The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1901-09-27
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Ntr' IA asl &c
"Well. l just said"-she leaned back
and half closed her eyes-"that when
the birdcage hung ON the right side of
the door young man went there early
and staid all the afternoon. / told
HIM
''Oh, good for your
81 glory in your spunk. You are
grit
Good for you! Nerve-unhw
81 told him"-Mrs. Hostetter swelled
| out her bust superbly-"that he didn't
| need to take any anonymous letters
| word for it. All he had to do was to
watch for hisself any Toosday or Fri
day"
"And did he?"
Her countenance fell. "Well, no, he
didn't must say"
| "What! Didn't he never"
mo. not once"
| "Why, how do you know?"
| "lve set here at my window every
| Toosday and Friday since. I've set a
little back, SOS l couldn't be seen, but
| I've never took my eyes off Of that
house. It's strained my eyes so, a-keep-
in 'em set right on one spot, almost
without winkin fer fear I'd miss some
thin, that I've had to keep a-bathin
'em in strong salt water It's terri
BILE good fer the eyes. Well, if her
husband had "a watched he'd been
sure to see the man, and then, Of
| course, he'd "a gone straight to the
| house lowell, to-er-hum-beard
him." she added in a deep voice, Sin
| his-er-hum-den. But he never went
there once. But 1 see him the day
after he got the letter." she continued,
! with return to triumph, "and he
looked as gray as an ash pan. I bid
| him the time of day, and he could hard
| ly speak. Oh, he felt it deep. 1t was
| pitiful to see him try to smile and all
she gray wrinkles a-tremblin round his
MOUTH she added cheerfully.
| Il don't see what allied him, not to
watch" said Mrs. Dean helplessly, not
knowing the meaning of the word
honor.
| 81 don't see, neither"
"Well watch or no watch, he's been
a mighty sick lookin man ever since.
| He looks as if he'd been pulled through
knothole. A man with a cancer or a
case of appendicitis couldn't look much
worse"
THAT'S So" said Mrs. Dean.
ooh, mercy, my breadw exclaimed
Mrs. Hostetter, getting up excitedly.
Il must run or it'll be spoilt."
well have to take this here dove
| color door in hand" called Mrs Dean
| after her. eff he can't put stop to it,
| l guess we can. We can't have any
such goin ons in this neighborhood."
Mrs. Frazer closed the door carefully
| after Mrs Hostetter and returned to
the sitting room. She sat down and
| looked at Mrs. Dean. Mrs. Dean look
| ed at her. Both smiled.
| st takes lots of folks to make a
world" said Mrs. Dean. 1.-THE idee of
her a-makin out so about other people,
actin ups. Look at her husband-the
whole town a-talkin about him. l reck-
on if women knew all that's bein said
about their husbands they wouldn't be
so fresh a-talkin about Others"
| Eyes," said Mrs. Frazer slowly, "but
amt that awful about Mis- Mayhem?
l can't git over her a-havin such vir-
tuous lookin front door. I'll never trust
dove color ag'in as long as the Lord
gives me breath. If you'd "a told me
to hunt up the length and the breadth
of this hull town for an innocent look
in house," she added, with great So
lemnity, I'D "a pointed out that one."
Mrs. Dean arose slowly. 81 don't
know but what l would of, too" she
said, with deep sigh. "Well, I've got
to go too. amt got weeks bake
ready to go in the oven-I get mine all
done on the proper bakin day-but I've
plenty to do"
Mrs. Frazer went to the door with
her. She babe her good afternoon
there, but when Mrs. Dean had reached
the gate Mrs. Frazer ran heavily down
the steps and stood on the walk. She
stood with her body balanced back.
ward, holding one hand arched over
her eyes. The wind was strong. II
streamed her light gown out in flap.
ping folds and gave bold glimpses OF
her thick ankles. "Oh, say, Mis- Dean
she called out, lifting her voice i'm.
portantly, ''I'll drop in tomorrow sure
and let you know where that trunk
went tor
1t was an afternoon in spring. The
hrs had pushed out their new growth
of pale delicate green. The saps had
mounted through swelling veins and
blown their spicy fragrance through
the air. The shadbush was in white
and fringy bloom. The wild currant
hung her red clusters of beauty over
the creek that went foaming down t.
the sound. Out in the woods the salm
ON berry's crimson bells swung fairy
music for those who were born witt
the gift of divine hearing. In shallow
ponds and marsh places the mellow
throated frogs murmured day ant
night. The red vested robin rocked il
the dappled alder's top and sang hi.
sweet but few noted love lyric to hi
sweetheart. The beautiful skunk cab
bage had lifted it's pale waxen candle.
from out the broad green leaves. TIT
ferns were thrusting their bent heads
through the moist earth like mottle(
silver serpents. The meadows and tn,
hlllsides had run to yellow with dan
delions and buttercups.