The true northerner., 1900-07-04


man wearing a black broadcloth suit
and an Old style silk hat, accompanied
by n pale young man, the Presbyterian
minister. But she murnured: well,
OF all things In this world! Jane Lar
kun can't be a-dyin, or the doctor'd be
there too! What on earth can 1t mean"
She was SO puzzled that she confided
her wonderment to her next door neigh
Dor, who had paused at the gate TO ex-
change a few words on her way up
street
ELIAS Pollock has just gone into
Jane Larkum's house with the preach
err said Mrs. Jorden.
"Well, what of itT asked the neigh
Dor jocosely. "a mans safe from harm
as long as he's got a preacher with him,
amt hep
you've only just moved to town,
Mrs. Rollins" returned Mrs. Jorden,
'or you'd be surprised too. Don't you
know anything about elias Pollock
and Jane Larkum"
Cant say that do"
"Elias has been goin there a-courtin
FOR 30 years"
Mrs. Rollins pushed back her blue
sunbonnet and snoothed her hair re-
fiectively. "That is good WHILE" she
said slowly.
"a good while! II you've never
heard 1t before, wonder-I do, indeed
that you can be SO cam about itv'
exclaimed Mrs. Jorden somewhat re-
sentfully, feeling injured, as most OF
us do when, after having related
marvellous piece of news, our audience
falls TO evince the requisite degree Of
surprise. "The strange part Of IL is"
she went on, that nobody has the
faintest idee why they never married.
At first folk said 1t was her father OBJ
jected; then when he died they said
it was his mother that didn't like Jane;
then when the old lady dropped off it
must be his sister Mary that was In
the way; then it was her Aunt Susan.
next his cranky brother John. and so
on till every blessed man and woman
that could "a had the slightest reason
to object was gone. And all that time
Elias has been there every Saturday
night and every Sunday afternoon as
reg'lar as clockwork, and never on any
other day, and that's why am so sur
prised to see him there this mornin."
"And folks amt never had no clew
rs TO why they didn't marry?' asked
Mrs Rollins, with n pyrotechnical dis
play of negatives.
"Not the least in this world. There's
old Mrs. Clawson, over on Pearl street,
- thrnnoh nxrarvhn1xfc a ffa ire
with lantern; she's tiggered on II till
she's nigh about crazy sometimes. She
won't ever own up that she don't know,
but she'll give you one reason today,
and II you ask her next week she'll
give you another. Elias is well TO do,
and Jane owns that big house and n
200 acre farm. If they'd "a broke the
match square off, there wouldn't "a
been anything strange about it. but TO
keep right on a-courtin has made 1t the
mystery of the town."
They're a-gittin along in years, and
l don't s'pose it would seem right to
'em, either, TO break off or TO marry"
observed Mrs. Rollins quietly. 81
guess It's got TO be habit same as
drinkin coffee or smokin. But / don't
hold with long engagements myself"
She pulled her sunbonnet forward,
tied the string slowly and passed on up
the street.
ST don't believe that woman would
be the least bit surprised If the presi
dent and the queen of Spain would
ride past together In buggyv thought
Mrs. Jorden as she looked after her
neighbor. After having remained at
the gate some time she went into the
house, sat down at the window and
took up her knitting work. She could
knit and see all that was going on in
the street at the same time. After
awhile the door of the red brick house
opened and the minister came out. She
beckoned 10 him and ran out to the
gate.
81 made some raspberry vinegar yes
terday," she said, after they had shaken
hands and inquired after each others
health "and / thought n bottle of Ii
would brace up your mother this hot
weather. I'll bring 1t out right away"
'Thank you kindly, Mrs Jorden, he
replied, "but l will call for 1t another
time. l must hasten back to the par
sonage, where / am to marry another
couple at half past 10 o'clock"
"Another coupler You amt been a
marryin," and she paused with a gasp
OF astonishment He nodded and smil
ed. "Our friends Miss Larkum and
Mr.. Pollock are now man and wife,"
he said.
"Well, am beatl Did you find out
what had delayed the weddin so longT
"I did not indeed, but l must go.
Good morning, Mrs. Jorden."
Seems as though everything that
could happen in Sanderson is a-happen-
I'm this week." murmured Mrs. Jorden.
While Mrs. Jorden fingered at the
11,l hri1.lr hotacn