The Burke County news. [volume] (Morganton, N.C.) 1899-1901, 1899-05-12

deacon 8 has go 10 40 most OF Tue
work, if she lives with US. I don't
have any shiftless, do-nothing folks
about me; but of course l won't say
word now"
LA said Miss Letitia Pipes, pop
ping her head into the widows sit
~ting-room, bright and early the next
morning-'la, now, Feroby! Is it set
tied yet? I'm dying to know!'
ahem!" said the widow,
looking conscious and trying to blush
-~"'tain't exactly settled-that is, the
time amt set, but it's all understood
between US, you know"
"Of course, "-assented Miss Pipes.
"Well, 1 reckoned it was understood,
that you are Is good as engaged, OF
course. How soon do you think it'll
be?"
WELL" said tho widow, medita-
lively" not before fall, I don't
reckon. You see, I've got
right smart lot of sewing on
hand--and some quilting to do,
too. There's that piny-bud quilt l put
together last winter, and a rising-sun
Dorcas is making
''Goins to keep Dorcas with you?"
mo. l amt snapped the widow,
tartly-Dorcas was her stepdaughter.
''She amt nothing to me, an I shan't
keep her no longer than to git the
sewing done up, an the apple-butter
making an preserving over; then I'm
a-going to tell her to find some
other home"
"Jes' So" assented Miss Pipes.
And before night it was all over
town that the Widow Cymonds was to
be married to Deacon Grey. in the fall
Just as Mrs. Cymonds meant it
should be.
And at last the gorgeous piney-bud
sun were nearly finished and laid away
in the big, old-fashioned chest of
drawers in the best chamber.
A ten-gallon key was filled with
translucent, crimson-clear apple-but-
ter, and the swinging-shelf in the cell
lar was covered with jars of preserves
and amber-hued jelly-all made by
Dorcas Cymonds' deft fingers.
And now the sparkling frosts of
October had turned the dogwood and
sassafras leaves to red, and the chin
capins and over-cup acorns were drop
ping on the crisp, brown grass in the
woodlands and now pretty, brown
eyed, industrious Dorcas was told that
she must find another home, and look
out for herself in the great future.
For I expect to be married before
long, and shan't want to be burdened
with any hangefs-on, said the widow,
heartlessly.
Tears sprang into the sweet, brown
eyes, but Dorcas turned away to hide
them from her stepmother's sharp
gaze.
Poor Dorcas. She knew no more of
the wide world and its ways than a
half-hedge1 robin, but she started out
with a brave heart to seek her fortune.
One text from the Book of Divine
Revelations came into her heart to
comfort her-''I have never seer the
righteous forsaken, nor his seed beg
glng bread; and somehow Dorcas felt
that kind Providence had not torsaken
her.
Mrs. Cvmonds put on her best dress,
tied her lavender bonnet-strings in 4
becoming bow under her chin. and
looked at herself in the mirror with a
smile of satisfaction.
He'll be certain to come to the
sewing-society today, and who knows
what may happen, as we walk home
together. Ny. but won't Letitia Pipes
be mad. She almost turns green with
envy now, when the deacon walks with
me-
But Deacon Grey did not make his
appearance at the sewing-circle, and
the widow returned home in a some
what different mood from that IN III, lei