El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-12-01
PAGS 9 AND 10


you are COMM" Jimmy had told me-
for she and the house is always n
spick and as span as all the comp ny Ii
the world could make EN-
The house stood an eighth of q mile
back from the road. and n wagon track
led up to and away from it in a wide
semcircle worthy a drive before a pal
ace 1t was all unfenced. the wild
greenness pressing up to the doorway
AS we approached a tall, broad Shout
dered young woman came to the low.
open door. had time to take q good
look at her, and 1t was a pleasant ex-
ercise. She stood with one hand On
her hip. in an attitude of such sim
plicity and ease as the rustic obtains
only in his most interrupted estate
Her smooth. dark hair was parted and
brought down behind her ears into .
knot of eminent decency; her features
were good. strong, rather large and
were set off by fine rudy complex
lon. She came out to the wagon as we
stopped and put up her hand to Jimmy
"Howdy." she said-not smiling, but
fixing her gray eyes upon him with
what was like maternal tenderness.
swered, equally grave. This is my
cousin, Miss Addington-Miss Tod.
Cousin AdeIine.''
Il wanted to stop off and stay with
you. if l might, while Jimmy goes TO
mill"
I'm pleased to see you" said Ellen
Tod. wait, and I'll bring a chair for
you''-a chair to help me alight.
TIL
and spanness of Ellen and her house
Her innate superiority was shown in
her dress, which was of that standard
dark purple calico which knows NO
north. no south. and it was made with
out furbelow anywhere. 1t was
model of the chief garment of modern
woman reduced to its simplest ele-
ments, but it was beautifully clean
and was perfect in its way, even the
unrelieved band around the neck being
becoming to SO handsome a column
That touchstone of the southern house
keeper, the hearth, was swept so clean
that its secured stones attracted the
eye. and the big bed in one corner of
the room was radiant in brilliant
patchwork. After 1 entered Ellen re-
turned a moment to the wagon and
shook hands with the departing Jim
my who was to return in u couple OF
hours. For that time Ellen and 1 were
left to each others uninterrupted Sc
ciety, for her father was away at
work and she and he composed the
family. She was charming hostess.
full of hospitality and with effort
less gift of silence almost equal to
Jimmy's own.
She took my hat. allowed me to Sir
in the back doorway, which looked out
into the near woods and brought me n
glass of cool buttermilk from the buck
ct in the spring My soul was satisfied
when she got out big spinning wheel
and went to work. l wondered II she
spun when Jimmy came and was in
clined to think that no woman could
be ignorant of the charming aesthetic
possibilities of the occupation. l could
imagine Jimmy sinking into a deep and
deeper daze of pleasure as he watched
the swift, light moving figure passing
to and fro while the big wheel whirled-
l tried to get up the courage to talk I'D
her about Jimmy. but l couldn't She
was too big and grown up; she made
me feel too small and light minded
She actually smiled at me, however.
Wien tHe W9sOu retufneu 1 Ieft now
as if n handshakinS all around were
justified, for it seemed as if | had
spent n pleasant. dreamy, drowsy life
time in that back door.
Il amt very lively company; never
was. Ellen said as | put on my hat
scarcely apologetically. but as if the
fact were an undeniable drawback
She took Jimmy some buttermilk-he
did not leave the wagon-and | delayed
my appea rance while he drank it
81 don't know as I'll ever see you
again." she said, as she grarely gave
me her hand. but I'm glad you come.
and i wish you we'll. Take care of your
SELF" she said as we started. Including
me in the kindly gaze she turned Oh
Jimmy.
l did see her again. but before the
second meeting Cousin Betsey had
learned of her as a possible daughter
fn-law. | came in from tramp the
day before l left, and found mother
and son closing a terrible and portent-
Gus interview. Poor Jimmy was sit
ting in his mothers room with his bow
ed head supported in his hands and his
every line expressing crushed suffer
Ing. but withal hardly so limp as might
have been expected. The little master
full mother stood with her knotted
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