The Press., 1896-02-27

sorry.
 "An he laughed till the bed shuk, an says he, Why, what on 'arth is there to be sorry 'bant?' says he. There ain likelier feller n the neighborhood than Jim, an as for Rhody, pshaw she IS good 'nough an purity 'nongh for anybody.
 tOh, says I, tain t that-they re both well 'nough, but how's our little girl goin to git along with Mis- Cur tis?'"
 "Yes,'' interrupted Mrs. Johnson appreciatively, "that was question. What did you let lem go there to live for? That's what want to know, Nan cy Riley. ''
 We'll" sighed Aunt Nancy, "I did try to prevent it. talked to Rhody, but she thought she could surely git along with Jim's mother-said she loved her already, pore thingl Then l tux Jim to task, an he said the ole folks weren't willin for him to leave 'em his father was gittin old, an there were lots of rooms in the house, an his moth or was glad he was goin to marry an bring his wife there, she was so lone- some now all her girls was gone, an a heap more sich stuff.
 Lonesome, indeedp' snapped Mrs. Johnson. "She was glad to git rid of her girls, SO she was Laws, don't mind what times them poor girls had to git decent clothes? She jist grudged 'em everything an kep' 'em workin like-I was goin to say darkies, but no darky ever worked like old Mis- Curtis made her girls. No wonder they up an tux the first feller at came along an asked 'em. But stopped you, Aunt Nancy excuse me-for I knowed Mis- Curtis so we'll. The idea of her abein lonesome ] She wanted somebody to help with the work, she did. Her own girls got away soon's they could. That Jim must "a been foolW
 "Oh, no, he wasn't" went on the soft voice. ''It's mighty little young feller like him knows about homework, an his mothers work never bothered him. So as soon as RhoGy's school was out in the spring they was married. You see, her uncle thought for pore girl she was doin purity we'll, all low she was if she had been jist marvin Jim Curtis, but she warn 't-she was a
 
 "More fool Jim!' snarled Mrs. John son. --. -.
 "Now, Mis- Johnson,'' said Aunt Nancy, "Jim meant we'll. an he wOr- shiped the very ground Rhody walked on; but, you see, old Mis- Curtis she didn't believe ill young folks makin simpletons of theirselves, and when she see Jim slip his arm roun Rhody, or her run her hand through his curly hair, she'd snap out somethin sort of hate ful; so Rhody she got afraid of her, an there's where the trouble begun, in my 'pinion, for if my pore child had let Jim see how she was imposed on he certingly'd have made change, but to keep peace she jist made believe she was happy 'nough. I use' to go over sometimes, though knowed Mis- Cur tis set no store by my comin, but Rhody was allus that glad, an I tell you it riled me to see how she was treated. It was, 'Rhody, bring the milk out of the suller, 'Rhody, fetch some wood,' 'Rhody, set the table, till wondered she didn't drop.
 "One awful hot day I was there, an Rhody she was ironin in the back porch, an Mis- Curtis she was maxim pies; she was master hand at cookin. You'll low that, Mis- Johnson.
 "Oh, yes," snapped Mrs. Johnson, "Mary Ann Curtis was master at any thing she put her hand to. :"
 "As was sayin,' went on Aunt Nancy meekly, "Rhody was ironin, an sich a pile of clothes!-white winder curtains starched like boards, an table cloths, let alone shirts an other things -an I was thinkin how pale she was, an peaked lookin, when Mis- Curtis calls out: 'Rhody, the fires goin down. Wonder if you spect to iron with cold irons. If you do. you kin quit, for don't have my ironin done that way, if some folks does.
 "Rhody never said word, but jist went to the wood pile for more wood, an l say to Mis- Curtis, says I: If was you, I'd have some of the men folks bring in the wood. Rhody don't look we'll.
 "You oughter seen her look at me l Her eyes fairly scared me. Our men folks, says she, s tired enough when they come in, 'thout havin women's S work to do. If they was shiftless as some I knows, that's all they'd be fit | for.
 ''I tell you, that sort of riled me" went on the gentle voice, "but Rhody came in with big armful of wood, so l didn't say anything"
 "As if you would have said anything, | won FYOo1 co1a H3 cai1 Mus Trl,pcov7
 "You don't know me-" said Aunt Nancy. Jonathan says I am right smart when I git riled-scares him. {" And a mellow laugh rippled over her thin lips. which sounded so sweet that more than one passenger turned to see the laugher. Mrs. Johnson joined in the merriment, and smiled, too-the idea of that voice scolding was so ahsu1d. And now it went on again:
 II thought d say sOmethin to Jim about Rhody, for I felt oneasy about her, an so when he was helpin me on my horse in the evenin (Rhody couldn' t come to the fence, cause Mis- Curtis called her back when she started), I says to him, Jim, says l, 'Rhody looks mighty bad. I'm feered she's doin too much this hot weather. You see, it was September, an you know what tirin weather we sometimes have in Septem- | Der.
 "'Oh, she's all right, says Jim.
 No, she ain't, says I.
 "Jim laughed, an his face reddened up, an says l.:
 "'You better take good care of her, Jim. She's not a strong woman like yes1r mother; she cant stand every thing, an no more she couldn't, pore lit tie thing.
 "Well, the very next Sunday, here came Jim an Rhody to see us. An tell you the ole man an me was that glad he would have Rhody sing for us, az she sang some Of the songs he liked, but not many she said she hadn't sung any for so long it tired her.
 "'Why don't you sing, Rhody?' says the ole man. You use' to sing like a