Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1899-03-15
things, animate and inanimate, in the

Rock hens went about as if on tiptoe,
with dropping tailfeather. To Mrs.
Carter's sensitive ear, even the old
cocks Growing had doleful, drawn
out wall in it.
She tapped again softly. Nobody
responded. Then adjusting the cor
ners of her mouth to appropriate
droops, she stole gently into the
kitchen.
There was no one there. The little
room had on its prim afternoon dress,
and looked unsocial and stiff. The
faintest possible hint of clicking knit
ting-needles drew the visitor uncon-
sciously toward the sitting room.
Mrs. Andrew Gamble sat there
knitting in the still, dark room. She
gave a little start as Mrs. Carter en-
tered.
"Oh," she said, in low voice, "I'm
real glad to see you, Mrs. Carter. No,
don't take that chair-that's Andrews,
and I can't bear it. This rockers easi-
er to your back. Undo your shawl,
do"
II had to come over, Marietta
seemed as if I must. l couldn't bear
the thought of your sitting here all
alone. wish l could help you-O
Marietta, wish I couldV
Mrs. Gamble looked up from her
knitting quickly. eyes, it is lonesome
with Andrew gone," she said, quietly.
She was slight, sweet-faced woman,
and the loose wisps of hair, turning
gray, curled prettily around her face.
For very little space neither of the
women spoke. The subdued creak Of
their rockers sang dirge in the visit
or's ears. She was wondering how
Marietta could knit stockings, and look
so composed, and curl her hair Still,
she had been crying. Her eyes looked
reddened.
Then the visitor spoke in sharp
whisper, drawling the words out SOL
emnly. "Wasn't it dreadful sudden,
Marietta ?"
eyes, it was sudden. Still, I'd been
expecting as likely as not it might hap
pen. He's never been real hearty"
"No2" Mrs. Carter assented, with a
doubtful, upward infection. Andrew
had looked hearty, very.
"Ever since he sprained his knee.
joint last fall he's been ailing especial
lily; it seemed to use him up."
II never noticed that he limped."
"Well, he did, going uphill and
coming home after long trip"
Another pause, and another stanza
of the creaking dirge.
"When did-it happen, Marietta?'
whispered Mrs. Luther Carter then.
"Three o'clock this morning, or a
few minutes past. We were up all
night with him. I didn't get wink
of Sleep"
"Poor child" Mrs. Carter softly
patted the knitting-needles. "Did-
did-he suffer much ?"
"No, I guess not. That was mer-
CIV. He didn't seem to sense anything
all night. We did everything we knew
how to for him-everything. Lauda.
mum didn't seem to do any good"
She began to cry suddenly. II was
so fond of him !' she sobbed apologet-
ically.
eyes, yes, do cry, Marietta-it'll do
you good. You ought to cry. It's a
mercy you can"
81 don't know how we're going to
get along without him, Mrs. Carter"
"It's a great loss to the neighbor-
hood. We all feel it," Mrs. Carter
murmured. "Luther and I were all
struck in a heap. He read it in the
paper. Just think of our finding it
out in the newspaper !" e.
Mrs. Gamble lifted her dropping head
with an air of solemn pride. "Yes," D."
she said, "they put in the paper right
away. I didn't s'pose they would in
today's but they're dreadful smart
about getting things in. When An
drew's Uncle Andrew died, they got
that into the morning paper, too"
It was warm in the room, and Mrs.
Carter took up paper from the table
to fan herself. She folded it neatly
and set it waving with slow, steady
strokes.
"When are you going to-to-when
will you-bury him, Marietta ?" she
asked at length gravely.
Mrs. Gamble took up her knitting
work. "Oh, we buried him this morn
ling as soon as twas real light. We
thought we might as well get it done
with, and we wouldn't feel 80 bad
when twas over"
"Why, Mrs. Gamble Why, new
er heard of such thing in my born
days-I never!" She spread out the
newspaper fan in abstracted, agitation,
and stared at it absently. Her face
expressed the utmost amazement and
harror.
Suddenly her eye fell on one of the
items in the paper. She read it hasti-
ly once-twice. Then she glanced at
the papers date. 1t was the morning
paper, and the notice in it was of the
slamentable loss our respected towns.
man, Andrew Gamble, has sustained
this morning-as we 60 to press-ln
the death of his valuable and petted
chestnut horse," etc., etc.
Mrs. Luther Carter crumpled the
paper in her fingers and rose. "Well, ,
Marietta, I must be going. I'm real
sorry for you and Andrew, but 'tisn't
as if twas one of the family gone, you
know. Good-by."
She went rapidly home, and finding
the borrowed paper, thrust it into