The Republican journal., 1898-07-28

occasionally to the new hat and lowered
| over it with pleased anticipation. AS she
| moved briskly from kitchen to pantry her
sweet, untraine voice ran in little musi-
cal snatches over the anthem for Sunday
morning, and if she fancied a deeper
voice filling out chords and bearing her
| pleasant company, it was harmless
dream and altogether maidenly.
Mrs. Baxter was scornful of rehearsals,
her theory being that ''if it was in you to
sing you d sing same's s. bluebrd or robin,
and If it vast no amount of practicin'
could put it in.' But she secretly re-
ioiced in them, because Hannah Mary
sometimes brought home bits of news too
secular to be intruded upon Sunday, and
because her absence formed the excuse
for weekly gossip with the neighbor
across the street. She would be coming
in presently Hannah Mary thought, as
she lighted the lamp after supper. AL
mira would come with her, and the two
girls would stroll away to the meeting
house, where John Stetson would be
waiting on the steps to escort them
through the dark entry and up the mar
row, crooked stairs. Would Almira wear
her new hat and would John Stetson
think
A sharp clash of the gate, rattle of
the latch and Mrs. Baker came in. holding
her green figured shawl about her sallow
face and long chin.
Hannah Mary" she began, abruptly,
81 c m over to let you know Almiry amt
goin' to choir practice. She amt feelin'
very good. | sent word to Elmer Sharp
to fetch his wife or Doshy along to help
OUT
"What ails Almiry?'' said the old lady
suspiciously. Doshy Sharp can't sing
more II a crow.
81 don't RELY know. She-she don't
tell me-just says she amt goin' to- night
nor to -morrow. See here Hannah Mary
you 60 over and coax her up. I hate to
have her act SO the worst way
Hannah Mary went on her errand with
her foolish heart IN a tlutter If Almira
did not go it would mean that John Stet-
son would walk home with her alone.
She blushed in the dark and put the
thought away as altogether unworthy.
Almira had so plainly settled upon John
as belonging to herself, and Almira al
ways got what she wanted.
Mrs. Bakers eyes, rowing abstractly
about the room, spied the hat
''For the lands sake, if Hannah Mary
hahn got regrets on her hat and | dun
no but what they're full prittier than Al
miry's."
Think so, said the old lady with a
witch of her grim mouth.
Fact Of it is, Ms Baxter, Almirys
maxim all this TODD over them regrets.
Penelope Winters came in this afternoon
TO git my risin' sun pattern and | showed
her Almiry's hat You ought to have
heard how she went on, telling how't
they get them feathers off the backs of
birds down i'll Florida and leave all the
young ones to starve. My! it was just
awful. And she said she'd send me
trac' that told all about it. Well, | can
tell you them regrets came out quicker
a wink, and the hat was every mite as
pretty without 'em-Iibbons and roses
agree better n feathers with young girls
cording to my judgment-bnt if you'n
believe it Almiry went in a regular tant-
rum over it when she come home, said
she wouldn't never pat that hat on her
head unless she could have EN- back OF
course | couldn't give up in d matter of
principle ana | was a good mind to bum
EN- up and done with it, only ! didn't
know but what Althea would take EN-
back towards dom over my Dunst BILE.
AImiry said Penelope Winters was med
spite, but faint so. | read some of il
myself, a real movin' piece about the
millions of innocent little birds Slaughter
ed every year. -
~ dare say burst out the old lady,
81 wonder if Penelope Winters ever
counted up how many inherent little
worm are baked to death in their cradles
to git the stuff for her changeable silk.
And how S she gGin' to reconcile it raisin'
inherent little chickens Just a purpose to
kill OIL and eat? | dunno but what 4
chicken has the same right as any other
bird -
Don't seem to me that's the same
thing, - said Mrs. Baker, but with dis
tinct regret at not having thought of the
argument in time. ''Folks have to eat
and have clothes, but feathers are just
pride and vanity, and you destroy the lit
tie birds that sing among the branches
as David says -
Them regrets never sung among the
branches, l can tell ye now," chuckled
Mrs. Baxter.
Anyway, | don't see what I'm goin'
to do with Almiry. When she gets up
about thing she'll stick to it if She was
to die for t. She takes that from her
father folks''-
''Shoh Lucindy, she takes it from you.
YOU'RE as set as the liberty pole once you
take a notion; makes no difference
whether or no you've got rag of reason
to fly atop. See here she added, fierce
ly, as the gate sounded its warning,
don you say word about them re-
grets to Hannah Mary"
Hannah Marys face was mildly troub-
led. ''She won't go, Mis- Baker, and she
won't say why, Don't seem much use in
my going
''You go along, use OF no use" com
manded her grandmother. 81 sh' hope
you amt afraid to travel the main road
with houses clost enough to pass the time
o day ost all the way. Turn round and
let Mis- Baker see that bunnit. Don't
you call that tasty and becomin' ~
Its becomin - admitted Mrs Baker,
with significant emphasis
swell, that's what bunnits are for.
Fur's use goes a body might as well go
bareheaded like the Injuns.''
Hannah Mary looked back beseechingly,
feeling that she had in some way offend
ed, and then her gentle face vanished in
the soft dusk of the summer night. She
went along the little footpath conscious of
a pleasant sensation that was not really
excitement, but faint stirring of expec-
tation. Just beyond the first group of
houses was the only lonesome bit of the
way, past the old tannery with its bleach
ed trout and empty windows, and the