The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1899-02-02
THE MAKESHIFT OF JONAS KEMP.
BY Annie Hamilton Donnell.


Clarissa Kemp-late, very late
Clarissa Collins-carried each pot te
the back door and inverted it briskly
The little heap grew high and un'
stable. There, we're a good many pots,
and, Il was quite distance from the
sitting room window to the back door,
Clarissa was tired when the stained
green painted shelves were emptiee
:. and all the litter swept up.
=, s:There!'' she breathel with q little
. gasp OF relief, sinking into a rocker.
s'I'r thankful that jobs done with,
It's been staring at ME ever since ]
came"
Clarissa invariably spoke OF the day,
u few weeks ago, when she aud Jonas
drove from the minister's into the
little trim side-yard, as "when ]
came" Since that day there had been
good m ny reforms at the Kemp
place. The heap OF discarded geran!'
INNS and fuchsias was only one o1
them.
II cant and I won't abide mess
Of plants round, littering! There's
enough, goodness knows, that's got
to litter without putting up with wha!
amt got to. You've got to water 'em,
and you've gos to putter with 'en1
and coddis 'em, an there's always q
nussy,wet place under 'em and sprigs
and dry leaves. I can't abide 'em II
other folks can. Those that like :'em
are perfectly Welcomed don't"
Clarissa rocked backward aud for
ward in the capacious, calico softenea
chair. communing aloud. Her come
", middle:agea face had look OF re-
lie unon IL Once only a slight shade
Of remorse quivered across it and was
gone.
"He'd ought to know I'd do it, y
she mutterea, 'sand he ought to have
got his mind made up by this time.
I've given him time enough l. ever
since came. told him, ten minutes
after, that couldn't fellowship with
a mess of plants. I guess that was
good and fair warnipg!'
The rockers took to sudden creaking
as If pleading in Jonas behalf. In
the snnny windows the green shelves
looked bare and lonesome. There
were little round circles, smaller and
larg ge:, side by side along their lengths,
where tha pots had stood. The big
gest circle OF all spoke pathetica'lv o:
= Jonas pet cactus that bore tee dainty
pink flowers among lis spines-that
"Alw;!ay' lad set store by. AlTi!da
was tie wife that had driven from the
into the trim yard first.
Even Jonas was hardly focder Of
plants tnaa A!wiida had been.
"Ihare's some sense to having
! windows 70 sit by tlIat you .c;stl see ont
OF, mused Clarissa conie2tealy, gaz-
ing ont on the strip Of meaadering
roadway stretching bleakly away MP
hill. "Now 7 cen see tue people
passing there's Deacon Pottla COM
ing a'readyi Z car tell it's the deacon
by the way the horse wags his head
and ,neeches along down the hill.
Seems 20 Tie I'd have creature. with
sone1 kind of spirit to him. Why, no;
;H,sJonasAas I liver :: t. :.
with assudden accession Of nervous
nces, C!arissa Kemp snaiched rng
au9 harried to the back door. Jonas
and the old horse were turning. into
the lane: She could hear the pound;
pound OF clumsy ,hoofs on the hard
clay. She threw the. rug over the
heap OF broken plants aud waited to
pail down one corner across the tiers
OF ofi2terlocked ea*thea pots beside it.
II don't want it to come on him all in
aheap," she murmured. "Jonas has
to have time to gcS used TO things. He
aia't sudden man, Jonas amt. I've
found that out since [ came"
Then she hurried back to the rock
ing chair by the window. Jonas was
just i5!oldiag past.
"Whv, ain't vou early Jenas?''
Clarissa called, little breathless with
hu"rv;ag. TITS only 8 O'Clock. I
wasn't looking for you back till sup
per time.
''Yes. am ea~ly-whoa, back, Den.
his. VII ,o-a, a,-but the town meeting
ris' early. We got through CTR doings
scaner'n We expected to. They up.
pointed 1ne moderator T.:
Jonas voice had . ring Of modest
pTid35 in it. Clarissa laughed appre:
ciutirsly.
"isAonl;i say you'd moderate splen-
,dil!y,Jonas, "sle said, ''bat sholldn't
we supposed you'd We moderated SO
fass"
The c!d horse started up and went
sta;diy Oh toward the barn, with the
tra;! Of Clarissa's laughter in his wake.
"Clarissy's real humorous
won1aD," pondered Jonas; "she's got
nj! OF it that Alwildy didn't have.
Whoa. back, Dennisr' -.
IfJonas noticed the unwieldy heap
under Cla-issa's rug OF his way back
10 the house be said nothing about
Is It was not Jonas Kemp's way to
s,r &2.;oos T., tho rrio lit+1o c;+4;r .