The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1901-05-09
Bidding OF Of Maria Fiirchild.

There'd got to be an auction, Loretty
Smith Wilkinson. best way ! could hx
IT. I turned over more n million
plans in nay mind. tin my head felt
like a Windmill in a stin breeze. and
ltherewa'n't nothin that seemed to
kinder stand out before my dizzy eyes,
cept an auction, and just
thought the sooner I had IT.,
the better. Pas been dead nigh
onto a year, and there's all them farm
tools goin' to waste for want Of bein'
used. / shan't never undertake to hire
my farm run ag'in, and I can't run
it alone. Yes, sir, I'll jest sell all but
the house, and garden patch, and one
COW, and my bay horse. and have an
auction Of the farm tools and lots OF
old furniture and stun I don't need.
Then, Loretty Smith Wilkinson, shall
begin to feel as though I was Twin
and had room to breathe, and opper-
tunity to breathe. without bein' all
cluttered up with that mess Of stun
all the time"
''You don't mean to say that you're
goin' to keep riGht on livin' here oil
alone, Maria Fairchlldl What'll you
do in tramp time. a quarter OF a mile
away from the nearest house. and
them big dark woods t'other side OF
you? You're fyln' in the face Of Prov
idencel"
How can be fiyln' II I'm jest stay
In, Loretty? Now don't you go to
work and worry bout me. for after
the auction, I've no doubt. I'll be Jest
as comfortably fixed as you be, and
prob'ly a great deal better"
well. don't get huffy, Maria. !
didn't intend to hurt your feelin's any,
but / couldn't bear to think Of you
livin' all alone where nobody'd know
II you was took sick or wanted any
thin Have you decided when your
auctions goin' to be2"
Yes, I'm goin' TO have II the six
teenth Of February, and that'n be two
weeks from next Friday. Ebeneezer
Fishers Jest taken notices to the vii
lage, for me, and his brother Abe's
goin' to be auctioneer. I'm powerful
sorry / can't ask you to stay this after
noon, but I've got such an awful lot
OF work ahead Of me to git my house
in order for folks as prob'ly will be
comm in to warm themselves II it's
too cold to stand outside all day, that
I'm too drove to spend many minutes
visitln' Jest now Then I've got to
kinder fresh up a good share OF the
stun, SOS itll bring as big a price 81
possible. and altogether, I've got my
hands full But I hope to see you at
the auction. even II / amt got nothin
you're likely. to want to bid on, and
say-Ive just thoughtl If taint too
much trouble, I'd be real Obliged TO
you if you could stay all day on the
sixteenth, and help me make coffee
for them as wants H. I'm goin TO
make a lot of doughnuts too, for there
amt nobody goin' to say Maria Fair
child's stingy. II she Is an old maid.
and guess there's lots viii be thank
ful for somethin' hot, aad somethin
to stay their stomachs. after standin
around in the cold
"Ill be more'n glad to come and help
you. Maria, and I can as well as not
II there's anythin' else I can do for
you beforehand, you let me know
Yes. I win. thankye, Loretty; good
bye"
After the departure Of her visitor.
Maria Fa.rchild went back into the
kitchen Of the large, old home, and
began her task Of re-varnishing a
massive table that until lately had
adorned the parlor.
In Squire Fairchild's prime, the
house had been considered little less
than a mansion in those parts, and
his extensive farm lands were the
pride Of the country Ethan Fairchild
had managed well, and, therefore,
must be a rich man, concluded his
neighbors; but after the death Of his
wife, the squire took little interest ia
anything. lie rarely left the door
yard during his latter years, and un-
der the slack attentions Of his farm
hands. his crops ceased to yield 50
abundantly as in former times. and
shog plainly the want Of the efforts
of the master Of the place Even the
house. and the well kept barns and
stables began TO look forlorn and di-
lapldated, and the general appearance
Of shabbiness extended to the animals
as we'll With rough. unkempt coats
the once sleek horses ambled along
with downcast heads. meekly giving
up to the spirit Of gradual decline.
which seemed to prevail When Maria
demonstrated. calling her fathers at
tention 70 some new evidence OF neg
leot on the part Of the hired men. the
squire would say. merely:
There. there. Maria. IN speak 70
Joe about e. Don't 90 10 fussin' over
nothin' Things viii come out straight
IA the end
But the result was that things be-
came crooked rather than straight
The fences sagged. posts leaned.
scraggly branches drooped-ln fact.
everything seemed 20 have become
tired and 70 have settled down for a
rest This feeling likewise seized the
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