The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-08-28

but indoors did not know 1t. Without,
the birds sang In the woodland, the
bees hummed over the wayside flow
ers, the crops ripened on the hillside;
within was the staid Textbook Of the
clock, the whirr Of the sewing ma
chine. In the mature beauty Of ALL
gust, as is the heartening freshness of
April, the gracious serenity of Oc.o-
ber the icy isolation of January, life
kept for the Misses Dudd the even ten
or of it's way.
The Misses Dudd sat silent in the lit
tie front room, which did double duty
as parlor and chamber. What indeed,
was there to say? If Miss Ria put out
her hand, Miss Malvina handed her the
thread; if Miss Malvina left her seat,
Miss Ria made room at the machine.
And so on through the daily routine.
But today there was suppressed ex-
element in Miss Ria's handling of the
needle and shipping of hastings. At
last she spoke.
Them tickets for the excursion to
the Springs Sa'day are mighty cheap.
Just dollar for the round trip. Mrs.
Green says we ought to go by oil
means in the world
That's just what Cousin Luella
says" rejoined Miss Malvina. "She
1IiCdLS pOlL leI BlIIS 10 80. SHe IdI
over while you were at the store to
get our recipe for mixed pickles.
Its early to make them pickles.
always like to do 1t late SOS to save
my green tomatoses from frost"
cousin Luella never did have much
economy about her. Now she'll take
that 81 out Of her purse Sa day morn
ing and give it to them girls, and
a'day night them girls will be back
ca yord no
That's a fact" assented Miss Ria.
The machine ratified along, one seam
after another
"Therer said Miss Ria as she meas
ured off a facing; 'ft's we'll under way.
This is just Monday. If we work
peart and steady we en- finish these
dresses by Thursday-or Friday, any
way. And there's the money in hand.
What with our eggs and butter, we
might go to the springs, too, if we've a
mind to-
YES" said Miss Malvina, "only it
would look like pity to spend so
much money in a lump that way"
That's So" agreed Miss Ria.
There was silence again. The ma
chine needle sped across facing
breadths.
would you cut this rufIle straight
or bias, sister," asked Miss Ria.
1.-THE bias hangs better, but it's more
wasteful. That goods won't more'n
allow for it straight. Miss Norah al
ways buys skinny pattern. Yours
on your plaid skirt hangs we'll. Now
that would look nice for you to wear
to the springs Sa'day, and if you didn't
could wear your pink and tan
Miss Ria nodded. "And you could
put on your brown skirt with that light
blue waist" A quarter of a century
before Miss Malvina had had peach
bloom complexion, and She still adhered
to the delicate hues which had then
been her prerogative. But it looks
extravaganza to be traipsing round the
country in our best fiXings."
THAT'S the TRUTH admitted Miss
Malvina, and the machine started
again.
The clock struck 10. Miss Malvina
drew her scissors from the breadth Of
dress goods into which she was about
to plunge them, and carefully folding
her work, laid it on the foot Of the
bed.
You'll need to scrape the ashes out
before you start the fire, sister," said
Miss Ria, land when you feed the
chickens count the gray hens. I saw
a hawk round this morning. They're
all going to take snacks. There's the
young Dom1necky rooSters we've laid
off not to keep. We might fry one Of
them. And we could make sponge.
cake. I don't know as we could spare
for butter cake
1T would look like a pity to eat our
chickens when they're selling so well
now
80 'twould,' said Miss Rta and Miss
Malvina set about dinner
AS they ate their midday meal Miss
Malvina spoke meditatively "The train
leaves before 7, and it's two good miles
to the depot. We couldn't foot it of a.
morning through the heavy dew. Now,
we might have Aza take us over in the
cart, and at night we could turn our
skirts UP and walk back with just
Lucindy Ann"
Eyes, but it's mighty unsatisfactory
getting Aza and Lucindy Ann to do
for us. They won't trade; they want
cash down for everything"
That's the way of It," said Miss
Malvina.
It was Miss Ria who picked up the
thread Of discourse some hours later
than the spool of cotton She stopped
to catch.
81 reckon we'd better see Lucindy
Ann and Aza this evening" she said,
'and let Mrs. Green know we want our
tickets with the others.
Ten o'clock Saturday morning found
the guests at the springs struggling
from the dining rooms. Feeble old
gentlemen and handsome ladies turned
their steps according to custom toward
the spring; trim, shirt wasted girls
grouped picturesquely under the trees;
young men, Immaculate IN white duck,
gravitated toward feminine attrac-
lions; some young folks sought the
bowling alley, the tennis court claimed
others, and a few enthusiastic wheel
men dehed the August sun. A little
later the guests would take wing for.
mountain or seashore, but now fashion
and pleasure held undisputed sway at
this old aristocratic resort. Butt upon
the day fell a shadow.
co." said a. girl, dolorously, there
is another picnic crowd from the coun-
tryl I wonder Maj. Lightford allows
them to come here"
Painfully conscious Of themselves
and their spectators, the picnickers
wandered ON. They halted first at the
far-farned spring, whose virtues luTed
wealth and fashion to this out-of-t the
way corner. The two or three lolterers
drew aside, q trif1e scornfully it is to
be feared, as the rustic procession filed
up and each member Of them, eyes set
in the cup, drained its contents.
Him. calculated Miss Ria, pursuing
distasteful bps, dts got a kinder queer
taste to It, For all people talk SO
much about 1t, the water right there
at our back door is better"
"Yes," said Miss Malvbna, ''that's
prime water. Whew! how this does
smell!'
They strolled on till tennis game
gave them pause. There was fas-