The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1901-05-23

'HEkE II got 10 be an auction,
Loretty Smith Wilkinson, best
way / could fix it. I turned over
nore'n a million plans in my mind,
till my head felt like windmill in a
stiff breeze, and there want nothin'
that seemed to kinder stand out be-
fore my dizzy eyes, 'cept an auction,
and ! jest thought the sooner 1 had
it the better. Pas been dead nigh
onto year, and there's all them
farm tools goin' to waste for want of
bein' used. l shan't never undertake
to hire my farm run ag'in, and l
can't run it alone. Yes, sir, I'll Jest
sell all but the house, and garden
patch, and one COW, and my bay
farm tools and lots of old furniture
and stuff l don't need. Then, Loretty
Smith Wilkinson, | shall begin to feel
as though | was livin' and had room
to breathe, and opportunity to
breathe, without bein' all cluttered
up with that mess of stuff all the
time"
"You don't mean to say that you're
Eoin' to keep right on livin' here all
alone, Maria Fairchild! What'n you
do in tramp time, quarter of a mile
away from the nearest house, and
them big, dark woods t'other side
of you? You're fyin' in the face of
Providence!"
"How can I be flynn if I'm jest
stayin', 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
probly a great deal better"
well. don't get huffy, Maria. I
didn't intend to hurt your feelin's
any, but l couldn't bear to think of
you lvin' all alone where nobody'd
know If you was took sick or wanted
anythin'. Have you decided when
your auctions goin' to be?''
Yes, I'm goin' to have it on the
10th of February, and that'll be two
weeks from next Friday. Ebeneezer
Flsher's jest taken notices to the viii
lage, for me, and his brother Abe's
goin to be auctioneer. I'm powerful
sorry l can't ask you to stay this aft
ernoon, but I've got such an awful
lot of work ahead of me to git my
house in order for folks as prob'ly
VIII be comm in to warm themselves
II it's too cold to stand outside all
Gay, that I'm too drove to spend
many minutes visitin' jest now. Then
I've got to kinder fresh up good
snare OF the stuff. SOS it'll bring as
olg price as possible, and altogether,
I've got my hands full. But I hope
10 see you at the auction, even if
amt got nothin' you're likely to want
10 bld off. and say--I've just thought!
II talnt too much trouble, I'd be real
oohged to you if you could stay all
oay on the 10th, and help me make
eoffee for them as wants it. I'm 60
IN to make a lot of doughnuts, too,
ior there amt nobody goin' to say
MARIA Fairchild's stingy, if she is an
oid maid, and / guess there's lots will
oe thankful for somethin' hot, and
w stdy tiiclE StOHldCHS, dlt-
er standin' around in the cold"
III be more'n glad to come and
neip you, Maria, and I can as well as
not. 1t there's anythin' else 1 can
10 for you beforehand, you let me
know"
"Yes, I will, thankye, Loretty;
good-by."
After the departure of her visitor,
MARIA Fairchild went back into the
kl'chen of the large, old home, and
began her task of revarnishing
massive table that until lately had
adorned the parlor.
In Squire Fairchild's prime, the
mouse had been considered little less
,nan mansion in those parts, and
ms extensive farm lands were the
PRIDE OF the country. Ethan Fair
child had managed well. and. there
,ore' must be rich man, concluded
ais neighbors; but after the death
ot MS wife, the squire took little in
.erest IN anything. He rarely left the
uoof yard during his latter years, and
saasE The slaek attentions Of bin