Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1896-08-03

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shown chiefly in the fact that, at the
time l first visited her, she had not
been out of tho house, not even into
the dooryard, for twenty years. She
lived alone in the big house at the
end of the village street, her "hred
man" Jonah, who lived near by, do
ing all the outside work, and she, the
inside.
Twenty years before, when she was
about thirty years old, she had "pre-
sentment," as she called it, that if
ever she went out something terrible
would happen to her. How this pre-
sentiment came into her head l was
never Just able to find out, nor in
Just what form it came; but it GER
tainly came, and that was about all
that any one, herself included, 1 al
ways faucied. ever knew of it. She
had had long sickness in which she
was often delirious, and it left her
mind in that dazed condition which
takes impressions readily and holds
them firmly. When tho full vigor OF
mind comes back, these impressions
have become SO much part OF the
mind that they canuot be cast aside
without effort. There had been no
one to laugh Aunt Mehitable out of
her "presentlment," and she herself
was not able to argue it away; so she
yielded, and it became firm part of
her mental existence.
[ remember Just how she looked in
the last days of her old -maidhood.
Not that she was ever really anything
but an old maid. She never married,
but she became ''just like other
folks" the townspeople said, and
therein paid her the greatest compli-
ment; fer in that village cold maid"
was term of opprobrium. She was
tall and pale and thin; her naturally
fair complexion had been whitened
by long exclusion from the sun an2
wind. She had been pretty in her
youth, and there were traces OF this
prettiness left, though her expression
had hardened with tho advancing
years. She spoke slowly and not very
often, and she seldom smiled but
when she did smile, her face was
transfigured with the sweetness of it,.
She always wore gowns OF the pattern
that was in the fashion when she
secluded herself from the world. As
hoopskirts were then "in," she made
quaint figure twenty years after
ward when they were very much out
"out."
She was "p'ison neat" as the ex-
preston went in the village, and her
house was, of course, ''perfect wax.
work" l, myself, have many time
seen her go around with dustpan and
brush after callers had left, sweeping
up the dirt, real or imaginary, that
they had tracked in. She was lonely
woman; she would not have servant
nor pets-dogs she did not like, and
cats would make tracks on her kitchen
floor. The neighbors stood little in
awe OF her queerness and her neatness,
and seldom ventured to call. I was
sorry for her lonely life and tried to
persuade her to have a servant, or a
pet of some sort--a cat, at least; for
they are the most cleanly and neat oi
all animals; but no, she would not.
"Whv, George" she said, "d'you
s'pose I'd have cat round, litterin
up things all the times an spoilin' my
floor? An then, they're al'ays havin
kittens an sech things. I've got long
b. myself all these years, an I guess
ken keep on don so. What on airtt
d'you want me to hev cat for?"
''Why, BECAUSE" l answered; 81
think you must be lonesome oil thC
winter when I'm not around" wa:
making her a visit that summer.
"Well," she replied, $50 be some
times; but don't want no cati
round they ain much comp'ny any
how. ] shall miss you powerful bat
when you go; but o cat wouldn't make
up for you, now, would it?"
/ confessed that | didn't just thini
it would, but as long as she could no
havo me, she might take a cat-fol
half loaf is better then no bread.
was determined to make Aunt Mehit
uole heeP oau NY soihc ineaHS VI JUL
er, and, as luck would have it, wa
very soon enabled to do SO.
One Sunday evening not long aftel
our talk [ went to church. 1t was
rainy night, and 1 hitched the hors,
in the shed by the side of the church
When went to unhitch him and ge
into the buggy, I felt something furr,
and warm on the seat. By the diu
light of the church window 1 foun'
that the furry object was small an,