The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-07-22

didn't want to tell mother, she'd feel
so bad if there was anything the
matter with aunte's house. / think
uncle Silas felt bad too, for he KEEP
Whlstlin' while she was maxim me
promise. an he said, L sh'd think
you'd feel like singin' pretty small
about that speech, Tavy.' / asked
aunt Octavla about il once a little
while ago, an she said the upper
story was all right now. SO | spose
It's, but | can't see a single bit O. diff
ference when | go there. Auntie amt
never been very WELL mother saws.
an she takes notions. / s'pose that's
why she's always tellin me not to
talk the boarders stone blind. am
never talked anybody blind in nv
life, 'cept p'raps Iropickercancer's
llittens-an they got right over it,"
The intervals of fruit-scented ST.
lence began to grow more frequent.
Had Eve been like Electra, Adam
would have found it easy to withstand
her half-hearted solicitations. Her oc-
casional Don't you want a maple,
too" sounded too mechanical and per-
! functory to elicit even a refusal. At
terward, when she saw that the long
suffering canvass bag went home
empty, Miss Wagner found it neces-
| sary to assure herself in a dazed sort
of way that she had positively not
eaten a single apple that morning.
1t was with sensation akin to ter
ror that she detected indications of
hunger in Electra on the way home.
Mother told me we was goin' to
have stewed chicken for dinner; an
toast, with lots O. gravy on it, began
! that young person hopefully.
She was climbing the great stone
post unler the Osborne naples now,
and her next words futtered down
ward with soft. uneven emphasis.
Were goin' to have green apple
pie, too; an new cheese, on coffee.
| Now, look out for leaves when | scrab
ble,'' posing herself securely on the
post, and beginning a vigorous attack
upon the lower branches of the ma
pies.
Electra" said Miss Wagner, sud
| denly a monument later.
YES, Miss Dorthy." Her rosy lit
tie face, with tangled curls blown
across it. became gradually visible
| through the shower of leaves that
| had followed the scrabble
You've shaken Inc trees enough
| for one day, haven't you child? Come
down now and listen to me for a
| minute.
Electra sprang from the post in
prompt obedience.
I've been thinking of what your
Aunt Octavia said, Electra, Miss
| Wagner was making futile efforts to
| reduce the tangled hair to something
| like order-'and really don't believe
| there is any need of her worrying
| about the boarders. | have listened
| to you all the morning, to say moth
| ing of other mornings that could be
mentioned, and | am not stone blind
by any means. On the contrary, 1
am beginning to suspect that | see bet
| ter from week to week; and if that is
so you must have been my atmos-
| pheric illuminant."
The smile with which she spoke was
quizZical and merry. 4 sudden blithe
| animation seemed 20 possess her.
The next few sentences Electra lost
| entirely. With her eyes bent upon
| the ground she was struggling with
| the two mysterious words that had
| caught and absorbed her attentions;
words that sure instinct told her
| she was not likely to hear again:
atmospheric ill-illu-; atmospher
( ic-"
And then Miss Wagner's voice de-
stroyed forever the possibility of fit
ting those facinating but elusive syl-
tables into the mosaic of her vocabu-
| larry.
$50 the new piano will come next
/ week, Electra" the voice was saying,
! with the same unfamiliar buoyancy
in its tones" and its going to be your
ery-precious-littl
The ardent ioyousness of Electra S
smile rivaled the sunlight which hood
ed the dining room that noon. 1t
| had lost none of it's radience. when
| disposed of two heaping platefuls OF
chicken and baked potatoes, followed
in due course by green apple pie
] new cheese and coffee she laid down
her knife and fork with a sigh of per.
feet satisfaction.
I'm so happy | can't eat another
! mouthful," she said, alphabetically
81 guess I'll go out and tell Tropick-
| ercancer.
Standing by the window Miss Wag-
ner saw her cross the yard with rap
id steps in the direction of the barn
Before it's open door she paused in mo-
| mentary indicision: then turned and
ran with a hop, skip and jump
straight toward the furtheSt corner
of the orchard, where the New York
pippins grew.
EATING AND SLEEPING.