The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1903-02-14

friend, and with smiling faces the,
stopped to greet her. To their aston
Ishment, she only gave vicious little
f1irt to an out of date orange colored
workbag hanging from her arm and
walked by with averted face.
Not far behind her was another &C
quaintance from whom they received
only a cold nod.
"What in the world! Do they think
mother had the smallpox, or have the
Dawsons failed, or what is the mat.
ter?
"Oh, look at that woman / do be-
lieve she has Grandfather Dawson's
white bell hat. know there isn't an.
other in town"
"And that one with the silk waist
hanging out of water pitcher There
must have been rummage SALE"
The horrible truth flashed upon both
at the same instant.
my old rose waistw gasped Susan
nah's mother.
MY Grandmother Pelham water
ptcherw moaned Hepsibah's mother.
There was no question now. Every
one past whom their hurrying steps
led them bore some half forgotten treas
ure seen only at housekeeping time.
They were women of fine sentiment,
never willing to destroy anything about
which fond memories could Irvine, and
their large ancestral attics were filed
to overfowing with what Rosa signif-
icantly called "heaps of plumber" the
accumulations of several generations
of Dawsons Pelhams and Gaynors and
the reapings Of many Christmas har-
vests.
They rushed on, growing more and
more sick at heart as they met here
and there among the throng friends
who dwet within the circle of Christ
mas giving. When they reached the
lawn, out Of the tumult of their souls
rose bubble of pride that, awful as It
was, the girls had displayed their usu-
al executive ability.
Under the linden tree sat Hepsibah.
the cashier, with a goodly pile of mon
ey before her. Patrolling the grounds
and keeping an eye on each grinning
negro in charge of the heaps Of goods, |
which had been carefully assorted,
classified and grouped around the trees. |
walked Susannah, the general mana |
ger.
The mothers had been too long I'M
DER the yoke to make a scene but as
they walked from one ancestral tree to
another and read the gorgeous placards
tackled to the trunks their emotions
were many and deep:
"Shoemakers tools used by Great
grande; Their Dawson"
Infant wardrobe of the Gaynor
branch" mostly rags.
Great-grandmother Pelhams we'd
ding Dishes" a most disreputable col
lection of pans and crockery ware.
Great bargains in Christmas pres
ents. Good as new; some never used"
AT this finishing stroke the Mothers
Dawson fed each to her own house
and wept behind closed blinds. "They
VIII never forgive usr' they sobbed.
mo wonder Mrs. Gaines didn't speakw
A sudden shower put an end to the
sale. A little uneasy in their souls, the
girls went in to report results. When
the interviews were over, it was not
the Mothers Dawson who came out
with dropping heads. On the contrary.
these emancipated ladies sped down
Inc lawns and shook hands in solemn
compact under the linden tree.
oald Susannah's mother, Hereafter
am 10 be boss of my own ranch"
Same here" said Hepsibah's moth
r.
linen blush of shame spread over
heir faces that even in this their hour .
u independence their speech should
'etray their daughters influence. ;
Il mean that from this time forth I :
mail control the affairs of my own
ana mean that the same conclu-
Ion has been reached by me-"
Ihey have hard job before them.