Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1901-03-22

@S@|%'H%H'Sc'+'cfSfUcf SttS1ts'4fe(c#<SS(S
(From the Woman's Home Companion
Reprinted by special permlssion.)
TIE door of Miss Matilda's parlor
l 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-Mss Matilda to her room,
which Miss Martha never entered, and
Miss Martha to hers, to which Miss
Matilda was 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
conjectural 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
ed was meant for her, while Miss Ma
tilda contended ii was for her alone,
she having elected Matte" as her
pro-nomen when she had first entered
her unclc's family, and found that her
Cousin Martha's name had been soft
encd into that admired diminutive.
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 it, and until Matilda acknowl-
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 ii 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 it
was. Their friends would call on one
side of the hall, then cross ceremo-
niously over TO the other. as though
IL were round the corner or in the
next village but one, and call, there.
1t was only when Tom Gordon's son
hunted them up year ago that they
met in the hall to receive mutual
guest.
Young Tom said he had often heard
his father speak of them, and chance
ing to be in the neighborhood he had
"a
n few minutes. But he had setter
with him which he had purchased
from n 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 ANNA |.
asked them if they cared to oY
Towser. Miss Matilda and
Martha with one voice answer
eyes" So Towser stayed; for could
Miss Martha decline TO own him il
Miss Matilda desired proprietorship IN
him, or could Miss Matilda turn froI1
him and thus give Miss Martha 4
probable advantage?
And Towser was lost, and Jimmy
Jones had been told from the Window
of the two parlors to find him. His
first report was to the effect that
Towser had been seen going in the di
rection of the river. Miss Martha
gave the boy dime. Miss Matilda
told him to look again and so possess
himself of a second dime. This wa,
the beginning of Jimmy Jones COM
ing back and forth, his sympathcJ
friends showing at his heels certa
dogs which they had apprehended ft
the purpose, none of which proved
be the right animal.
So it was all day. Toward eveni
Miss Matilda told Jimmy Jones 81
hoped that he did not bring in strangl
dogs for the mere sake of earn
dimes; whercupon Miss MarthaI
formed him that he knew Towser
sight as well as she did, and {
thereafter reports and not dogs woi
do. After which he would come
stand in the hall and say:
Craddock;" and if it were Miss \
who answered him, only to LEAF
Towser remained undiscovered
q voice would call from Miss Nj
parlor, and he would go there
peat his report, and afterwar
the house two dimes richer thai
he had entered it.
That night Miss Martha
harked back and back. Old til
required to her, old memories
that had faded into silence yea.
Suddenly came the thought,
would her father have said j
come upon her sitting thus aloIi
cousin, the only one Of her na
few feet away, but as far off as
miles divided them?--her faith
had loved Matilda MS daug
x,+bx hn.1 1o1 fn,