Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-03-01

She went hurriedly back into thd
house and straightway bawled her in.
formation at her mother.
Il am going up to the Hall, mother
Ollie Matthews is to drive back for me-
She'll be here in 20 minutes"
Going to drive back for you?"
Yes. She's kind little body. She
and her father have just gone up to the
Hall. They stopped at the gate Mr..
Matthews wanted to know if found
any papers on the ground when I pick
ed up his bag"
And did you?"
!, mo, mother. told him that IL any
papers had fallen out the wind would
have blown them away before morn
ing. You don't mind my going to the
funeral, do you, mother?"
"Of course not. It's your duty to 60.
want to hear all about it. 1t ought to
fetch big crowd to the old house.
Broxton was the salt of the earth.
There's none like him left"
You won't be by yourself entirely,'a
said Malvina cheerfully. Jimmy Mar.
tin is working on the fence and mend-
ing the bean arbor today. I'll tell him
to look in on you once or twice to see
If you need anything while I'm gone.'
That's all right; that's all right.
I'm not an infant in arms, Malvina.
Did Matthews seem very much put
out about those papers he lost?"
He did not say SO, but when said
l hoped it was not anything that con-
cerned Tom he as good as told me to
mind my own business
Advancement! just like his impu-
dence. He's forgotten the time when
you We're the minister's daughter
Then Miss Malvina began preparing
for the great event of her absence.
She put bowl Of cold tea on the win
dow sill within easy reach of her
mothers big chair, rushed out into
the garden to give Jimmy Martin his
final orders and had good five minutes
left in which to hurl herself into her
best gown, a brown serge trimmed
with velvet, and her Sunday bonnet,
which always made her look prefer
naturally smart and distinctly unfa-
miliar.
By the time Olivia, on her return
trip, had made the grand circle around
the beech tree, which she called turns
ing her ponies around Miss Malvina
was standing on the horse block in
state of nervous readiness and ELUSIVE
gratitude.
1T was real sweet of you, my DEAR
she said, somewhat jerkily, as the po-
MES bounded forward. ''to come back
for me. The walking is SO dusty. l
Edon't often get such a nice ride
No; it's not sweet of me at all, said
Ollie, with decision. on are giving
me credit don't deserve. love to
drive my darlings, and did not want
to go into that gloomy old house one
minute sooner than was obliged to.
did not want to come to the funeral
at all, but was afraid Tom wouldn't
like it, Poor, dear Tom! 1t will break
your heart, Miss Nally, to see how
white and miserable he looks. 1T has
quite broken mine He keeps on moan
ing because he did not get here in
time to hear his fathers voice once
more. Oh, could kill Reuben for that
breakdown
Miss Malvina felt that she could
gladly help in the execution. and,
Miss Malvina. we are going to take
Tom home with us after the funeral.
Papa says am to cheer him up. I'm
sure l don't know how. l don't see
how anybody in the world can do that,
do you? know if it was papa who
had been taken and left alone in the
world should hate anybody who tried
to talk me into thinking it didn't matter
much. 1t wouldn't be any use. But then
l don't suppose girls love their fathers
the same way that boys do. Father
says he will have to be a father to
Tom now, and tell him if he isn't just
as good to poor Tom as he is to me
shall make him answer for it,"
Suddenly the small. clouded face was
illumined by mischievous smile, and
sidelong look full Of fun was flashed
under Miss Malvina's Sunday bonnet.
''You see, I feel as if must be a moth
er to Tom now, or an aunt, or some
thing elderly and useful
Miss Malvina begged her not to be
frivolous with such unlifting gravity
that the bright face became overcast
again as, with a hysterical catch in
her voice, Ollie added:
"Oh, what lovely world this would
be if all our friends would just keep
well and happy and go on living for
ever until we are all ready to start for
the next world in big family party,
and the sun would shine all the time,
and flowers be in bloom always! Oh,
Miss Why, l hate sorrow! hate I'd
cryv'
She was doing it copiously, however.
Her dimpling smiles had all been
drowned, her sparkling eyes grown
dark with the gloom of her crude pro-
test. Miss Malvina put an arm about
the small, grief shaken figure and
moaned a platitude into the ear near
est her:
.My love, man is born to trouble as
the sparks fly upward
The girl shook her off impatiently.
"Oh, what makes you say that? The