Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1899-08-31
PEACE OF THE PAST.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

NiIs. lIuSlt Ill Nluuticii W iiVi huso"h@
as he wiped his feet on piece of car
pet at the kitchen door, Il thought
you'd never set in. Guess who's sent
me a letter. You'd never think in q
month of Sundays. It's from Devah
Bland--my cousin Devah."
Pa gave me Il smile OF interest and
rubbed his hands.
swell, | swan now. And what has
Deyy got to say for hihself?"
HES coming to Ohio to visit. He'll
be here next week. What dye think
OF that?"
Pa pulled off his boots contentedly.
II won't be sorry to see Devy. We
war in school together. What say? Is
he doing well.'
"Doing well, but his wife's dead;
been o,,d TWO years or more. | bet
you great deal, pa, he's on the war;
path. And to think Angeline Culver's
visiting around here just now, and
she's a wilder, Pa, il looks like the
'pintn's Of Providence, don it?"
Mrs. GLADDEN. smiled benignly on
her husband and he on her. They
were in love with each other and had
been for 20 years.
ut truly Does replied pa, ut truly
does. jest think how them two court
ed over three years, wasn't it? hold
the split was all Angcline's folks
fault, wasn't it. That old man Porter
never stayed anywhere and got a
streak to move to Indiana. Her ma
wouldn't let her stay here and that
made Devy properly mad. They kept
il up awhile writin', then Devy went
out farther West and married himself
to a strange woman. After awhile An
geline gets married. First we hears
her pardners gone and she's a likely
widow visitin' round. Then we>gets q
letter sayin' Devy's partner has been
departed two years an he's come
visitin'. Now don't that beat allP"
"lIow plain you've made it, pa"
beamed Mrs. Drusilla. at sounds like
them story papers. You ort to have
been writer for one. | often thought
that. My, amt it plum interesting?
| don't want to miss none of it, do
you? How can we fix it?"
Pa was so appreciative of his wife's
praise he tilted back in the rocker and
gave the matter solemn thought.
81 calkilate we kin have this all to
ourselves he began, ''ef you can hold
out 'gainst mentionin Devy's comm.
1t will be hard work for We, Drussilly,
but its the only way. Do you think
you kin hold that news over prayer
meetin' and Sunday? ! tell you what"
he went ON, eXcitedly, I'VE can just
have the whole thing happen right
here, mcetin' an all, II you don't tell
Mrs. Gladden's pleasant face fell,
Il wonder If it'Il be fair not to tell
the rest of the folks" she began. "You
see, Devy'll be expecting a big wei
come"
Asahcl GLADDEN. rose up in his socks.
"DrusIly, have jest set my heart
on munagin' the whole thing, Don't
you disappoint me. never had 50
much chance as this in all my mortal
life, ] always wanted to do sech d.
reclin and managln, and don't you
disappoint me-"
"WhatIl folks say when they find
we held that news asked his wife,
much impressed, but giving up, as u.s.
ual.
They'll say you've come to years
of dicretion, though | don't want
to hurt your feelings none, Dru-
silly. You can take it all ont hxin
up the spare room and Marindys
room. II air lucky. Angelina hant
been down here yet--another clear
p'intin. Now hurry up the dinner and
write Deyy letter tellin him he must
come right here an we won't take
no for an answer. I'll hitch up the
cutter and we'll go over to town an
engage Angelina for the whole en-
durin' week.
The two were MS excited as children.
The letter had to be strong enough to
suit pa and was the labor of an hour
for Mrs. GLADDEN. ere it suited him.
Dinner over, they tucked themselves
into green sleigh and drove over to
New California.
"We'll stop on the way said the
small and rosy man. 81 feel so anx-
ious to get hold Of Angelina"
"0h, you do~ questioned the wife,
remurely "Well, as our Marjndy de-
clares, her pas younger'n any one"
Angelina Culver Angelina Porter
that was-was visiting al old Dr. Nor
mans. She and Cissy Norman had al
ways been close friends. She came out
to the sleigh to speak to Mrs. GLADDEN..
She was quite dressy and had on a
pink house sack trimmed with white
lace. She had tied little white fas-
cinator over her brown waves.
81 was lowing to go over to Dennis
Daodna's next week. she said, in her
soft, comfortable voice, "but II you
make point Of il guess ! can put
them off,"
Pa GLADDEN. was so anxious his little
feet danced up and down in the snow
"Oh, we want you real bad next
week, Angeline We been watin and
expectin' Till we're set on 1t special.
DO say you'll come
II b'lieye pail burst IL you don't
come, Angelinc," said his wife, she
pptg IN gpt m ANYTHING"