The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-05-06
fCopyrighted, 1900, by Kate Epson clark)
CHAPTER V.
A LOST OLD LADY.


One day Mr.. Wellman came in TO dinner
looking troubled. He was carrying his
long handled shovel over his shoulder, but
It bore no marks OF use. He had evil
IDENTIFY not been at work.
Mark and Arthur had been out again
for ginseng, and he met them near the
stone wall
you haven't happened to see anything
OF an old woman in the course of your
travels, I suppose?" remarked Mr.. Well
man.
IAN old woman~ exclaimed Mark.
what old woman"
well. the widdah Gershom has disap-
peared from the Sl1iltons. When they got
up yesterday morning they found she
wasn't there They concluded that she
had thought OF some errand to do. and so
had started of 20 do II before breakfast,
but when the morning wore along and
she didn't tome back, they began to get
worried. They looked in her bureau and
found that she had taken a few of her
things in an old satin bag that she had.
and now it begins TO look a. IL she had
run away. She has acted sort o. queer
ever since the fire. She's probably n little
out OF her head--but anyhow. she's gone
and I have been helping them look for
her all the morning. though I went up to
my pasture lot expecting TO do some work
up there"
BY this time they had reached the
house, and Mr.. Wellman went on to the
barn. while the boys hurried in to tell the
news.
While they were eating dinner they dis
cussed poor widdah Gershom and her
strange disappearance.
"She has done sight of work up there"
sighed Mrs wellman. 1T has been too
much for her. When heard them tell
ing how she could set tables and dust
and even scrub the kitchen was afraid
they were putting too much on her. She's
willing-and suth folks most always get
put upon
TITS too bad" said Mark
BUT OF cotrre the Skitons id not
mean any harm" interposed Mrs. Well
man quickly she was too ready to go
beyond her strength"
Then they ought to have been all the
more careful" began Mark, with the little
air OF arrogance which he sometimes as
sumed. but his mother frowned at him
and interrupted him TO ask If anybody at
all had seen the Widdah Gershom since
she had been missed
Nobody has seen her Nobody seems
20 have any theory about her. II is the
Queerest thing ever heard OF. have
been thoroughly over the whole marsh on
tho Hill above here. I Know she isn't
there"
''She might have gone quietly to stop
with some OF the neighbors" suggested
Mrs. Robbins
'No--every house in town has been Wis
tied Strange nobody saw her go by.
There are plenty OF people around here
who get up by daybreak but she must
have started Off before light and got well
out Of town before anybody was up. She
has few relatives hut none OF them live
within a hundred miles OF 80, and she
could hardly have started of to visit
them. She had rheumatism in her hands.
but was light on her feet. She might
walk very fast and get good ways In
the course Of few hours'
''she was light in every way" unused
Mrs Wellman.
ION. OH" chirped Arthur IT'S lucky
Victor wasn't here. That was pretty bad.
Mrs. Wellman-every weight"
Nobody laughed and Mark assumed an
air OF profound disgust.
"she doesn't weigh n hundred pounds.
probably" pursued Mrs. wellman. with
look ~ lenient rebuke at Arthur. "And
to think OF that poor little old lady wan
dering over the land It's dreadful She
must be downright crazy. She can't
stand II long. She Ii sick and feeble and
she win die OFF alone In the fields some
where"
The boys were deeply moved by this
picture.
1--WE will start RICH. away after dinner
TO find her" resolved Arthur. energeti-
cally. "Tn bet we can find her before
night"
Find herl" scoffed Mark why. Won
little goose, you. half the men In town
have been looking for her. | suppose you
think you are smarter than all the men
in Farleigh and Ciearpond She's prob
ably beyond Tenerifre and Laneneld and
all those towns Off Thereon IN Meath or
Lowe"
These distant strongholds Of nature
seemed further OF than Patagonia To Ar
thur. and he was crushed by his brothers
whitening sarcasm, though he still muir
INJURED sueny under his breath. I'm bet
We could find her I'll bet we could"
Word has been sent 70 all Of the near
by towns" went ON Mr. Wellmau who
had paid no attention 10 the little Scrap
between Mark and Arthur III Widdah
Gerehom IA either dead or alive in any OF
them VIZ shall soon know e."
After dinner the boys and their mother
loungcd IN the hammocks hy the croquet
grounds. and Mark asked Mrs Robbins
what she thought about the widdah Ger
shom.
DO YOU think she is alive, mamma9''
II should hardly expect to nnd her so "
said Mrr, Robbins, slowly she was IN
when abe lcf'' ana she is fran little
creature"
"she Is the ono who had The second
sight isn't shef'
Mrs Robbins ad not Ike 20 have them
think too much about this charactcrisfi,
OF the host ola lady. Until the matter ~
second sight should ta better understood
than az present Il aid not seem 90 her a
quite wholesome subject to dwell uDon
Eyes" she said. briefly "Nhy don't
ysu rsay croqu~s hoysT'
The boys rather dsspised croQuet any.
way. and played u only 30 please thsir
mother. or when they could not think o..
anything more exciting 60 DO
'Oh. we're lazy" explained Marx. com
fortably turning over ia HE hammock
Il wonder what makes Won so lazy"
musod Mrs Robins hyndipg over him
With an affcctionate smile
What makes folks anything returned
Mark. scowllnE Nttc as he laughed
hack 60 her. WHAT makes the Russians
- tan and the Hottcntots SO suiall. Tor
instance"
Grew SO" pGt IN Arthur. soberly.
'N0h II seems 20 be a matter OF race a"
answered Mrs Robbins ignoring Arthur's
elaborate reasonlng a courcu q s-ient-