The Washington weekly post., 1900-11-20
N~>N


lost?'
A murmur % interest ran through the
group The Deacon leaned back against
the wall and elevated his heels to the top
OF the sugar barrel.
a wOman's reputation is Ike glass.
easily shattered" he began. with eviden:
enjoyment IN hts topic. To this aphorIsm.
old as the hills. his five listeners offerel
no objection. The Deacon repeated It
again In the tone OF one announcing the
subject Of a discourse, which ne desired
& hx IN the minds Of hts audience, and
then proceeded with his story.
Mandy left East Pike bout 5 O'Clock
the AFTERNOON OF the blizzard. an the
roads bein' good, she thought she'd walk
over num- She got half way when The
storm overlook her. That night as Eph
Eelca was rssurnln' from beddin' down
MS stock, he found her most exhausted
IN the snow near his side gate. He car
f.ei her lato the house, where she stayed
wi the storm let up Yesterday. when he
trought her over 10 Mis- Aiken's himself.
mats All there IS 20 It," concluded the
beacon, with wave OF his hand Ne
aodys 10 blame. he added. unless IL ba
them shifuess, gcod-for-nothing Ryans,
VINO ou6hter brought her hum arter her
hLfsin or their girl; but there amt no
use deayin' Mandy Browns IN a mighty
awkward situation"
lhcFe was murmur OF assent from his
listeners as the Deacon ceased.
remember readin' a book onct. and a
thing Ike that happened" said Peter
Jones the blacksmith. but the man mar
REC the woman. / guess If EDh up an
in&fries' Mandy nobody en- say nothIn' -
4 An sposin' he don'tg' asked the
Deacon, who apparently began 10 take a
gloomy view of the affair.
Inen ne oughter be made to-" Joe
Wade declared. striking the counter en-
| phaticaliy. If Mandy were humly now
It might complercato matters"-there was
/ general chuckie Of amusement at this
/ naive suggestion-''but she's nice lookin'
( an smart as steel trap, an he needs
a wife"
BY this time Jake Trimble had begun
/ to close the shutters. and as this was al
/ ways the signal for departure, the would
/ be preservers Of public morals weRded
their way homeward.
The next day, as might have been ex-
/ pected the story of Mandy's disgrace
| was oil over town: and the general ver-
oict was that "Eph Felch oughter mar
| ~ her"
Mandy heard Of it. and her wrath
arose.
III them settlers thinks they're goin'
10 wed me 10 Eph Felch.'' she said in
| dignantly, they're maxim a mistake"
But, Mandy what bout your reputa-
| tion?' asked Mrs. Aiken.
"if it's lost, it's lost" answered Man
dy grimly, IAN l guess I'll manage some
how. to git on without t."
The following Sunday night Eph called
at the Widow AikeE's and asked for Miss
Brown.
Il jest thought I'd drop in an see how
you was Gittin' on he said genialIy
when Mandy had hidden him frigiI
welcome. Il didn't know but what you
might have pneumony or diphthery, arter
your 'sperience IN the Snow"
! Mandy assured him that she hadn't
had no symptoms yit of either, but there
was no tellin', she might have both be-
fore she got through
This remark served not only to amuse
| Mr.. Fetch. but put him completely at
! his ease.
DO you know. Mandy" he said a
little later on, when they had done full
Justice to the blizzard, "you want at
ny house long, but it's ben the lone
| somest place / ever see since Won left
An I'm thinkin' I wouldn't be a bad
plan for you to come 10 there for good
How do you feel bout it yourseif?"
Mandy's eyes flashed
"Did them settlers send you up here ?''
she demanded sarcastically.
Them what?"
"Setters"
MANDY, are you cracked"
Because If they did" continued Miss
Brown, irately, you tell them that !
guess I en- stand it if l amt got no repu-
tation, an that / want um 10 quit in
terferin in my affairsr'
With which oracular utteranoe. she dis
appeared. and Mr. Felch, in a state OF
bewildered establishment. took his leave
He came back the following Sunday. but
Mandy wouldn't see him. A few days
later he called again, and this time took
the little widow into his confidence.
shes tarnatiOn mad bout somethin'
the Lord unly knows what" he Informed
Mrs. Aiken. He also asked this experienc-
ed woman if twas usual for women folk
to cut sech capers when a man asked um
TO marry him" To which Mrs. Aiken re.
piled that generally speakin', It warn't'
Mandy kept referrin' 10 the settlers. >
remarked Mr.. Felch in a perplexed tone
who did she mean. Mis- Aiken?"
The little widow laughed outright.
THE deacon, Joe Wade, an the rest NJ
the men who alwus hang round the gro.
cery," she said. do you mean 10 saw
Eph. that you never heard um called
that?'
II never did, declared Mr.. Fclch. sol
emny. But what had they to do witt
Mandy marryin' me?" he asked HELPLESS
ly
''She jest got IL into her head they wa,
tryin' to make you marry her" replied
Mrs. Aiken with broad smile. as sb,
leaned back in her chair Mrs. Aiken wa,
evidently enjoying herself And then sh,
proceeded to explain the delicate sltuatio,
10 Mr. Felch
IT'S woRder you amt heerd some o
the gossip fore now" she concluded
Where have you been keepin' yourself
Eph?"
- amt ben comm to town nights sine
the blizzard he answered. -'eNcsptiu
when ! come here-an' the grocery. shet
up Sundays"
p Il wish, Mis- Aiken" he added anxious
y, that you'd kinder explain things I
J Mandy an tell her ! come cause / want
S ed 70 an not cause any fool told me
oughter''
: And Mrs. Aiken promised to do ne
, II was some days. however. befor
A1andy Woulc consent 10 see HIM Tn
: ulih was she was more interested in Nr
: ftich ana his affairs than she cared I
= own ihai memorable night while sh
= sat oy MS IRE and he prepared her sup
per her heart had gone out to him. .'Th
idee OF a man doin' his own eook!n'r' sh
e said afteTsard There was something na
, / thtuc In his masculine helpIe.sness tbe
! Appealed lnsuneiively TO her.
E9h called the Sunday night eoIo,,,,,
, his interview with Mrs Aiken ana en-
deaVored TO get Mandy's consent to
spceuy union. But she sin hesite3eg
The truth IS Mandy was thi,i"s-S+,' - -. /.
. much The settlers would applaud ba
nuptials, and the thought was not nIesS
ing
Finally, kph came over and stood vrit
> his hands on the back oT her chsir VII
Ever since you set IN thar nftta roc,.
Z or by the IRE Mandy ma 49,. - - ; :