The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1897-06-19

grass, and then she'd go out and
pour billing water on it. used to
get so lonesome"
Il expect she'll come up here to-
morrow" said her neighbor.
Mrs. Holt looked uneasy.
II waited till she went on an errand,
and then l got ready, and wrote a
note, and came"-she flashed up
moment-''and here I'm going to
stay"
"Mis' Trench is mighty head
strong" he said, doubtfully.
Mrs. Holt set the kettle down with
a nervous clatter. 81 won't go back~
she said, vehemently. The little
stripped room was solemn with the
last of the sunset. The wind blew
distantly. The shouts of children at
play came plainly to the two old peo-
pie. "I'll save the soup for later, Mr..
Barton. 1t was real good in Lizzie
to think of sending me something"
The sun had long gone down when
she stepped out into her garden and
stopped before the lilac bushes. She
stretched out hand toward them,
and drew it back again. Several
times she did the same, then suddenly
began breaking off the white bios
SONS. She made strange picture
as she toiled across to the church
yard shortly after. The lights had
died out everywhere, except in the
sky. A pearly glimmer in the upper
air caused the tall trees to look more
Elusive than ever.
Mrs. Holt laid the lilac blooms
down upon grave that seemed to
make a deeper blackness near the
church door. Josiah had been kind
but dense soul, with no recognition
whatever of the more passionate ma
terial of which his wife was COM
pounded. One Whit of his old pipe
has been more to him than all the
green and growing things on the
round earth. Some remembrance of
this passed mistily through the old
woman's mind. She wondered if in
that other world an added faculty
now made him keen to see things to
which he had once been blind.
81 guess I'm giving him these, be-
cause I'm so glad Pm home again.
JOSIAH" she called softly, in the soft
darkness-"Josiah, you may have
these instead of your pipe"
The next morning tall old woman
came up Church Lane. She was
stout as we'll as tall, and her air was
militant. Her stride was almost that
of man. She opened Mrs. Hollis
front gate; it changed behind her like
a call to war. She was SO large, and
so full of dominant vitality, that in
spite of her gray head, she seemed
to take possession at once of the
whole. "Mary Ann" she cried, au-
thoritatively, "you get ready and
come on back with me"
The house rose up before her like
a block of stone.
81 saw you peeking out that up
stairs window as come up the lane.
You're there now, hiding. Mary Ann,
get ready and come on back with
me-"
"I'm going to stay right here, Sa-
billa," foated down to her in a
strained voice.
"You're going to do what l say
declared Mrs Trench. 1.-THE idea of
your running off just like child,
and all on account of lot of old IL
laos. I've great mind to git an AK
and chop them down.
"Oh no, don't, Sabilla~ There
was downright agony in the appeal.
"They're not worth an AK pro-
claimed SabiIla Trench, with dis
tinct sniff. 81 never could see any
thing decent about green things ex-
cept if they were good to eat. Now
cabbage is different, because you can
bile it with piece of nice fat bacon,
and a handful of herbs always goes
with a pot of good strong soup.
Mary Ann, you come on back with
me-"
"Tm going to stay right here, Sa-
billa."
81 made solemn promise to take
care of you when Josiah died. Josiah
always did; but now he's in glory,
and he has no occasion to take care
of anybody except himself. / hope
the Lord amt so hard on him that's
he allowing Josiah to keep somebody
else in tow. He needs good long
rest. said to myself, Mary AIMS
a widow, and Pm a widow, and we
can both of us live together. I'm GO
| ino ~ set her down To three aouara