Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1897-08-07
A DEED OF MERCY.
BY HARIETT T. CROCKETT.

When Miss P. made up her mind
to Go a thing it was done. So when
she was sitting ON the front porch
Of her pretty rose covered cottage
one hot summer day, and looked up
the street and saw advancing to.
ward her q great flock of sheep, a
plan came into Der head which prov.
ed important.
The mass came sweeping past the
pretty cottage, sending clouds of
California dust over the cypress
hedge upon the beds of scarlet YER
benas and into Miss P.'s very face,
but Miss P. never moved. Her soft
eyes, full of compassion, gazed out
upon that patient throng of crea-
lures, and a look of pain swept
across her face as the poor things
tried eagerly to catch mouthful of
fresh, green grass which formed
Miss P.'s we'll kept border just out
side the path.
The horseback rider urged them
on, and on they hurried, budding
their heecy dust blown backs togeth-
err till it seemed as though one might
walk across that living food. Be-
hind the great flock came the usual
accompaniment-the wagon in which
the lame and exhausted sheep were
carried by the herders-and as Miss
P. looked one Filtered and fell, rose
feebly and was picked up and placed
in the wagon with the others.
When the last cloud of dust had
settled, Miss P. smiled to herself an
odd little smile.
"It's queer thing to do, maybe,
but it's no ones business but nv
own, and if choose to do mission
airy work in front of my own house
instead of away off in heather lands
Pm going to do it.''
Miss P. took the three o'clock car
into the city and visited certain
place of business on busting street,
held half hours conference with
the proprietor, looked over numer.
Gus catalogues, talked prices and
then took her departure. Not for
home, however. To an up town of.
fee in great block she next made
her way; then as the summer twi.
light was gathering, sought her cor
ner and waited for car.
Miss P.'s life was lonely. Some
thing seemed always lacking to make
it quito complete. She would not
admit it, even TO herself, for the
owner of that mouth and chin, and
that firm, independent way, could
never confess that aught was lack.
ing to make her comfort complete.
She was not rich-only "comfort-
ably fxed,'' as the neighbors said.
Her father. dying few years before,
had left her the neat little cottage
and the fruit orchard behind it.
which supplied not only her but
many of the neighbors with choice
fruits.
For Miss P. was nothing if not
neighborly, although there was al
ways a certain dignity and reserve
about her which forbade the APP
proach of the too familiar. People
wondered why she was at forty still
unmarried. She must have had a
disappointment" they said, though
Miss P. looked least likely of women
to have had a romance.
One morning great dray, drawn
by four horses, toiled along the dus-
ty road and pulled up at little
white gate under Miss P.'s cypress
arch. Neighbors began TO wonder
and conjecture and to neglect the
cooking of their MONDAY meals,
when Miss P.'s blue sunbonnet, hav.
ing duly peered over into the wagon
and inspected its contents, withdrew
into the house, and the men who
had come with the dray began to
lift and tug at long, stone some
thing 10 tie wagon.
Old Mrs. Green peered through
the blinds of the next house and
called out exoitedly, "Maria, come
here this minute ! l do believe
Miss P.'s went and had her own cof-
fin made or somethin'."
But Maria, leaning interestedly
over the old lady's shoulder, said,
"Pshaw, mother, faint no such
thingl Looks heap more ike a