Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1901-03-21

/ was part way open. Across the
hall. on line with hers, was the door
of Miss Martha's parlor, which was
also part way open. Miss Martha
like her cousin, was waiting for news
of Towser. At any moment Jimmy
Jones might bring such news, when
the ladies would appear in the sepa'
rate doorways to hear the report.
then to recede to their individual Sc.
clusions-Miss Matilda to her room.
which Miss Martha never entered, and
Miss Martha to hers, to which Miss
Matilda was a stranger; for beyond
the necessary words in the manage.
mcnt of the estate they held in com.
mon they never spoke. And while
the cause of the estrangement was
coniectural with their. friends, letter
in the drawer of the hall table could
have satisfied any existing doubt-a
letter addressed to "Miss Matte Grad
dock" which Miss Martha had insist.
cd was meant for her, while Miss Ma
tilda contended it was for her alone,
she having elected Matte" as her
pro-nomen when she had first entered
her uncle's family, and found that her
/ Cousin Martha's name had been soft
ened into that admired diminutivc.
1t was a letter which had come to
| the house years ago, and which each
! knew was formal declaration OF
love from Tom Gordon. But while
! Martha claimed it Matilda would not
open il. and until Matilda ackuowl-
edged that it was not for her Martha
refused to make herself acquainted
with its contents, and the hot, in
eliminating words that followed its
reception had been forgotten by
neither. Nor had they asked to be
set Alright by the inditer of the let
ter-if the wrong one should ask he
would know that some such declara-
ton had been expected by her. A
week after it had been dropped into
the table drawer by Miss Matilda,
who declared it might rot there be-
fore she opened it while Martha
claimed it, Gordon went west, with
out having seen them. Three months
later came card addressed to "The
Misses Craddock," announcing his
marriage to one Mary Fenton, whom
they had never so much as heard him
mention.
After that something had to be
done. The house belonged to them
mutually, and the vacating Of it by
the one would be tacit confession OF
her defeat to the other Lawyer
Gray. who had drawn up Martha S
fathers will, and held that instru-
ment accountable for the unfriendli-
ness. advised that each should take
half of the house, the center hall to be
| the line of demarcation. And thus 1t
was. Their friends would call on one
side of the hall, then cross ceremo-
niously over to the other, as though
it were round the corner or in the
next village but one, and call there
It was only when Tom Gordon's son
hunted them up a year ago that they
met in the hall to receive a mutual
guest.
Young Tom said he had often heard
his father speak of them, and chanc-
ing to be in the neighhorhood he had
come to see them. He remained but
a few minutes. But he had setter
with him which he had purchased
from q man in the cars coming east
The dog seemed to take to them, and
on leaving, young Tom, perhaps dis
crediting the pedigree Of the animal
asked them if they cared to own
Towser. Miss Matilda and Miss
Martha with one voice answered
eyes" So Towser stayed; for could
Miss Martha decline to own him II
Miss Matilda desired proprietorship in
him, or could Miss Matilda turn from
him and thus give Miss Martha
probable advantage?
And Towser was lost, and Jimmy
Jones had been told from the windows
Of the two parlors to find him. Iii:
first report was to the effect thai
Towser had been seen going in the di
rection of the river. Miss Martha
gave the boy a dime. Miss Matilda
told him to look again and so possess
himself of a second dime. This was
the beginning of Jimmy Jones com
ing back and forth, his sympathetic
friends showing at his heels certain
dogs which they had unprecedented FOL
the purpose, none of which proved tt
be the right animal.
So it was all day. Toward evening
Miss Matilda told Jimmy Jones sh'
hoped that he did not bring in strange
dogs for the mere sake of earning
dimes: whereupOn Miss Martha in
! formed him that he knew Towser b!
sight as well as she did, and tina
thereafter reports and not dogs would
, do. After which he would come ant
stand in the hall and say: mis-
Craddock;" and if it were Miss Marth;
who answered him, only to learn tina
Towser remained undiscovered, thel
= q voice would call from Miss Matilda
parlor, and he would go there and re
i peat his report, and afterward leav
the house two dimes richer than whel
lie had entered it.
T Then darkness came down. Mis-
| Martha told nerSeH lndI Md'hu
would not sleep a wink all night, ant
would hear impossible noises, Will
Miss Matilda wondered if Martin
;, would be so heartless as to go to be-
5 as though nothing had happened, I'll
!. light under the opposite parlor doc
told her that such was not the case.
That night Miss Martha's min
harked back and back. Old thought
& -ccu1red to her, old memories, word
that had faded into silence years age
70 Suddenly came the thought, wha
! would her father have said had h
!, COME upon her sitting thus alone, he
cousin, the only one of her name,
NV feet away, but as far off as thong
V miles divided them?-her father, VIII
e had loved Matilda as daughter, an
: who had provided for her as thong
she were his own child. But no,
- was Matilda's fault; for even thong
Matilda had insisted upon Matte