returned for going. She had
sheet of note paper, bottle of ink and
a pen in her hands.
II en- write she said confidently,
"'n' call it faircr to leave word for
Aunt aiandany."
4All right" was the response; ''go
ahead.
Mir Baker said afterward that he
never got much more nervous in his
life than while Ann was writing that
note. What If Mandany should ap-
pear2 He wasn't going to back out,
but he didn't want to see that woman.
The ink was thick, the pen was like
a pin, and Ann was d good while maxi
ing each letter, but the task was at last
accomplished.
She held out the sheet to her COM
panion.
Saint that right?" she asked,