The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1899-11-15
QllLS Qpp!E,S WOOL WOOL! SOCKS: SOCKS.
A Story of a New England Courtship.

John Sylvester came mp from the
field where he had been working and
went into the barn chamber which
he had occupied since his second
cousin, Ellejenette, had come to live
with him and his mother in the five
roomed farm house.
"Oddiel Oddiel' called his mother,
as he crossed the path which led to
the kitchen porch.
He neither answered nor looked at
her, and disappeared within the shad-
ow of the great barn door.
whats he come up to the house
for. Ellejenette, do you know?"
Ellejenette signified that she did
not.
Mrs. Sylvester took her knitting
and placed herself upon the kitchen
porch, so that she should not fail to
see her son when he emerged. She
was past 70 years old, and natural
propensity toward inquisitiveness,
sedulously cultivated through long
life, showed itself in the unlovely
form of thirst for knowing the most
trivial things her son did. Ellejenette
often wondered at Johns patience,
and warmly sympathized with his
trials.
81 don't see what he's after up
here, this time o. dayl Ellejenette,
fetch them peas and shell 'em out
here! Iwant some company"
81 suppose he's through work to-
day." Elleienette ventured.
"Why, no, he isn't, Ellejenette.
What are you thinking about? Don't
you know he said at dinner he
shouldn't be through with the south
meadow before tomorrow night?"
She rose, walked across the grassy
yard, and standing in the barn door
called again, "Oddiel Oddie!'
Presently she returned.
81 can't get nothin' out o. that fell
ler except All right, pretty soon. ;
Elleienette, You go and call him. He
always answers you."
ooh, 1 don't want to now, Aunt
Charlotte! 1 will when he comes
down, Won't that do?'
left off work this time o. day." and
Mrs. Sylvester continued to ring the
changes on this theme, till Ellejenette' s
mind wandered far away, and she took
refuge in day dreams from the fretting
and nagging.
The round, fat peas slipped from
their cases rapidly under her deft fin
gers; she did not need to keep her eye
on her work, and looked instead out
into the lovely summer world. Hel
home for the first 20 years OF her
life had been in tenement house in
large city, its surroundings little
short of squalid. Her father was q
hard working mechanic of small cali.
bre, her mother always an invalid; the
two died within few months of each
other, and, oh! how gladly had Ellie
jenette given up her position as sales
, girl in department store and come
at Mrs. Sylvester's request, to make
her home at the farm.
John came out of the barn. Ellie.
jenette saw that his working clothes
: were gone and he was dress ID in hi,
Sunday best-nll except"
"Oddie! Oddie" screamed Mrs
Sylvester. "Where are you going
Why didn't you tell me you wer,
going away?"
e 'T'll be back pretty soon," sal,
e John, rolling out the light wagon, ant
a a moment later leading out the driv
ing horse.
"Cant you tell us where your,
I going" pursued Mrs. Sylvester
> "What you so secret about? Shoult
, think you were going courting." He
gaze reached his feet, and her quer
ulous tones fell to a shocked and dis
+ mayed key. ''John Sylvester, you'v,
got on your wool bootsp'
: "Well, mother" replied John, "i
i, you'll only stop calling me o Oldie, II
keep them on night aud day."
You go take those boots right of
/ know where you're going! You can
fool me, and you can't make such
n show of yourself! You're going t
that wedding, you know you be!
:, screeched the old laly. 81 guess ii
d Farnham won't like it very we'll TO
you to march into church with then
wool boots on aud all you're Sunda
clothes. How you look! Folks won
get through talking for year! Ellie
. enette, You speak to himv'
: Ellejenet.e shelled peas.
i 81 should think you'd be ashamed
All the Farnhans' city boarders wi
> be there. Go get your other boot
. on! You sha'n't behave SO! Yo
: just"
70 John was in the wagon, rollin
n smoothly over the grass and out int
: the dusty road. AS he passed Eli
:, jenette an ~arly summer apple spu
across the short. crisp growth an
q stopped at her feet. As she pickle
n up the gifi she saw Johns ey,
o twinkle, and she nodded her thank
!; II do declared" Mrs. Sylvester b
gan to whimpsr. coming back to b,
% seat and dealing the kitten, who ha
Q been playing eats cradle with II
|. yarn. . hearty slap. ''6esms "
u