The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-07-22
The Chronicles of Electra.
By MARY CATHARINE NEWS.

said she'd got to laugh, if she was to
die for it the next minute.
There'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. amy way
he didn't. When he got to her house
there wasn't any comp'ny 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, 100,
an couldn't ave done for compny
any way; an there I'd got Miss Nc
Daniel to comb my hair n put on my
ankle-ties. all for nothin. That was
the day they showed me the red baby,
7 remember. an Liz-beths husban'
made snch n fuss about weighin' it.
She sighed with an air OF RETROSPECT
tive melancholy.
Father was took away after that,
but / most know 'twasn't because he
was too ugly to live. Mother says he
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 announcements, writ
ten in an uniformed, childish hand:
1.-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, IAN
she'd ruther read things than try to
listen to 'em. | went to picnic with
her once''-she had delivered the I'M
Cortant message to Miss Gordon and
reioined her companion-"an't took
me all the way to Hackett's Crossin
to make her understand thai William
TelPd got his paws all BACKED up
with medder mud that mornin'. That
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 about med
der mud, if / had to keep still an
not speak at ALL ] didn't know then
that haddoclIs was fishes. ] thought
they were folks. An | don't see yet
why the poor things have to be deet
any more'n shad or mack'ril.
civilian Tell wasn't William Tell at
all then" The echo Of an unforgotten
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, one 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' up'n down the road
| an yellin' Dam riscotta with no dog
| anywheres in sight to answer her.
81 told mother once when l was
| irwin to do my sums that | just wish
| ed Elviry Gordon was my teacher, an
| mother said'-her laughter gurgled
| forth unrestrained-''tha she should
| hate to say such things that before
! Tropickercancer even-let alone 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 dreadf1y, though. Miss
Dorothy, if 'twasn't for singin' tan
even that don't bring the answer. But
when YOU can sing Thirteen will go in
65' 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 Il
sleeve pattern. After much hospitable
entreaty Miss Wagner consented to re-