Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1896-02-18

ing "the children.
Seems right good to be home again.
Let's set an rest 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. 1t 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 thu can'le. Lord
a-mercy, look at it, man!
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, bet, said
the old man, putting Oh mis- glasses to
take better look at the intruder.
"Gosh! What lookin candlep'
As it's rays diffused light through
the room the two old people began to
investigate. They looked around, then
into each others 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" 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 ~
candle light Tt struck them as very
funny.
Meanwhile the truth had revealed
itself in part to the old people, and hold
ing aloft the flaring wax candle they
took an inventory Of the new furniture,
from the carpet on the floor to the
paintings on the walls. TWAS we'll the
conspirators were not there to hear
them. 1t might have given them a shock.
even the pianny' 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 doubt
they meant WE'LL but it's broke my
heart -
IT near broke my BACK tryin to set
in one of them new tangled cheers, .
said the old man, spurning the smart
chair with his foot 81 do wonder, Man.
dy, if they left us anything to set on?'
They've left the clock, said Man
dy. TIN thankful for that declare,
father, it seems like an old FRIEND
and holding fathers hand she stood long
before the venerable timepiece, regard
ing it with loving eyes,
1t was near daylight when the two
old people had seen the last Of their new
possessions, and arranged them to then
entire satisfaction. The fancy candle
had burned down to a mound Of greer
and yellow wax and been replaced by
straight, uncompromising tallow
homemade, that shed q serene light Oh
two old faces that looked very tired
but wore conscious expression of peace
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 contriving, when w
went over the next day to see how the,
were enjoying 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 beini
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.