Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1897-12-22

cording to Barberry Island standards,
but it was threadbare, and there was
q place where, as Leah demonstrated,
one could stick ones finger through
the cloth.
It,made good background for the
bouquet of China asters, but alas it
only made Mrs. Trull long the more
intensely for the pink one.
"You don't suppose she is braiding
up all those beautiful rags, do you?"
said Mrs. Trull wistfully to Leah.
1t was three weeks after the rags
had been assigned to Mrs. Lot Apple
by, and it was the first time that Mrs.
Trnll had spoken of them, except to
say that she expected nothing but
what folks would say they kept back
that waterproof cape on purpose.
-s'I don't believe she has so much as
looked them over" ".said Leah. "She's
been having company, and she doesn't
care much about rugs anyway. I no.
ticed when came by the house yes
terday, that the great ragbag that's
always hanging by the woodshed door
was just as full Us it couldihold. She's
gone visiting over to the main now,
anyway; Gale Ramsdell was getting
the captains S catboat ready to take her
over, when 7 went down to tho wharf
to help father with his nets this morn
ing. Her Aunt Jerusha Baker is sick,
and she's going to stay with her two
OF three days; SO Gale said"
Leah went fishing with her father
that afternoon, when there was no
school to teach. And that afternoon
Mrs. Trull did her housework i'll an
absent and listless way She went
often to the window, aud looked across
the rocky pasture to the greener,
smoother, upland where Captain Lot
Appleby's house stood, large and pros
porous and fresh with white and green
paint.
"Seems as if twas ordained for some
to have everything, she murmured.
There was large piece of the wa
terproof cape left, md she tucked it
under her arm aud stole out OF the
house, and by devious, unfrequented
path, around the rocky pasture.
The Appleby house stood silent and
deserted in the May sunshine.
Mrs. Trull paused, with her hand on
the latch of the woodshed door. Her
heart beat like trip hammer, and she
felt giddy from the excitement, or from
! tbe walk in the hot SUM-,
"For them that can put up with
braided rugs, one color is rs good as
another, !" she said to herself. cit isn't
O mite of harm. %
She lifted the latch and went in.
Woodshed doors were never fastened
on Burberry Island; rarely were any
others. There, near the door, hung
the great ragbas; she thrust her hand
i into it breathlessly. A little overturn-
4 ing, and she had the piece of pink
cashmere in her hand.
The woodshed door, which she had
carefully closed behind her, opened
suddenly, and Mrs. Lot Appleby ap-
peared, in her calico wrapper and her
.old shade hat.
Little Mrs. Trull hal never tainted
in her life, but she grew very dizzy
again; there was whirliug before her
eyes and then darkness. When she
came to herself, she was lying on the
j .woodshed floor with her head on Mrs.
Appleby's knees. She clutchsd wildly
about her. There was no piece of pink
cashmere, no piece Of the waterproof
cape!
"Now, you just keep still for few
minutes!" said Mrs. Appleby with ten
4 der authority. ''It does seem o real
: shame that when yon'd come to see me
the first time for so. long!-you
Z should be taken faint. But the sun is
'fdreadful hot for Nay! I went most
down to the cove after q stray chicken,
and I declare I thought I should have
been sunstruck! I was glad that I
hadn't gone over to Aunt Jerusha
Bakers as I intended; I heard that she
had her husbands niece Sophrony
with her, aud I thought she'd rather
have me after Sophrony had gone. I
should have missed seeing you, too, if
I'd gone"
Little Mrs. Trull, still upon the
floor, turned herself around and looked
challengingly, almost deiantly, into
her neighbours serene and kindly face.
SIT isn't mite of use for you to talk
that wayl' she said hoarsely. "1ou
know just as we'll as I do that 1 came
thinking you had gone away. And
you've hid away the pieces to make
me think you don't know! I know
Gidn't put them back in the bag" She
! glanced towards tAe bit of pink that
showed at the top of the ragbag. It
il was real good OF YOU" Her voice
broke suddenly. "I never did sneak
ing things till lately! I'd set my heart
on getting pink China aster for my
rug, md it's been terrible snare to
me-"
"Why, lal it want anything SO
dreadful just to change pieces! I only
wish I'd known you wanted the pink
piece. Tan going to give the rags all
to YOU, if you'll take them, for, what
with Aunt Jerusha being sick and Ma
hum coming home next week, 1 sha'n't
have time to make rugs"
The two women stood facing each
other now, aud Mrs. Trull's small,
sharp features worked convulsively.
sI'Ye done moro than you know,
she said impulsively-''a sight more
than that my mother fetched yours
before the church for doing! L sat
right next to the slips of paper that
day, when they'd been fixed for draw
ing, and I saw, right between the
folds, where Rags was written on
one; and when nobody was looking L
made little mite of crease on that
paper with my thumb nail, so't could
tell which one to drawl"
"Well-well, we're oil subject to
temptation!' said Mrs. Appleby hastl,
ly, q kindly sympathy chasing the
shocked expression from her face. 81
always said drawing lots was demoral:
izing. anyway. No, if I was you,