The Washington weekly post., 1900-11-20

shcra and ayueCtOratei ara NAt1sioN-
,he vir,sr they occupied boxes around I
The hir stove inside, and continued 'he'F
twofolI occupation.
Tasy .sd three principal topics OF con
vsrszflay-1o.i,ics. scandal the weather
a-H aF all varied constantly, there Nas
~-.4 Dor ary other Their cause for
s-gv congregation at sundown was sap
,l.rfrg fhs arrival OF the mail; albeit
fhere were those among the "s2tters "A
term bestowed upon the group by a scoIA-
ful sriuster Of the town, Who likewise
dubbed thc grocery steps the )eoS-Heh'
seat'-wh8 never received letter
There comes MANDY Brown c2rryin
her bardt,x." remarked Deacon Blowers
as he al.ea hls clay pipe. Guess shes
rot through nussln az The Corners. Won
der II Jim Scudders wife's dead.
At this c.sry a tan man, with some
what melancholy couutenance. signed
deeply. and moved away.
You amt got much sense, deacon
said Joe Wade the village unoeftaheI'
shifting his tobacco from one eheek TO
the other with a Fapidity born or io1S
rractice. 'the idee taikin' 'oout ioiss
dv!H. fore Eph Felch. when his own wife
amt been buried a month yit?'
.0h. shet up, Joer returned the deacon,
with q grin; "Ephn soon git his spirils
hack Look al him now" he added in
delighted whisper 'fts simply scandl
the way he's eyein' Mandy Brown.
Across the street came trim-looking,
mlfdle-aged woman, picking her way with
due regard to her clean skirts and the
muddy road.
Good eveuin, Eph," she said cheer
fully. as she approached the bereft one.
-HUw's 3lis' Fclch?'
Good Lord" calculated the deacon.
The settlers" ceased TO whittle ana lent
their ears eagerly to the conversation
'How's Mis- Felchr' repeated the Wild
over feebly. "How's Mis-"
There was q sound Of suppressed laugh
Ter from the Judgment seat
Land alive. Eph, what ails your asked
Mandy. with some asperity. If you can't
tell me how your wife is, guess I'll be
able 10 stand ii till / sees herr
II was a moment before Mr.. Felch could
find his voice.
she's dead, ma'am. dead" he burst
forth at last.
Mandy cast look Of scurn in his cirec-
ton.
why IN eanoIs didn't you tell me so
beforer she demanded wrathfully And
ere the astonished Mr.. Fetch could get MS
breath she was gone.
Il spOsc them old fools there thinks
I'm settin my cap for him already" she
said TO herself, as she marched indignant
ly by the grinning group without so much
as VOuChsafing a return 10 their p0lite
Good eYenin'. Mandy"
When she reached the Widow Aiken's,
where she made her home in the intervals
between her cases, Mandy was, in the
common parlance of her section, 'hoppln'
mad" However, by the time she had I'M
ished relating her story TO Mrs. Aiken ner
anger had subsided, and they were both
laughing heartily.
'If you could only have seen him, Mis-
Aiken" Mandy said, wiping the moisture
from her eyes, sit would done you good
Be looked like he didn't have an ounce Of
sense left"
How did you expect him to look an
his vile not dead a month?' inquired Mrs
Aiken, who was still laughing. Il tell you
what. Mandy, Deacon Blowers, jim
Wade, an the rest Of them settlers must
have been tielZled most TO DEATH
They looked it," replied Miss Brown
dryly.
There's one thing continued Mrs.
Aiken refectively, as she waved her
thread, "Eph Felch's pretty well fixed.
Some womanll get nice home one Of
these days"
Janet Aiken, amt you achamed Of
yourselfr'
No. / amt" retorted Mrs. Aiken stout
w. mark my words, Mandy Brown, them
that weeps most at fust gifts ii over the
soonest. Though why Ephraim Felch
should take on bout Mis- Felch's death
beats me; they never did git along no how
together. Old Mis- Felch made that match
m / guess Martha led Eph a dance"
80 I've heard TELL" interrupted Mandy,
"but she was a fine housekeeDer. his
Aiken. an a mans poor critter depend
IN on hired help
Men is poor critters dependin' on hired
help or otherwise" replied the Widow
Aiken I'm a tone that admitted of no atgu-
meut.
AS the months slipped by the lugubrious
lines disappeared from the face of Eph-
Iaim Felch. and he once more manifested
an interest in things mundane. II was
even gravely hinted that "Eph was per-
Kin up an sOrter gittin' ready -or a Sec
Oad campaign" On the "jedgment seat
The virtues and failings-especially the
lttcr-0f all the spinsters within the
township were reviewed. commented up
on ana chuckled over in connection with
what seemed to be a highly probable
Mis- Felch." And finally Tumor went
forth IN the land that Mandy Brown was
20 he the favored one Just how 1t start
ed no one knew, albeit Mandy herself de-
clared it had root and branch in the
"Jedgment seat"
Iu her far-oG yOuth-ard II was not so
Ter of. either, as things are considered
nowadays Mandy had had her romance
She was "A pretty, rosy-Cheeked lass OF
eighteen; he a boy of twenty, the son OF
the minister. Ministers sons usually 20
% college, and John Shay followed the
custom. There was a tender parting. a
promise 20 return 10 her. ana then bright
visions of herself In the role Of the min
!eter's vile" The visions lasted foui
years Al last her old pastor died. Hi
son never returned 10 Buxton. He mar
rird cultured Boston lady" and thus
was poor Aandys romance nipped IN IN,
bud Some women become grabbed an,
CautanhoynUs after an experience OF thi
nature; others kinder and more unselfish
Mandy belonged 10 the latter class. Sew
eGal years attendance on an invalid moth
e. had made her an excellent nurse, ant
when She was LEFT alone she found PLENTY
a. work IN Buxton and the nelghborln.
towns Sometimes she was paid: some
tires she was not: IL all depended on n,
Circumstance Of her patients.
when Mandy Grst heard the villag
plans for her future, she told Mrs. Aikel
She had never set eyes on Eph but twicr
since ,he day she asked arter his wife.
and that he was cool IN his gTee;in' boil
times"
But you never en- tell" she added air
Ey who them settlers win conclude L
marry me 10 fore they git through
10 was a clear, cold night in February
and few OF the old occupants OF thi
'-elsmeut seat were grouped around thl
grocery Hre discussing the recent biz
2-.d. Suddenly the door opened and II
oan.s ih~ deacon. There was much STAMP
i-s 1, snowy feet and unwindng Of graz
Uut.!er before be sat down.
Fl.GesJ night IT. ten years" he declar
.F. A..