The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1897-05-06
"TNSIDE."
ny DORA A. CHASE.

Olive Palmer laid her work aside and
sat thinking of other days. Every thing
about her seemed so dreamy and drOwsy
that she could not work this afternoon.
Even Belial was not purring, but lay
curled up in a little ball at his mistress
feet fast asleep.
Olive had changed very little. only she
was a triie sad at times, and there was
a new sweetness i'll her face and manner
Since Abe went away.
Suddenly, as she sat there under the
trees, something occurred that aroused
her attention and drove away her rem
iniscent mood a team was driving up
to the next house, which had long been
nnOccupied; a team laden with furni-
1ure.
For the land saIe!" cried Olive, soft
ly; who can be movin' into the old
Stiles house, | wonder.
"Almiry!" she called in a low tone.
'come here. We're goin' to have some
new neighbors."
Almira appeared at the door. They
amt much,'' she shifted, cor they
wouldn't be movin into that old, dilap-
idated house.
The furniture that went to the next
house was evidently costly, or had been,
for it was in a rather disabled condition.
and showed evident signs of i'll usage.
After the furniture came carriage,
from which alighted a tail. ungainly
man, with an exceedingly plain face and
a slight limp. He assisted a sharp
nOsed, ferret-eyed woman to the
ground. After her came two of the most
forlorn looking little people Olive
had ever seen. The youngest, girl of
eight. was clad in a pink dress, which
came to the heels, and a hat that beg
CARED description. The boy. a lad of
ten. was arrayed in suit full two sizes
too large for him. The whole family
wore an air of the most woeful neglect
"Nell," remarked Almira, after she
rad observed them in silence for few
minutes, folks talk nowadays about
their ancestors comm over in the May
flower, but I'm sure these folks came
right out of it, furniture an all
Hes lame an the furniture's lame.
The whole tribe looks about a hundred
years old"
Indeed, the little girl seemed the
only lively thing among them, and she
was laughing and dancing about like
any happy child of her age.
The remainder of the afternoon
passed very quickly with the two wom-
en-, who watched the proceedings of the
rev family with great CURIOSITY.
One thing they could not decide.
whrther the shafp-nostd woman was
mistress of the house ora servant. This
New interest served as a topic of con-
versntion for the two lonely maidens
during several days.
Olive found it very pleasant to specu-
late about something outside of her
own quiet life.
After a few days the gentleman next
door began to go away at certain time
each morning and come back again
each evening.
Olive was pleased to see that the chill
dren always went to the gate with
him, and that he always Kissed them
tendcrly when he left them
She felt a curious sense of relief one
morning when she heard him call
back: Maggie, you may have tea at
five tonight" and heard a voice reply:
"Yes. sir"
"Shc amt his wife, she's help" Olive
informed Almira, land I'm kind of
glad"
Don't see what it is to you if his wife
is FIJI islander responded Almra.
''Nor |, either" laughed her mistress,
"Only hes such a soft-spoken, kind