The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1898-01-01

require lot of pettng they are very par
ticular about their eating, and it's hard to
keep them in the house at night"
As she was entirely alone. there was no
one to contradict this somewhat extra
ordinary statement, so she dropped her
eyes again on her work, the embrodering
of daisies on bit of linen. Suddenly,
she heard the front door open and, turning
her back, she whipped off her eyeglasses
and slipped them in her pocket, before
turning to greet her visitor. She was
Obliged to wear glasses when she read or
sewed. but she would have felt eternally
disgraced if anyone had seen her with
them on her nose.
s'That YOU, Melinda? Walk in and sit
down-why what's the matter? Anything
wrong?"
"Humph! Lorilla Mott, what's this
about you and Ezra?"
Mrs. Motifs hand shook vsibly in fold
ing her work but she answered detiantly:
''Don't knew as I'll tell you"
"Well, you needn't then. l know a.
ready And all I've got to say is, if you
prefer cat to husband, why"
''You don't know one thing about hus-
bands, Melinda Thompson; why, you
never had one yourself ~
"Thats just it; l know what it is to he
without one. There's my taxes, now"
But Mrs. Mott hastily interrupted; ;
when taxes were the theme, Miss Me-
linda usually spoke loud and long.
"You can't begin by giving in to hus-
band, Melinda. | know that, because l
gave in to Mr.. Mott before we were mar
ried and the only comfort | got out Of him
in the twelve years we were married was
the doctor to help me. He always sided
with me against Abner."
81 guess he knew which one of you was
going to pay his BILL, said her visitor,
thoughtfully. 'I.ook here, Lorilla, are
you and Ezra going to be married on New
Years day or not?'
"We are not" replied Mrs Mott, firmly.
Then she FASTENED to the door, letting in
huge tortoise.shel cat, which rubbed
itself aifectionately against her gown,
purring all the while. Presently, he
jumped up on gay patchwork cushion
in a huge armchair and fell to was ing
his face.
"And you've given that cat Ezra s
chair, said Miss Melinda, solemnly.
"Melinda Thompson have! Further,
more it's my chair, and always has been,
though Ezra has sat in it pretty constant
in the fourteen years he's been coming to
see me-"
'Fourteen years. And how many times
has the wedding been put off Lemme
see; there was the time you quarreled
over the piece the choir was to sing at the
wedding. You wanted 'The Voice That
Breathed Der Eden, and he wan.ed-I
forget what he did want and neither of
you would give in. Why didn't you have
wedding without singing? 2"
"Never thought of that. The choir took
it real hard, too, after practcng for four
weeks twice week to be ready. They
wanted to please us both and practiced the
piece | wanted on Tuesday evening after
the regular choir meeting and the one
Ezra wanted on Friday. They did offer to
sing 'em both, but we couldn't agree which
was to come first, so that did no good.
"And the next time you quar,led over
the way you meant to celebrate your
golden wedding, didn't yol? And now
it's about catr'
"Melinda Thompson, it is not, It's
about dog, that's what! Ezra Mason has
gone and bought dog-a hunting dog
at his time of life He wanted to bring it
here, too, knowing how afraid Jason is of
dogs. | told him fiat, | wouldn't have
JasOn's life made burden to please any
body. Then he said he'd never speak to
me again, and | said I guessed could tall,
to myse (, if got lonesome and wanted to
hear the sound of human voice."
iHcIe SutH Ezra uUN, WIFI tHt uoE at
his heels" remarked the visitor. ole S
Oh the other side of the street. That's
how I came to know he and you had
quarreled. He only does that when he's
mad with you.
Mrs. Mott tossed her head defantly.
"The pavement's Free" she said "Must
YOU be going?n as Miss Melinda rose
eyes. Pm going to run in and see that
strange family that's just moved here
The little boy S an invalid and they don't
know soul here yet, so thought maybe
they'd like to hear the news
"Well, you're the one that can tell it tc
them, said Mrs. Mott, under her breath
as her friend walked away.
Jason; here, sir, come back" For thu
cat had slipped past her and out into thu
street, pretending not to hear her calls.
Contrary as man." she remarked
closing the door. "That's just the way
Mr. Mott used to go after supper"
The big chair looked very lonesome with