Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1899-03-01

appear. Half-past five, six, half-past
six-still no Jonas. At quarter OF
seven Clarissa was frightened. Dim
forebodings tugged at her. heart-strings
till they vibrated dismally.
"I'll go hunt Jonas up" she said
briskly, shutting her ears to the sound.
"It's just as 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 q
new trip, up over the stony path, for
Clarissa, and the stones hurt her feet.
''For the land Of goodness sake!'
she cried shrilly at the barn door.
The flowers in the windows-row on
row of them-danced dizzily before
her eyes. In Clarissa Kemp's and
Clarissa Collins life she had never
been so astonished.
One of the windows was raised q
little, and the breeze crept in and set
all the bright flowers nodding, friend,
ly-wise, 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.
sJonas!" she called softly, after a
minute OF two. ''Jonas, it's supper
time-Jonas!'
She went up to him and prodded Is
shoulder with her thimbled finger
larissa nearly always wore her
thimble, to have.it "handy." "
'tJonasw
She tilted his dropping old face
toward her and the light. 1t was
twisted and white.
"Oh, he's got 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-don't
take 'em away!"
"Jonas, dear Jonas, you must get
right up aud come into the house with
meme, Clarissy, Jonas Don t you
know Clarissy?"
ST know somebody-Alwildy u
murmured 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 a little while his mind grew
quite clear again, and then he pleaded
to stay with his flowers.
r1ssss sapIapat Hs ast1a lax il Rsa ont JgsB RsFs s
feel better? The plants III miss me-
an like it out here-I like it out
here-like it out here"
Again and again he mumbled il
wistfully.
The tune Clarissa's heart-strings
were wailing almost broke her heart.
She got help at neighbor's, and
they took Jonas home. He was doz
ing all the way. 1t was almost day
later when Jonas fully awoke.
CANT it -pleasaqt-out here : in
the barn, Clarissy?" he whispered
happily. 81 like it out here-don't
you?"
"Yes." Clarissa said brightly. 81
like it 'out here, Jonas.
The green-painted shelves had back
their old tenants and new tenants.
row upon row. Tie windows opposite
Jonas bed were full of gerauiums ant
gay purple and red fuchsias, and tn;
cactus was there that Alwi!da had
loved. Her mothers spinning whee
stood on q strip of carpeting near
Jonas. How pleasant it looked "out
there!" How the sunshine filtered
through the geranium leaves and made
dancing traceries on t''e wall. A sprig
of the sun leaves lay across Clarissa's
face, and Jonas smiled at it like a
pleased child.
"Clarissy," he whispered eagerly,
''can't we stay out here always?
like it out here.
Clarissa's eyes fell on tiny litter
of dry leaves under window.
eyes, Jonas" she smiled, 'yes,
we'll stay out here always. I like it,
too. County Gentleman.