The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-05-02
A MAY BASKET.

the pansy bed had brought faint pink
color to her thin cheeks and moist little
wisps OF brown hair curled youthfuily
around her face
Miss Mehitable was an old MAZDA dear,
sunny souled little body. whom every
one in the village liked.
Just why Miss AIehitable remained an
old maid people were al a loss TO tell
Proposals Of marriage she had had in
plenty. The minister had asked her TO
be a mother TO his five small children.
and she had gently declined. The doctor
had ohred her his good right hand and
his manly heart, but though she had
told him no" their common-sense, mat
ter-of-fact friendship had gone on the
same as ever. Deacon Smith had made
no secret of his admiration for her, but.
like the minister and the doctor, he had
been dismissed so kindly that no shade of
resentment toward her fingered in his
heart.
lie naples were budding out in rosy
glory. Robins called cheerily TO one an
other among the half-bare branches ana
young girls with straw hats swinging
from their hands and arms around each
others waists. sauntered slowly down the
,-e quiet village street. As they passed
the little gate each and all called out a
blithe greeting to the solitary figure or
the steps, and Miss Mehitable responded
in her bright way as she always did.
The girls drifted down the street, talk
ing of their little pleasures.
''Tomorrow's the frts Of May" said
Lucy Fairbanks. Girls, let's hang Miss
Mehitable a May basket
Dear me, Lucy, said Ruth Somers.
you speak as il that was nothing new.
Haven't we hung a May basket on her
front door for years and yesrs2"
so we have" Lucy said, lever since
we were little girls Butts lets make a
lovely one this year. Let's I'LL 1t with
moss-that pretty, green. shaggy kind
from Turner's woodland trim it with
flowers. Rob and the other boys viii
club together and buy box Of candy,
1 guess, and Wen put that in"
The othre girls agreed, and presently
they went their way homeward
The next evening Miss A1ehltable took
her customary walk down the street 10
the postoffice. She rarely received a
letter. and not often even q paper. but it
was custom with her to go down after
the evening mail had come in, and. in
Miss Mehitables methOdical life, habit
was not easily departed from, SO she
pinned on her straw hat and threw over
her slender shoulders a little, feecy shawl.
She did not remove her neat white apron.
Nobody in the village saw aught aniss in
appearing on the street in home attire.
Her neat, sprigged calico was freshly
starched and ironed and rustled pleas
antly as she walked along A tender
smile chung around her lips. 1t was just
such night as this-just such a sweet
spring night-how long ago was it? Fiji
teen years-could il be fifteen years.
that Harvey Barlow stood al her little
gate and held her hama in farewell?
Miss Mehitable sighed a little as she
stopped on the quiet street and looked up
into the budding, pinK-fushed naples
Little things came back to her so wildly
tonight-tender, half-spoken words that
he had let fall as he held her hand-timid
words which had held no meaning for
her hand. She had not grown to love him
until he was gone. Her girlish heart,
unawakened, had seen in his gaze only
be interrupted by his going away. That
was all then-but now
wen hang It on the door-knob while
she's gone down to the postoffie," whis-
pered Lucy Fairbanks as three girlish
figures crept around the corner of the
house.
They huddled, with whispers and sup
pressed giggles, IN the shadow of the lilac
bushes by the dorr. Isn't it lovely?'
said one Of them. Wont she enjoy that
delicious candy? My, but the boys are
good"
They hung the pretty, fower-trimmed
basket upon Miss Mehitables old-fosh-
Toned door-knob and ran giggling down
the path to the gate.
I'VE won't wait to watch her, girls.
We know just what she'll say when she
sees it-'Bless their kind, little hearts
or something like that, so let's hurry and
hang the others"
Their light footsteps echoed down the
quiet street, and the little old white house
was left alone. But not for long. Pres
emily a mans tall figure came up the
street. paused irresolutely at the gate.
and then turned in. lie looked about him
with appreciative eyes-up into the ma
pies, down into Miss Mehitable's gay DAFT
fOdils and around the prira front yard.
de had the air Of one long absent, newly
returned.
He walked up the narrow. brick-paved
path to the steps and paused there. His
eyes fell at once on the pretty May basket
hanging from the dorr-knOb. Should he
set down here on the steps and wait for
her in the sweet, spring twilight. He
knew she had gone down to the postofhce,
as OF old, because he had seen her from
the small hotel where he was stopping
An inquiry or two, casually put 70 a
small boy, had revealed to him the few
facts he wished to know. Yes, Miss
Mehitable was still Miss Mehitable. The
minister he wanted her, but she WASH
goin' 10 be a stepmother to his kids: the
doctor tried to ketch her, but she
wouldn't be ketched; Deacon Smith had
popped the question to her, but il didn't
do him no good" The stranger had given
the small boy a quarter and sauntered
up the street. a smile in hts dark eyes.
his gray-tinged head bent in happy
musing.
Now. after a little thought, he drew
from his pocket a notebook, rapidly
wrote few words upon a page. tore f.
out. and laid il in the May basket with
the flowers. Then he went softly down
the little walk and stood IN the deep
shade OF the syringa bushes.
A light step sounded outside and Miss
Mehitable turned in at her gate. She
paused a moment 70 lean upon the gate
post, and look up into the naples once
more. Her face, touched gently by time.
was the same as on that other May night
years and years ago. She was SO near
him that ..e could have touched her.
Presently she went up the walk in the
the tender, fading light and paused on
the d0orsteps- She broke into q little
laugh as she took the May basket from
the knob Bless their dear hearts" she
said "3Ty, this - heavy one what's
this-a box of candy, do believe Tied
with pink ribbons The dear, young
things know I love pink
A little white note huttered 70 her feet
and she STOPPED 10 pick II W. Then she
adjusted her eyeglasses and sat down
on the step. After a moments silence
she rose trembingl wand put one hand 20
her head IN an uncertain way. Then she
read IL gain.
Harvey. she sai5 aloud "Oh. = cant
belts lust some joke q these children s
-It's-I-oh- But Mss Lehirslle
could say no more 4 tail. broad shoul-
dered fe7srs had suddenly appeared be-
fore her-tpro hands had caught hers.
aud the pretty May basket lay OF the
stems at their feet
Hitfr~ he cried. aittys colt yru
knox me- An i welcome
Miss Mehhable looked Up into his face