Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1899-05-18
DEACON GREY'S
CHOICE.
BY HELEN WHITNEY CLARK.

"Well," Mrs. Ferobia Cymonds laid
aside her new poke bonnet, with its
lavender ribbons, and slipped off her
plum -colored alpaca dress, while a
smile of satisfaction spread itself over
her rather sharply marked features.
eff Deacon Grey don't mean some
thing by his attentions then I'm mis-
taken" 1t was prayer meeting night,
and Deacon Grey had just escorted
the widow to her domicile. 'This is
the third .ime hand-running that he
took me home evening; beside last
Sunday was two weeks ago that he
walked to church with me-"
Mrs. Ferobia's method of express
sion was somewhat mixed, but her
facts were undeniable.
The deacon had escorted her to and
from evening prayer meeting on
several occasions, and had thus be-
come the subject of much gossip
among the village folks.
deacon Grey's sprucin up, they
caide ''Lookin' round for a wife, of
course. Wal, he mout do worse,
though the Widow Cymonds is poor
rs a church mouse, fur as property s
eonsarned."
They 6aid nothin' of Widow Cy-
monds' temper, however, which was
Is uncomfortable to encounter as the
barbed wire fence which surrounded
the deacon's well-kept farm.
Possibly, the widow had talent for
concealing any little acerbities of tenn
per flcm the outside world, and be-
slowing her ill-nature only on the
members Of her own household.
EYES," she mused, tapping the
homemade carpet with her foot, while
q shrewd look shone in her steel gray
eyes-"yes, to my mind it's just as
good as settled, and l mean to do over
my wedding dress. / amt worn it
much, and it'll save buying new one.
But there's one thing about it"-here
the widow put her foot down emphat
ically-'that old maid sister of the
deacon's has got to do most of the
work, if she lives with us. 1 don't
have any shiftless, do-nothing folks
about p-e; but of course won't say a
word now.
''La!" said Miss Letitia Pipes, pop
ping her head into the widows sit
ting-room, bright and early the next
morning-''la now, Feroby! is it set
tied yet? I'm dying to knowr'
''Well i ahemp' said the widow,
looking conscious and trying to blush
-" tain't exactly settled-that is, the
time amt set, but it's all understood
between us, you know"
''Of course" assented Miss Pipes.
"Well, reckoned it was understood,
that you are as good as engaged, OF
course. How soon do you think it'll
be?"
swell, said the widow, medita-
tively,'' not before fall, 1 don't
reckon. You see, I've got a
right smart lot of sewing on
hand--and some quilting to do,
too There's that piny bud quilt put
together last winter, and a rising
Dorcas is making"
Going to keep Dorcas with you?''
mo, amt snapped the widow,
tartly-Dorcas was her stepdaughter.
''She amt nothing to me, an shan't
keep her no longer than to git the
sewing done up, an the apple butter
making an preserving over; then I'm
a-going to tell her to find some
Other home"
''Jes' So" assented Miss Pipes.
And before night it was all over
town that the Widow Cymonds was to
be married to Deacon Grey. in the fall
just as Mrs. Cymonds meant il
should be.
And at last the gorgeous piney- bud
and the refulgent glories of the rising
sun were nearly finished and laid away