The Van Buren press. [volume] (Van Buren, Ark.) 1859-1914, 1897-07-10

! ms down on the old haircloth sofa on
the other side of the room. Miss Al
yira brought pillow from the bedroom
and awkwardly tried 10 fix it under
her head; then she sat down BY the
window and began sewing. She sat
very stir and straight. and her stitches
were firm and even. Jessie. lying pas
sively on the sofa and watching the
prim little figure with its uneompro-
missing, almost defiant, air. closed her
eyes YEARLY. 1t tired her TO watch her
In a few minutes the girl was fast
asleep.
| Kiss AlYirn put aside her sewing.
gu fling her needle neatly in the work,
and then went over to the sofa and
stood looking down at the girl. She
was more beautiful than ever in her
sleep. for one saw only the witchers of
the exquisite curves of lashes and
cheeks and chin. and the delicate
beauty Of her eoloring, and did moi feel
the lack Of expression. Miss Alvira
stood for q long time studying it all.
Then she turned away with sort Of a
groan.
She went back to her place by the
window, but she did not take up her
sewing. Then the sun had slipped far
Their to the west. and a cool. gray shad-
ow vas creeping over the tiny yard.
The fence vas ne longer dazzling white.
A tiny breeze had sprung up and was
lifting the head of a flower here and
there. Miss Alvira folded her hands and
sat up straighter than ever. She was
going to fight this thing out.
Its George Harl1ins she means. she
said. "He's a likely young fellow he'll
be real good to her, | guess, and she Il
have an easy life Of Il and grow pref
tier and happier every day. And here
me. Alyirey Simpkins, jest living here
in this little box of a place, making
the covering for other folks lives aud
| havin' no life Of my own. It's all sc
narrer and scrimpy; | alius did hate
working in a pint pot. My very name
sounds like snippings-nothing neH
and fresh" Suddenly she sat VI
straighter and spoke louder, as If &c
some invisible opponent. Look here
Alyirey simpkins-what are you going
to do about it? Do you suppose mopinl
around and wishing you were young
lagain and had other peoples big eye
land black hair is going to make thing
lanv better2 And what would you d.
with man tagging round all the time
I'd like To know? 'Twould fret you Il
death, and you know it. Amt you 1
heap better Off earning your own living
lin your own way and not being be
holden to nobody? You know you are.
Her voice changed from its fierce con
tempt, and there was a pleading tom
lin il no one had ever heard: she wouls
not have recognized il herself. But it
the loneliness of it," she said, might
and rainy days, and times when the win'
is bowling across the sward, and not |
soul comes in, and there's nothing bu
the clock ticking, till il seems as If
should go wild. And | can't stop it
neither | tried ii once, and twas 81
still 1t scared me. ! never could bea
to have cat under foot, even If il woulf
be company. l wanted suthin' human
and understanding. II doesn't seem
if that was so wicked"
The usefulness in her tone crept int
her figure; there was something hum
bic and pleading in her whole atti
tude. 1t was only for a second, how
ever; then she Strengthened up an'
spoke in her old, quick, scornful man
ncr.
"NNell, | didn't think you was sech
poor, mechng thing as that, Alvire.
Simpkins. Amt people ever lived alon
before you, want to know? And be
Sides" changing to a grave seriousness
81 s'pose, someways, there isn't 10y
enough to go round. Can't you stand !
better than pretty, useless little thin
like that?"
The summer days passed as if in
dream after that. There was an UT
reality about them that confused an
abashed Miss Alyira, who had been use
to dealing with plain facts, and fact
alone; but she had never in her lif
been so happy as she was in that sun
mer romance. Her very face change
under its touch. The neighbors coul
not understand, but they all spoke c
il, and said how well Alvirey was lool
ing.
After that night Jessie told her every
thing. The girl was scarcely more tina
a child, and had to tell some one, an
II. h,1 hot CO. e..
confidante.
1t was strange friendship. truly, bu
night after night Miss Alvira woul
watch the two walk away together, an
then would sit through the dusk an
far into the dark, thinking over al
Jessie had told her during the day, an
living the love-life she had never hao
in the life of this girl.
She thought and worried about it fa
more than Jessie. If George was lat
she was the anxious one; If any quar-
rel had happened between the lover
she would have suffered twice as in
tensely as Jessie. But nothing did haT
pen, and the summer deepened an
deepened and one day Jessie said sh
was to be married in September.
Then tidal wave of excitemen
swept over Miss Alvira. The weddin
must be nice, and there was SO much I
do. Nobody but she should put site
in the wedding dress. She lay awak
a whole night planning il out. She knee
well that Jessie would make no obiet
tons. The girl was an orphan wit
only one little sister; there was no on
to care for her or plan for her, and sh
was too impassiye to plan for herself.
There's the money l was laying b
for a blnck silk.N thought Miss Alxira