The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1900-07-24
The Chronicles OF Electra
By MARY CATHARINE E

said she'd got to laugh, ii she was 10
die for it the next minute.
''Jhere'S some more to that STORY,
Miss Dorothy. The rest amt the real
story, though, come to think OF IT,
But that man didn't tell Miss McDan-
iel the truth. P'raps You don't have
to tell the truth to a blamed she
caught herself up sharply. ANY way
he didn't. When he got to her house
there wasn't any compny there; no
BODY in the world but old nurse Per
kins. and a mosquiter wouldn't call her
comp'ny. Liz-beth was sick abed, too,
an couldn't ave done for comp'ny
any way an there I'd got Miss Nc
Daniel to comb my hair n put on my
a1kle-ties. all for nOthin'. That was
the dav they showed me the red baby,
remember. an LiZ-beth's husban
made such q fuss about weighin 1t.
She sighed with an air of retrospect
tive melancholy.
s.Father was took away after that
but most know 'twasn't because he
was too ugly to live. Mother says he
was always goods an angel with
another sigh. At this point her health
appetite suggested a diversion.
Opposite the driveway at DR.. Cor
don's. Electra fumbled in her pocket
for the torn margin of the Weekly
Chronicle, and held it up for inspec-
ton. 1t bore this announcement. writ
ten in an uniformed, childish hand:
..The sowin' serkels goin' to bee at
over house necks Wensday ranershine
without fale."
sElvirv Gordon's hard O hearin','
she explained as she refolded it, "an
she'd ruther read things than try to
listen to 'em. | went to a picnic with
her Once'-She had delivered the i'm
rortant message to Miss Gordon and
reioined her cOmpanion-"ant too
me all the way to Hacketts CrOssln'
to make her understand thar William
Telrd got his paws all lacked up
with medder mud that mOrnln. ina
was the day she told me she was as
deef's a haddock; an when | got
home | said to mother, if ever ] went
to the village with a paddock |
wouldn't tell him a word o med
der mud. if | had to keep still an
not speak at all. | didn't know then
hat haddocks was fishes. thought
they were folks. An | don't see yet
why the poor things have to be def
any more'n shad or mack'ril.
civilian Tell wasn't William Tell at
all then The echo of an u~nforgotten
regret was in her voice. HE come
from Dam'riscOtta an so called him
Dam'riscotta, till mother put her foot
down't say she wouldn't feed
him by any such a name.
She said she shouldn't cared
ANYTHING about it. II way or
another. if he hadn't always sneaked
off'n hid, just's he was wanted; but
it made her feel foolish to have folks
see her dodgin' Jpn down the road
an yeilin' 'Dam'riscotta with no dog
anywheres in sight to answer her.
4 told mother once when | was
irwin to do my sums that Just wish
ed Elviry Gordon was my teacher. an,
mother said'-her laughter gurgled
forth Observation-Disclosures she should
hate to say such a things that before
Tropickercancer even-let alone Il hui
man being. But Tropickercancer was
out on the haymow watchin for mice
when | said it, an of course twas all
right to tell it to mother. | should hate
long division dreadf'ly. though. Miss
Dorothy. if 'twasn't for singin' tan
even that don't bring the answer. But
when YOU IAN sing Thirteen will go in
So to Old Hundred,' you don't seem to
care so much how many times twill
| go-till the teacher STAINS We up in
the corner to do it over.
Mrs. Barker had asked them to call
at the widow Chesley's and return a
sleeve pattern. After much hospitable
entreaty Miss Wagner consented to re