The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1899-08-10
Peace of the Past

| Drusilla GLADDEN. to her husband. as he
wiped his feet on a piece Of CARPET at the
kitchen door. II thought you'd never get
N. Guess who's sent me q letter. You'd
never think in a month OF Sundays. It's
from Devah Bland-my cousin Devah.''
| Pa gave q smile of interest and rubbed his
| hands.
| We'll. I swan now! And what has Devy
! got to say for HIMSELF"
! Hes coming to Ohio to visit. He'll be
here next week. What dye think of that %
Pa pulled of his boots contentedly.
Il won't be sorry to see Devy. We war
in school together. What say? Is he doing
well?"
| Doing we'll. but his wife's dead: been
dead two years or more. l bet you a great
deal. pa. he's on the warpath And to
! think Angelina Culver's visiting around here
just now. and she's . widow. Pa, it looks
like the 'pintin's Of providence. don't t?''
Mrs GLADDEN. smiled benignly on her hus-
band. and he on her. They were In love
with each other, and had been for 20 years
1T truly does" replied pa, at truly does
Jest think how them two courted over three
years. wasn't it? hold the split was all
Angelines folks fault, wasn't It? That old
man Porter never stayed anywhere, and got
streak to move to Indiana. Her ma
wouldn't let her stay here. and that made
Devy properly mad. They KEEP it up a while
writin'; then Devy went out farther West
and married himself to a strange woman.
After while Angelina gets married. First
we hears her pardner's gone and she's
likely widow, visitin' round. Then we gets
a letter sayin' Devy's pardner has been de-
parted two years, an he's comm visitin'.
Now. don't that beat all?'
How plain you've made it. pa."
beamed Mrs. Drusilla. 1T sounds like
them story papers. You ort to have been
a writer for one. l often thought that.
My, amt it plum interesting! 1 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
Il calkilate we kin have this all to our
selves" he began, 'ef you can hold out
gainst mentionin' Devy's comm 1t will
be hard work fer We, Drusilly, but it's 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
mere meetin' an all, II you don't tell.
Mrs. Gladden's pleasant face fell
Il wonder if it'll be fair not to tell the
rest of the folks she began. you see
Devyll be expecting big welcome"
Asahel GLADDEN. rose up in HIS socks.
'Drusilly, 1 have jest set my heart on
managin the whole thing. Don't YOU
disappoint me. l never had so much |
chance as this in all my morta! life, /
always wanted to do sech dire ctin' and |
managin, and don't you disappoint me-"
"What1l folks say when they find we |
neld that news?" asked his wife, much |
impressed. but giving up, as usual
They'll say you've come to years of
discretion, though l don't want to hurt |
your feelings none Drusilly. You can |
take it all out hxin' up the spare room |
and Marindy's room. 1t air lucky Angeline
haln,t been down here yet-another clear
plntln Now, hurry up the dinner and
write Devy 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 Angeline
for the whole endurin' week"
The two were as excited as children The
letter had to be strong enough to suit
pa and was the labor of an hour for Mrs.
GIadden ere it suited him. Dinner over
[ney tucked themselves in green. sleigh
ana GROVE over to New California
We IL stop on the way" said the small
and rosy man. Il feel so anxious to get
hold Of Angelina
'Oh, you do?" questioned the wife de-
nurely. well, as our Marindy declares.
her pas younger'n anyone
Angelina Culver-Angeline Porter that was
was visiting at old DR.. Normans. She
md Cissy Norman had always been close
rlends She came out to tho sleigh to
speak to Mrs. GLADDEN.. She was quite
[roSSV had ;ply |
ned with white lace. She had tied little
white fascinator over her brown waves.
Il was lowing to go over to Dennis Doad-
los next week. she said, in her soe and
comfortable voice, "but il you make
'clnt OF it l guess l can put them off,"
ia GLADDEN. was so anxious his little feet
anced up and down in the snow.
oh we want you real bad next eek ;
Angeline! We've been waiting and ex-
Getting till we're set on it special Do saw
on will come"
Il blieve pail burst, 1. you don't come, I
said his wife, The gets SO set {
n anything" 6
well, l WILL" assented the widow. III
sed to have good times at your house when ,
was girl l never have forgotten them" q
Pa went through an expressive panto- 4
lime behind her /
And pail fetch you en- Sunday afternoon" /
ent on Mrs. GLADDEN.. "If the snow don't b
ay on he'll fetch you in the buggy"
Afterward Mrs. GLADDEN. declared that ma | s
oent the happiest week of his life getting
lady for that couple to be reunited II b
ever struck his warm and innocent heart ii
lat anything could go amiss He piled 1
p special wood for the parlor, he lowered h
round the two bedrooms, he actually had tt
Is fingers In every pie and cake baked. j
e went to the village store alone once or e
vice. and after the last visit wore an
r of the deepest mystery vi
Mrs. GLADDEN. stood this until the hour NJ
firing. .,
"Asahel!" she exclaimed, with a break
her voice. "Asahel. you never had a x
cret from me in all your life, did you?" "
The rosy man looked as guilty as il de- HI
cted in crime. He saw her kind ewes :,
ID his voice quavered -,
Never BEFORE" he whispered "but I'm :,
afeared you can't hold this one over II
nday meetin I'm bound not to breathe =,
One dry sob brought him to terms. -,
1T air." he whispered, tiptoeing over to
r, 1T air that telegraphed to Deyy to ! IN
here on the Sunday afternoon ex- mr.
ess" ~
WIS. Gladden's attitude toward the world lo
sunday morning was the gossip of the RI,
lgnoorhood for weeks She suddenly as RI,
med an air of funeral dignity; would ta
1verse with no one, and stalked SILENTLY -
after meeting and climbed into the ws
Ugh triumphantly