The Van Buren press., 1897-03-27

fancy imagined so.
"uncle Miles," she said, with a sud-
den loving inspiration, 'I'm going to
go up after the II. NJ. F. b. I'll make IT
over myself. You can help If you want
tic. Well surprise Aunt Ursula. Won't
it be jolly?"
"Mebbe So mebbe So" Uncle Miles
said. a SAVIOR of doubt in his voice, which
seemed to betray an underlined impress
sion that making over hired mems
feather beds was not unattended with
diseouragements.
Annah went about the work with a
girls untired zeal. 1t would be such
/ fun to get it all done before Aunt
Ursula got home-on April II, hecord-
ing to schedule time! How pleased
Aunt Ursula would be! She was al
ways ready to sacrifice her cherished
| little plans for anybody in trouble.
All the Sammy Cobbs in Aunt Ursula's
universe had felt her tender, soothing
fingers and known her patient care
when they were sick.
Annah tugged the plethoric feather
bed downstairs to the kitchen and sat
down in the middle of it TO reflect.
Feathers and striped ticks she meant
10 think about, but in spite of herself
her girlish thoughts crept away to other
things, and a soft little flush spread
over her face, keeping company with
her thoughts.
Harry McIntyr had said he should
call soon. How handsome he had grown
at college! She remembered how white
and slender his hands were, and the
crop of curly hair low on his forehead,
Just the "nut-brown" color poets sing
about. Pills hair was-red. 1t was
it wasl Phil was dreadfully homely,
poor boy, and his name was Bumpl
Bump! A body could make the best Of
red hair and big brown hands, but
could anybody make the best of the
name of Bump? Poor old Phil,
That "h" in Annah was bad enough.
She had borne with it out OF grim, un-
swerving loyalty to grandmother's and
great and Observation-Disclosures 8
"h's, but what was an "h" to Bump?
Now McIntyr was such pretty name,
with an air to it! Aunt Ursula said
Bump suited her we'll enough-it was
good and honest, like those that bore
it. Aunt Ursula said a good many
things. One of them was-just last
night-that girls ought to know their
own minds and be brave enough to save
folks pain.
Annals thoughts were rather inco-
herent, but the pretty flush in her face
kept pace with them. Harry Mcintyr
was going to lead his class, everybody
said, and he didn't have to work very
hard to do it, either. Phil Bump was u
fine fellow, smart, too, but he WASH t
in college He plowed fields and planted
potatoes.
Here's the feathers, Annah. I've had
a great hunt after 'em. Ursuly cal
culated to put 'em in with the old ones
to fatten out the bed some" Uncle
Miles voice came into Annah's day
dreaming and dissipated it ruthlessly
She sprang up and began to rip open the
bed with vigorous fingers.
I'm going to pour the feathers right
out on this nice, smooth floor in pile.
Aunt Ursula would do it out in the
shed, perhaps, but this is lots nicer, |
think. / can clear all up afterward, as
neat as a pin"
81 do know as I'd pour 'em, Annah.
I'd sort of hustle 'em out, little to a
time. Ursuly takes jest a handful out
to once, very easy. Feathers don't pour
real successful"
The twinkle behind Uncle Miles spec
tacles merged into sneeZe that prompt
/ ly dislodged the spectacles and re-
sounded back uncannily from the raft
ers overhead. Annah sneezed, too. The
| liberated feathers floated airily about
the room. They eluded Annals grasp,
and settled lightly on her hair in a
little cloud. They danced before her
eyes dizzily. They drifted down on
Uncle Miles bald spot and its halo of
soft, white hair. They floated, they
danced, they drifted everywhere.
Annah watched them in dismay She
! looked across at Uncle Miles and
sneezed. He sneezed back. Then they
]
both laughed.
SIS that the way feathers act?" Annah
cried. "Well, I'm in for it now! But
won't give up her majesty's feather
bed if have to chase every single one
of 'em, hand to hand, No, sir That
ii on the end of my name stands for
never-give-up,"
bn,,r lotnr fnOn iro ~, Cn1,lN'u ,,,,,,J
face applied itself adhesively TO the
kitchen window. 'Doniram's lisp drifted
| through the pane and through the haze
of dust and feathers to tired, gasping
Annah.
Il thay, amt you havin' thircuth
thought! There'th two featharth
sthickin' out of your ear an bloomin'
bounther'th jutht lit on your nothe
Hi, there! there goeth old Thpeclle
Top'th tail into the thoup kittle!"
Annah strobe across the room and
dislodged 'Doniram's jeering little face
with one blow of her knucl<les on the
pane. But it promptly reappeared,
grinning appreciatively.
II thay, she amt comm home TO din
ner. You can have all the thoup. She'th
thoakin' Thammy in muthtard n wa
ter. He'th awful thick. She sent me
over to thay you could eat all the tn
coup" finished 'Doniram, shrilly, at
a safer distance from Annals knuckles.
Another hour was ebbing, when again
appeared the small apparition at the
window. 'Donirams face was full of
wicked glee.
1.-THE dude'th Ecominl" he an
nounced, ecstatically. "IIe'th got motht
here. Hi! aint he thliek'th a bandboxth,
thought thay, you better hurry an