The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1898-11-24
VOL. 33
TRUE FRIENDS.

churning. Her dress was neatly
tucked away from the contact of
splashing buttermilk, and her eyes
rested on the blue flecks of sky, show
ing through the leaves of n Virginia
creeper which covered the lattice; but
her thoughts were remote enough from
fecks of sky, green leaves or splash
ing buttermilk.
Inside the dim sitting room her
mother nodded to the musical rythm
of the churn. and the buzzing of two
flies, high on the window pane. The
needle, stuck half way through the
cross stitches in the heel of Mary
AIMS stocking, was held perilously
close to the gray head bending over
it, and bobbing up again at regular
intervals. The warm, languorous June
day courted sleep, the churn dasher
outside rose and fell monotonously,
and its cadence mingled with Mrs.
Smither's dreams.
Presently there came a rap of bony
knuckleS at the front door. Mrs.
Smithers's head gave final jerk up
ward and her eyes bhnked open. She
rose and FASTENED to the door, the
stocking still in her hand. "Oh is it
you, Liza?" she said. Come right
in. l was half asleep when you
knocked-these long summer days
make one so drowsy."
Liza gave her It's a shake.
''It's awful hard d. yr people to keep
clean in Kansas she complained.
with the wind blowin' the dust all
over creation" She seated herself
and glanced smilingly about her. It's
nice in here, though" she added, "and
I'm mighty glad l found you at home,
because l came on special business"
II hope you didn't come beggin for
the church." said Mrs. Smithers.
''There amt a red cent in the house,
and won't be until Mary Ann finishes
the churnin' and sells the butter
'"That's her churnin' now, ain't it?"
asked Liza.
"Yes. Why?"
"I've got somethin' to say 1 don't
want her to hear, that's all" She took
ol ucI lhllltuS anu luOIu
out across her lap.
SARAH" she began solemny, after
an awkward pause, "I've always been
a good friend to you, haven't II"
Bout as good as any friend I've
got" answered Mrs. Smithers, with a
curious intonatiou which was lost on
Liza, so intent was she upon the sub
ject in hand.
well, I've come to do you n friend
turn now" Here she paused again.
and Mrs. Smithers, drawing her nee-
die through, held it suspended, waiting
to hear. sometimes" Liza went on,
peoples own kinfolks is the very last
ones to hear things that's goin' on
talk, l mean-and that amt right. If
there's talk goin' on the ones nearest
of kin ought to be the first to hear it.
Leastways that's my opinion. Amt
it yours, Sarah?"
'It depends" said Sarah dryly.
Liza rolled the mittens neatly to-
gether and turned the hem of one over
both.
Now, supposin'," She said, at a
slight loss for words for once, that
had girl like Mary Ann"
Mrs. Smithers involuntarily started
For n second she shook as If with q
chill.
"And people was goin' roun' talkin'
about her? Wouldn't it be your duty
to come and tell me"
Mrs. SmitIers did not reply. Her
.i,,l. 1AI O.. l., L
low under the tan of the Kansas
winds. The stocking had fallen into
her lap.
"Of course it would" continued
Liza, ''and so I'm goin' to tell you
this, because l think you ought to
know it,
She coughed twice behind her hand
before she began again.
"As near as l can make out" She
said, sit was this way: Jake Saun-
ders was comm along the road from
Mulvane Saturday night-I think it
was; yes, I'm sure it was Saturday
highland be saw two young people
driving towards him in n buggy in the
shadow of the trees. 1t was bright
moonlight, you know, and when they
came out from under the shadow the
young fellow threw his arms around
the girls neck aud kissed her! Kissed
her right there in the moonlight where
Jake Saunders could see, where any
body could 'er seen what had a mind
to looki Why, in the name of common
sense didn't he kiss her when they
We're in the shadow of the trees
That's what I'd like to know. Sarah,
that young fellow was Charlie Sulli-
van, and the girl-weIl, the girl was
Mary Ami"
Mrs. Smithers had mechanically
taken up her work and was slowly
running the long needle through the
heel of Mary AIMS stocking. She
pressed the threads down with her
thumb nail and shipped off a stray end
with her scissors. Her face was emo
tionless, as If carved in stone, but the
fingers that held the scissors trembled
very little.