The Republican journal., 1898-07-28
HANNAH MARY'S "REGRETs."
BY EMILY HUNTINGTON MILLER.

Old lady Baxter sat by the front win
dow sewing carpet rags. The stiff, dis
torted fingers and the swollen feet upon
the cushioned stool told their story
disablement, and it was in fierce defiance
OF tate that their owner maintained her
reputation for being tasty in mixing
coiors, even after it had to be admitted
that her ''iinin'' was not what it once was
Each time she selected bit from her
motley material her keen black eyes
travelled to the window, bouncing upon
whatever came within range with the
clutch of possessions but there were few
passers along the sleepy road except now
and then a tow headed boy on his way
after the COWS, blowing his bare feet
through the yellow dust and switching at
the ragged mayweed along the edges
The smallest incidents moved her to
querulous comment, and her gusty old
voice had dominant ring, as if all the
repressed energy OF locomotion had gone
into 1t. Twenty years of meek servitude
had not accustomed Hannah Mary to its
Quallty OF uneXpectedness, and she still
started Whenever the Strident tones came
her way.
The little stand that held Hannah
Mary basket was ont of range of her
grandmother eyes, and she was quite
absorbed in her own fancies as she held
mp the hat she had been trimming and
turned it from side to side with an air of
growing disapproval. What she really
saw was distracting vision of simmer
ing ribbons, roses Of freshest pink and
mysterious, phantom- like feathers of glis-
tening white tuttering over Almira
Baker S red brown curls.
Massey sakes, Hannah Mary" de-
manded the imperative voice, ''ain' you
done fu>s sin over the bunnit? Fetch it
here AM lemme see it,
Hannah Mary meekly obeyed, and the
poor little hat seemed actually to wilt
under her grandmother stare as if con-
scious Of its lack of merit.
at don't look right but | can't make
out what ais it. It's done up red han
some and the ribbon good as ever twas
ON this side, but it seems to want some
thing-I donno what
We'll" laughed the old lady | can
tell what it wants, its air-they amt a
mite of air to it, Hannah Mary, Them
bows ought to perk up. an not look SO
dreadful meachin' and 'pologizin.' If
you had nice bunch of regrets to set it
Off
WHAT
''Regrets-them slim, white, spraggly
feathers Mis- Baker bought for Almiry"
go, them There's lots of pretty
things if a body's got money
Money amt all. There such thing
as gumption, but if folks amt born with
1t you can put il into EN-. If | had the
use of my hands ia show you thing or
two. been studyin' over it ever since
Iaid my eyes on them regrets.
She laid down the ball of rags, and her
eyes cleaned with a sudden inspiration.
''see here, Hannah Mary, you look in the
blue chist and fetch me them white
turkey feathers we saved up.
Hannah Mary east an imploring look at
the back of her grandmother head, but
went obedientiy. There was but one
opinion in that house and that was old
lady Bakers. Other people might agree
with it OF not as they pleased, but it made
no difference. One might not chance to
believe in the revolution of the earth, but
it W 1t on all the same. Hannah Mary
knew the old lady was perfectly capable
OF inVenting any absurd decoration for
her hat, and She already saw herself
standing up IN the singers seat with
halo of turkey feathers around her head.
, 49, 80 '-
'''iellI'''lA "s sue ld'seq we corner
VI SHe green Pai ct Shale % ADMIT llttle
Light into the sacred darkness of the
spare room, and reluctantly lifted the lid
has bannnned tn then7-InarbanS liz
moths lad eaten the,n--hnt no +be,o
they Law underthe 1itfl4 snriooad sbonldar
shawl. With 4 sudden instinct of rebel.
lion she seized the bolri ole things and
thrust them under the puffy bolster of the
spare bed An insane Man to smuooIe
them 0ut of the honse ar Il hurn them Vas
taking shape in her mini win deliobt-
full sense Of excitsment
Cant Won find emo, called her GRAND.
mother. and Hannah Mar bIlshed as She
faltered. II don't seem to see 'em anv-
where's
Ipvoluptaril,, she lifted her ewes +o on
counter the crave. reproachfnI face If
Jonathan Edwards look no down nno, her
from the tarnisbed frame that fenced him
in. In that verv room sle had done soil.
tarv nenanca tbronmb a., endless s1,n1r,,a,
1ay after tel,inr lie fr,-.n cI;l1ish te1.ra,,
and She always believed that the +ext ~
H. a,a,, tnS,1, ,,>,. lit ~ e1I ~
finger was laid was fine yerv ona Which
predicted a snlnbnrons fate for all sncb
transqressors as She lack to her man
o1v came tne wanting roun1e+ which 40
clared
p,!--
wl-. 'tf'-9 al :" aS "io lou5iu ouV,