Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-06-21
ROMANCE FROM
EVERYDAY LIFE

Marthy had heard the gossip. There is
always some one to repeat unpleasant
news. And the faded cheek of the little
sewing woman flushed a dull red at the
tidings that she was being talked about
in the village where she had grown up.
Folks lint saying anything very bad
said her informant. Miss Perkins, con-
sollnSly. They jest say it beats all What
fools old maids will make of 'emselves. l
told EN- 'twant lone of my business, but
| was goin' to drop in an let you know.
Hev you got Miss Johnson's new dress to
make? / heerd-Of course. l can't tell how
much truth there is in it-that she had
about made up her mind to AXE it to
town to Miss Hicks. She says she can't
countenance your COINS on, nohow.'
Marthy raised her head. She was a
timid little woman and her tormentor
knew it. But she did not know the depth
of her nature or how she might act at
bay.
Dye mean folks are talking about me
on account of my friendliness for Joe
Wilber"' she asked. IF they are you
tell EN- for me to go right ahead an talk.
Tell EN- that for me-"
Her rough little hands rembled over
the dress lengths in her lap and Miss Per-
kins saw her eyes flash with a new dig
nifty as she continued: ITS a pity if a
woman Of my age ant be trusted to con-
duct herself in a becoming
That's so, Marthy, an of course every
body hez got respect for you. But this
strange young Teller that don't appear to
be more'n a boy comm along an keep
in with you does look curious,
an no mistake"
"Keepin' company with me-" Martha
repeated the words and then laughed.
A ringing laugh of other days.
why, Mary Ann Perkins. I'm old
enough to be his mother. l should have
been his mother. Don't you know who he
is
Miss Perkins lifted a face full of aston
ishment to reply.
+ He amt never John Wilbers@'
" "That's who 1T is, Mary Ann. I never
blamed John for going away from me like
the n%eighbors blamed him. It would
have been worse if he hadn't when he
found out that-that he didn't care as
much for me as he thought he did be-
fore Mile came home from school. 1t
would have been wicked if he'd married
me then. I used to think sometimes that
they would write to me. But they never
did. Likely they thought I'd be mad. But
T never was. and [ never heard a word
about how they We're getting along, and
didn't know whether they were dead or
living, until one day last spring, l looked
up to see Joe standing i'll that very door.
ne WAS pdlc dllu SlCh lOOhlIS, dlHu Tx
asked me for a drink of water. l almost
tainted, for he seemed the living image
of John-as he was when he went away
I asked him his name and he told me,
Told me how his folks had died when he
was a little chap and how he had beer
drifting around without a home Oh
friends. TIe didn't know me, but the
Lord remembered me-, l guess. Anyway
l said a prayer of t~hankfulness to him
for sending the boy that should have
been mine to me. 1t seemed just what
I had been awaiting for all the time.
made him stay, and he is good and loving
as an own son could be. And now tina
he has got steady work in the factory, h
says I must give up sewing and he will
take care of me. So you can tell Mis-!
johnson I dom want to make her dress
Mebbe I am foolish and p'r'aps folks havt
|, a right to laugh at me for a silly oil
maid. But you can tell 'em that Jo'
WILDER is my nephew-more than that
he is the son OF the man that I lovet
. when I was a young girl, and love yet
now that l am an old woman and shall
love when I meet him in eternity. and tel
, him that I have tried to be a mother t
his and Miles boy"