El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1901-01-19

as long as ne lives. He doubtless had
the, making of it"
els it true that he's gone clean out OF
his head since her deathY' interposed
. neighbor who had happened in.
$50 they say. l believe Widow Jones
has taken him into her house."
do you think" asked a second
daughter, with becoming hesitation.
'that he had anything to do with her
death? Some Of the neigbbors say he
fits. while others declare she was killed
bv some stranger equally old and al
most as infirm."
1--WE won't discuss the subject" OBJ
jected the deacon. Time will show
who robbed us Of the greatest hearted
and most capable woman In these
parts"
"And will time show who killed Bat
sy?' 1t was a morsei Of a girl who
spoke; the least one Of the family. but
the brightest I'm sorry for Batsy.
she always gave me cookies when
went to see Mrs Webb
"Batsy was n good girl for q Swede."
allowed the deacon's wife, who had not
spoken till now. when she first came
into town on the spars of that wrecked
ship we all remember. there was some
struggle between Agatha and me as to
which Of us should have her. But
didn't like the task Of teaching her the
name of every pot and pan she had to
use in the kitchen. SO 1 gave her up to
Agatha And it was fortunate I did.
for I've never been able to understand
her talk to this day"
lisped the little one. ''Sbe never called
things by their Swedish names unless
she was worried. and I never worried
her"
T wonder IL she would have wor-
SHIPPED the ground under your feet. as
she did that under AgatbaT" asked
the deacon. eying his wife with just
the suspicion Of malicious twinkle In
his eye.
81 am not the greatest hearted and
most capable woman In town." retort-
ed his wife. clicking her needles az she
went on knitting.
In Mr.. Sprague's house on the oppo-
site side OF the road Squire Fisher
was relating some old tales Of bygone
Dorchester days II knew Agatha
when she was a GIRL" he avowed. "She
had fhe grandest manners and the
most enchanting smile of any rich or
poor mans daughter between the coast
and Springfield. She did not dress In
calico then. She wore the gayest
clothes her father could buy her. and
old Jacob was not without means to
make his daughter the leading figure In
town. How we young fellows did
adore her. and what lengths we went
to win one Of her glorious smiles. Two
Of US. John and Jacob label. have lived
bachelors for her sake to this very day,
but I hadn't courage enough for that.
J married and Something between
a sigh and q chuckIe filed out the SEN
tence.
What made Philemon carry on the
prize? His good looksY'
Yes. or his good luck. 1t wasn't
his snap, Of that you may be sure.
James label had the snap, and he was
her first choice, too, but be got into
some difficulty. never knew just
what 1t was. but II was regarded as Sc
rious at the time, and that match was
broken of. Afterward she married
Philemon You see. 1 was out Of 1t
altogether. had never been in 1t per-
heps. but there were three good years
Of my life in which thought of little
Else thar Agatha l admired her spirit,
you see. There was something more
taking in her ways than in her beauty.
wonderful as that was. She ruled us
with a rod Of iron. and yet we wor-
SHIPPED her. ! have wondered to see
her SO meek of late. ! never thought
she would be satisfied with a brick
dOored cottage and a husband OF fail
Ing wits But no one. to my kDowl-
edge. has ever beard complaint from
her lips. and the dignity OF her a6lict-
ed wifehood has far transcribed the
haughtiness Of those days when she
had but to smile to have all the youth
Of Dorchester at her feet"
Il suppose it was the loss OF so many
children that reconciled her TO q quiet
life. woman cannot close the eyes of
elk children. one after the other. with
out some modification taking place in
her character"
Yes. she and Philemon have been
unfortunate. but she was a splendid
looking girl. boys. l never see such
grand looking women now"
In q little one stored cottage on the
hillside woman was nursing a baby
and talking at the same time of Agatha
Webb.
II shall never forget the night my
frst baby fell SICK" she faltered. ~
was just out of bed myself. and, hav-
ing no nearer neighbOrs then than
now, I was all alone on the hillside,
Alec being at sea. I WAS too young to
know much about sickness. but some
thing told me that l must have help be