The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-12-24
Here AID TRERE.


I'm soIn' home for chrlssmas-back to the
Fer dads writ mo quite letter. an says
that Jim an Ned.
An Bin, my acepegoat brother. an Jane.
long with her NAH
In fact. we'd all DO there. the hull ca6oose
Even Uncle Lies days o tussIn' was all
The quarrel bout the boss trade was
shore TO be the last
But mother was feelin' poorly yet mebbe
II she had Us ali to cook fer, as In the
days gone by.
So I'm goin' home fer Christmas! and
wonder, when 80.
II I'll gas around like others bout the
village bein' SLOW
know that Abner Barlow, who'd tFaV-
Saw nothih' in the country but a splendid
An. IS FER him, he wanted some eStry
dofn's grand
Give him 'G Streets 6bIaze-give him fashion,
form an style:
An then-well, mebbe he could find the
llYin' worth the while.
But when the train pulls in, an dads a
standin' there.
A-waltIn' with the family rig an my
faYrite old bay mare,
An grabs my hands 20 warmly that I'm
skeered I'll lose an arm,
III hoiler out the praises o the greeting
An when hes sized me up an told me
how I've gFewed, ,,,,,,o
I'll busy him with questions as we urlNe
I'll Ak him bout the nelghbors' an who
But bout the squlre's darter I'll kind O.
hem and cough.
Yes, I'm goIn' home fer Christmas! And
already ] kin see
The old home BY the willers Jest as 1t
usto he;
an eV'ry wfHder pane
Cleans forth It's streaES O. gladness IN
welcome home again!
An the house dog harks my comm as
we drive through the gate
ON IN TO tho porch, where mother, she
EidEcts bout the walt, - to-.
TIL my kisses chase the wrinkles from her
sweet face, ever fair 80,
Oh, I'm. EtttiH' TOO impatient Du' "i'
Christmas I'll be there! Va,
When Frank Burton ceased calling at
the Stanley home the neIghbors knew
something was up. For two years, at
least, he was regular visitor on
Wednesday and Sunday evenings, with
a few extrns on the side. But all at
once the visits came to stop. Mrs
SharpIey, vino lived next door was the
first 10 discover the fact that the young
man wasn't keeping company any more
with Gertie Stanley. and she lost none
of fines preciousneBs until she scat
tered the tidlngs within the four walls
Of Mrs. Jury's home, Just across the
street.
And hadn't Mrs. Jury known OF 1t?
The idea! Mrs. Shurpiey couldn't believe
her senses. Where had Mrs Jury
eyes been all this time not to know that
Gertle Stanley and her fellow were on
the outs!
down then and there. And would she
have cup Of tea? Mrs. Sharpley
would be delighted. as she had always
said to her man that II any one woman
on that street knew how to brew q cup
OF tea that was soothing to ones
nerves, after they'd been tried to death
with their children, that one woman
was Mrs. Jury.
Certainly she would drink a cup Of
tea with Mrs. Jury and tell her. all
about the trouble Gertie Stanley had
with her fellow and how he had quit
coming to see her.
you sec," opened Mrs. sharpley at
ter she had added another spoonful of
sugar to her cup, II knew there was
something up last Sunday night. when
1 didn't see no Frank Burton around.
You know how he's as regular as the
clock-never misses being on hand at
the hour every evening. We'll. Sunday
night / happened to be in the front
room, doing something or other, for
get now; but Mt any rate, saw Miss
GerIie go out to the gate, look up and
down the street, and then so into the
house. / didn't think anything Of that,
It'll pretty soon she was out again.
First she looked this way and next an
other way, and could tell she was
worried about something"
WAS she crylng?" interrupted Mrs.
Jury, moving her chair up closer.
mot then. I'm coming to that" re-
stunned the speaker. shed made the
third trip to the gate before l noticed
her eyes were red, like she'd been cry
ing her poor soul to distraction. !
couldn't help feeling sorry for her, but
It wouldn't do for me to interfere, for
II there's one thing ! do try to do IT Is
to mind my business. and not meddle
in other peoples affairs, nor talk
YES, thank you, Mrs. Jury, Will try
another cup Of your tea.
GAS 1 was saying, Mrs. Jury, n mo-
mcnt ago, poor Gertie's eyes showed
she'd been weeping, and finally she
turned and went into the house, shut
ting the front door and locking it. No
one needed to tell me then that her fel-
low had gone back on her
well, didn't see her for few days.
Seems like she kept shut in the house,
but Wednesday night happened to be
in the front room again. looking out OF
the window at the children skating on
the sidewalk, or really forget what
was doing. It's little matter, but saw
Gertie at the gate again. looking as
anxious as she was on Sunday night
Thinks I. ri Just watch her little
while; not that was inquisitlVe or Gu
rlous. or anything like that, but Just
that felt sorry for the poor girl. And
us she kept standing there at the gate,
looking this way and that, had a
mind to hammer the life out OF that
Frank Burton TO go and shake sweet
girl like her. I'll bet he did 1t, too.
cause Christmas was coming on, sos
he'd get out Of buying her present.
You know how mean some men are,
Mrs. jury. Well. I watched Gertie go
in and out the house two or three times.
I'LL she locked the front door again, and
maybe 1t was my ears fault. but 1
could have swore to - that she was
sobbIng as II her heart'd break when
she was closing the door. Just hated
that Burton fellow then, for l knew