Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1896-09-03

we've done 1t SO
constant now that it's give us the
name of Eein' the poor house, an It's
real cross to me. Won't you take
another glass?"
She was tall and plump and COM
Portable looking. Her calico sleeves,
rolled high, revealed distinct divid.
ing line between the fairness of the
upper arm and the tanned skin below.
Evidently she had many q time dug
the potatoes for her pot with her own
stout hands. She nodded toward the
shady doorsteps.
''Set down." she urged cordially.
"You look real tuckered out. Amt
it hard work turning them ,ranks up
hill an down hot day like this?'
The stranger laughed with easy
good humor. He looked up the long
dusty road, peering from under his
hand. 1t stretched away blank and
lonesome-looking, and he turned back
toward the pleasant, vine protected
steps relieved.
81 will sit down and rest bit," he
said. "The other fellows are not in
sight. 1 took squirt Oh ahead and
left them loaing under tree. You
don't mind my resting my wheel here
across your poppies? 1t won't touch
'em."
"Bless you, no! But l guess it'll
be new experience to the poppies.
Bisickles are scarce around here,
about as scarce as paupers are." They
sat down together. and Mrs. lothian
took up her berry-pan again. The
stranger, with his hands clasped
around one knee, tilted back and forth
gently
Scarce, are they, round here?" he
said. 'That's good sign"
"Not for me an lothian, it amt.
Yes, they're dreadful scarce this sea.
son. Since old Uncle Elnathan died
an Mis- Parkman got married, an
Hester Ann fell heir to her uncle's
place an live stock, we've run real low
of paupers-only her, an she don't
know she's pauper."
Mrs. Jotham's berry-reddened finger
pointed out slender neat little old
lady sitting in the front yard in a high
backed rocking-chair and knitting
something white and soft. She held
her stately little white-capped head
high and there were indefnable tokens
of gentle refinement about her every
wherein her slender fingers, her
laces at throat and wrists and the
poise of her little shapely head. She
nodded drowsily over her knitting.
"She don't know it," Mrs. lothian
said with little laugh that had an
echo of good-hearted compassion in
it. The implied tenderness of the
laugh, and the odd contrast of it with
the bluff, unsentimental general as
pect gof Mrs. lothian, made the
stranger on the lower step glance up
surprised.
"She doesn't know it?" he queried.
''No. Bless you, she amt SO much
as suspicion. You see, she's only
been here short spell, since the other
paupers went away-all except Uncle
Elnathan, an she thought he was q
hand to help lothian do the chores.
lothian an mes kind of hired hands
too, only remove or two higher up
than poor Uncle Elnathan, she
thinks"
The stranger drew in his breath in
a subdued whistle. He shifted his
position little to get better view
of the little old gentlewoman through
the whitewashed pickets of the front
yard fence. She had let the knitting
slip out OF her fingers. and her head
lay over on one shoulder.
"Tell me therest of it" the stranger
said.
Mrs. lothian dropped the last berry
into her yellow nappy and got up
clumsily.
"You wait till I get these berries
set away down sullar, "she said. "Mis'
Angeline's real particular to have me
set 'em down in the cool an in the
dark"
"Mis' Angeline?"
"Her." Mrs. lothian nodded across
the fence pickets. "Mis' Angeline
Fair brothers. She was Peterson
from over Blckford way. Married
Simeon Fairbrothers's Oldest son. She's
dreadful particular with me some
days"
Mrs. lothian sighed. The sigh
echoed back from her retreating form
as she took the berries into the house.
Presently she came back. She had q
bowl of salt and little wire strainer.
''She wants ehould always sift the
SALT" she said explanatorily. ''She