Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1901-06-27

49, -r-'-'-~'- ''''-'%' -'~''S'@7-
hTHERE'D got to be an auction
Loretty Smith Wilkinson, best
way / could fix It. l turned over
more'n a million plans in my mind
til. 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 I Jest thought the sooner I had
Il the better. Pas been dead nigh
onto a year. and there's all them
farm tools goin' to waste for want of
bein' used. ] shan't never undertake
to hire my farm run ag'in, and. !
| can't run it alone. Yes, sir, IN Jest
sell all but the house, and garden
patch, and one COW, and my bay
horse, and have an auction of the
farm tools and lots of old furniture
and stuff | 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
goin' to keep right on livin' here all
alone, Maria Fairchild! What'n you
do in tramp time, a quarter Of mile
away from the nearest house, and
them big, dark woods t'other side
Of You? You're fyin' in the face of
providence!"
"IIow can ! be flynn IL 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 hutfy, Maria. I
didn't intend to hurt your feelin's
any. but ! couldn't bear to think OF
You livin' an alone where nohody'd
know II you was took sick or wanted
auythin'. Have You decided when
your auctions goin' to be?'
eyes. I'm goin' TO have il on the
10th Of February, and thatll be two
weeks from next Friday. Ebeneezer
Fishers Jest taken notices TO the Wiz
lage, for me, and his brother Abe's
goin' 10 be auctioneer. I'm powerful
sorry ! 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 probly
viii be comm in to warm themselves
il it's too cold to stand outside all
day, that I'm too drove TO spend
many minutes visitin' Jest now. Then
I've got to kinder fresh up a good
share of the stuff, SOS itll bring as
big a price as possible, and altogether,
I've got my hands full But / hope |
to see you at the auction, even II !
amt got nothin' you're likely to want
70 bid Off, and say-I've Just thought! |
If faint too much trouble. I'd be real !
obliged TO you if you could stay all |
day on the 10th, and help me make |
coffee for them as wants It, I'm 60
In to make lot of doughnuts, too, |
for there amt nobody goin' to say
Maria Fairchild's stingy. if she is an
old maid, and ! guess there's lots will |
he thankful for somethin' hot, and |
somethin' to stay their stomachs, aft
er standin' around in the cold"
"I'll be more'n glad to come and |
help you, Maria, and | can as well as
not If there's anythin' else can
do for you beforehand, you let me
know"
After the departure of her visitor, |
Maria Fairchild went back into the |
kitchen Of the large, old home, and |
began her task of revarnishing a |
massive table that until lately had |
adorned the parlor
In Squire Fairchild's prime, the
house had been considered little less
than a mansion in those parts, and |
his extensive farm lands were the |
pride of the country Ethan Fair
child had managed well, and, there |
fore, must be a rich man, concluded |
his neighDors; but after the death |
of his wife, the squire took little in
terest in anything. lie rarely left the |
door yard during his latter years. and |
under the slack attentions of his |
farm hands. his crops ceased to yield |
so ahnndantly rs in former times,
and showed plainly the want Of the
efforts Of the master of the place. |
Even the house. and the well kept |
barns and stables began to look for
lorn and dilapidated, and the general |
Of shabbiness extended to |
the animals as we'll With rough. I'M
kempt coats. the once sleek horses |
ambled along with downcast heads. |
meekly giving mp to the spirit Of |
gradual decline. which seemed 10 pre-
vail When Maria demonstrated. call |
ing her fathers attention to some |
new evidence Of neglect on the part |
Of the hired men. the squire would |
say. merely:
There, there. Maria, I'll speak to
Joe about st., Don't 60 to fussin' over
nothin' Things win come out straight
in the end"