The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1901-05-17

| LlSuc WIN lWlHkle OF luD III MS
gray eyes, 81 don't suppose Amanda
has the least idea that your father is
so fond OF her But he Is. He was
down here yesterday, inquirlng OF me
what allied Amanda, and II / didn't
think boneset and smartweed STEPPED
together made as good n tonic as you
could take. He said he always had his
family take them In the spring"
'Llshe threw back his head with
loud laugh.
Eyes" he said, father fetched homo
a bundle OF each OF those herbs and
put 'em on the pantry shelf; and
Amandy, she's got so kind Of used up,
she stuck 'cm in the stove"
you have her go right Off" said the
doctor.
So dispirltcd was Amanda that when
she received an urgent invitation from
| her sister-inspircd by the crafty
'Lishe-to make her n lDng visit, she
never even protested that she had
| nothing 10 wear. She let 'Lishe take
her TO the station, without reminding
| him Of any one of the innumcrablc
things that would need his attention
| during her absence.
True, as the train was about 70 start
she did open her lips to admonish him
that he must see that father didn't let
the plants freeze. But looking into his
kind. anxious face, she realized the fu-
tility Of asking 'Lishc to cope with his
father. SO she only put her head down
on his shoulder and cried little, at
the same time pushing him from her
and urging him not to let tht cars run
over him when he jumped off.
Father rcyclcd in his brief authority
He pOkcd down the ashes with a ju
diciOus hand and shut the check draft
to the sole end that hc might pull it
out again all unassalcd. He took such
complete delight in keeping the sitting
room at the lowest temperature com
patiblc with having any lire at all that
he never noticed that 'Lishc kept the
kitchen stove almost red hot, night and
day.
Then the weather turned ncrcely
cold of "A sudden, without any regard
10 the theories Of m arCh-CConomist
'Lishe had been up late one night doc
toring sick horse, and on the next
night he slept more sOundly than usu
al. When he Weakened I'm the morning
the fires had been out for hours, and
all Amanda's precious plants were
A"ozcn stiff.
Even Mr.. Catlin had felt the bitter
,I,i Of b, 4,
dued tnan usual when ne entered the
kitchen, where Lishc was frying buck
wheat cakes
81 guess we let the fires get little
too low last night" said 'Lishc, when
father had duly performed his abu-
tons at the kitchen sink.
why so?" asked father truCulcut-
ly.
well, they went out. Must have
been early In the night, and Amaudy's
plants are all gone
Cant be. put papers behind 'cm,
same rs usual" said father. with
doggcd excitement. He stepped hasti-
ly across the kitchen and threw open
the sitting-room door.
They're froze stifI. every one OF
en-" said 'Lishc, rucfully. 81 guess
Amandyll take the roof of when she
sees 'em. That Japan lily was just
getting ready to blow. There has new
or been a Japan lily in this township
till Amandy gave fifty cents for that
bulb Lishc looked with Commiscra-
tion at the dropping blackencd stem
Of that regal lily of Japan.
"Amandy thought about rs much or
those plants rs If they'd been chill
drcn," 'Lishe continued, at breakfast
"A lot more than she Il inks of me
at times
But the old man sat stiflly silent. lie
was not going to let anybody know
how little prepared he felt to meet the
coming Of his daughter-in.laws bright
face. To expect Amanda To refrain
from saying Now see what you've
done" was TO demand n supcrhuman
magnanmity. and for once in his
ovcrbearing life old Mr.. Catlin knew
that he had no adequate reply ready.
IL guess you'll have 20 build the
nosily Gathering the dishes IL must
get that wood hauled now while it's
froze Wen have thaw after this
cold SPELL
"lll tend Co it," said father. briefly.
During the forenoon LiShe. unload
ing his wood. noticed his father hur-
rying In and out. emptying ashes and
sitting coal. PA ought TO keep his
hat on" he said TO himself seeing
how cold the wind u.s. But Jacob Cat
lin did not look at all as II he would
receive advice graciously, and 'Lishc
refraincd from giving any.
When the fire was successfully kin.
died. the pancs Of mica were thor
oughly smoked. and the oilcloth and
carpet. where father had split ashes
and then tried to clean them up. looked
as II they had been smeared with
some gray waSh. This result Of his
labors CALLED the old man. who had
just appreciation. kept as secret -
the grave. OF Amanda's comfortable
cleanliness. His jaw fell as he sur
veyed his handiwork.
lie went TO the barn and hitched his
horse to the light wagon. The cold was
not so keen when he set forth. but
there was a chill in the al which pcnc-
trated his tired old bones. stopping
at the next neighbor's. he held parley
with her. She agreed TO go To the Cat
lin home and clean up and fix things
as they ought TO Le. For this service
father paid her in advance. lie also