Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1899-02-09

l
"You aren't sick, are you, Jonas?"
Clarissa asked a little anxiously.
"Oh, no-no, guess I amt sick,
Clarissy. I guess not" answered
Jonas, duly. He crossed to the
mantel and took down his pipe and
blew the dust from it. A little CLINT
OF eagerness crept into his eyes-it
was so much like shaking hands with
an old friend again.
Where are you going to?
Jest for little smoke, Clarissy-
jest for a little smoke.''
LAND of goodness--at two O'Clock in
the afternoon! Jonas Kemp, you aren't
losing your faculties, / hope!'
Jonas peered up at the old clock
above him and then at the afternoon
sun riding across the heavens. He
looked dazed. The pipe slipped
through his fingers unnoticed and lay
i'll two pieces on the bare floor.
II guess got mixed up, Clarissy;
thought twas after supper" he ex-
planned with an apologetic attempt at
laughing. 81 guess I'll go out and
wait a spell, till 'tis.'
But at supper time Jonas did not
appear. Half-past five, six, half-past
six-still no Jonas. At quarter of
seven Clarissa was frightened Dim
forebodings tngged at her heart-strings
till they vibrated dismally.
'Pll go hunt Jonas up" she said
briskly, shutting her ears to the sound.
Its just rs likely as not he's fallen
sound asleep somewhere. He's get
ting real old, Jonas is
She went through the porch and
carriage house and then with quick
ened steps up to the barn. 1t was
new trip, up over the stony path, fol
Clarissa, and the stones hurt her feet.
For the land of goodness sakev'
she cried shrilly at the barn door.
The flowers in the windows-row on
row of them-danced dizzily before
her eyes. In Clarissa Kemps and
Clarissa Collins life she had never
been SO astonished.
One Of the windows was raised
little, and the breeze crept in and set
all the bright flowers nodding, friend
lywise, at her.
Row on row, shelf on shelf-for the
land of goodness sake! But how cozy
and homelike they looked! How
pleasant the weathered old barn
looked!
Then Clarissa went in. AS long as
she lived-and the Collinses came of
long-lived race-she never forgot
the things she saw that afternoon in
Jonas Kemp's barn. The strip of car
pet by one of the windows. the broken
chairs set about Alwildy's mothers
spinning wheel, the light of the sun
through the geranium leaves and, dim
ly, on the haymows behind and on all
the cobwebs and cobwebs-and Jonas
there, asleep. Clarissa saw them all.
She saw them over and over again till
she died.
'Jonas" she called softly, after
minute or two. ''Jonas, it's supper
time-Jonasn'
She went up to him and prodded his
shoulder with her thimbled finger
Clarissa nearly always wore her
thimble, to have it handy"
"Jonas"
She tilted his dropping old face
toward her and the light. 1t was
twisted and white.
''Oh, he's got a stroke-Jonas!--
Jonas! he's got stroke" Clarissa
cried wildly.
Jonas opened his eyes and looked
at her in an unacquainted, troubled
way.
''It's pleasant-out here" he MUIR
INJURED thickly. "The plants-doni
take 'em -awayw
'Jonas, dear Jonas, you must get
right up and come into the house with
me-me, Clarissy, Jonas. Don you
know Clarissy?"
81 know somebody Alwildy,''
murmIred Jonas, trying to smile with
his twisted lips. One arm hung limp
beside him, and he touched it curious,
ly with his other hand.
'It doesn't belong to me-" he said.
After little while his mind grew
quite clear again, and then he pleaded
to stay with his flowers.
Couldn't lay in bed out here, Cla-
rissy?" he asked timidly. ''Jest till
feel better? The plants II miss me
an like it out here-I like it out
here-like it out here
Again ana again he mumbled IT
wistfully.
The tune Clarissa's heart-strings
were wailing almost broke her heart.
She got help at neighbours, and
they took Jonas home. He was doz-
ing all the way. 1t was almost day
later when Jonas fully awoke.
'Ain't it pleasant ont here in
the barn, Clarissy?" he whispered,
happily. 81 like it out here-don't
you?"
"Yes," Clarissa said brightly. 'T
like it 'out here, Jonas"
The green painted shelves mad back
their old tenants and new tenants,
row upon row. The windows opposite
Jonas bed were full of geraniums and
gay purple and red fuchsias, and the
cactus was there that Alwilda had
loved. Her mvther's spinning wheel
stood on a strip of carpeting near