The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1903-03-19

4
| bazine, and then you won't need no other
| dress I'm going to wear my new black
ALPACA, and # Is Annabei I'd wear that
dark-blue delaine. 81 always thought she
! looked sweet in that
Annabei chirked up Mt once and acqui-
| csced in Maria's suggestions. The carpet
! bags Were almost packed when Amanda
appeared at the door with Ann. who had
the stad old cat under one arm and was
vigorously surrounding n huge piece of
hot bread literally buttered.
Il reckon you folksll eat something
while you're going" asserted Amanda, in
quiringly.
Good gracious gaspcd Maria. II
never thought of that" while Annabel
and Mrs. Klcgg began to look worried
| again.
I'VE will have to carry things with u.s.
declared Maria.
There amt thing cooked up" said
Mrs. Klegg. regretfuly. Il stewed that
punkin a-purpose TO make pies to-day,
but that telegraph upset me so 1 amt
thought of nothing
Il might make n custard: that wouldn't
take long," suggested Annabel.
Where would you carry it, Annabel,
in your pocket handkerchief or your
reticule:' asked the saucy Amanda. as
she Struggled up to the gentle young wife.
who lacked all that her husband possessed
of practically, but whom everybody
loved.
She looked hurt ut this sally, but
| Amanda gave her n regular bears hug
and bounced to her feet. and they all
moved with one accord toward the sitting
room, where Mrs. Winterbottom had just
taken in 4 huge basket loaded to the
handles with cakes, pies, dougnuts and a
huge ham.
at looks Ike them things 81 describes
as Commissary's stores" declared Maria.
her eyes beginning to twinkle. 4 know
what we'll do-well fix up a lunch out of
this stuff
"Oh, but daughter" said Mrs. Klegg.
expostulatingly: that wouldn't be right.
This was sent
Yes. it was sent" broke in Maria,
"and we didn't ask for an ounce of it.
One-half of the stuff will spoil in less
than a week. and that would be sinful
waste. We can cook these eggs-boi
them. as though it was for picnic; then
there is this fried chicken. these nice
pocketbook rolls and doughnuts. Say.
| Mandy, suppose you get the lunch fixed
up. Can't you. little sister," giving fer a
little pat on the rounded shoulder. '.YOu
can help lot that way"
Amanda heartily assented. and soon
the Gathering of pots and pans showed
that the lunch was under way.
who's going to stay with 'Alandy?
Mrs. Winterbottom had no idea of firing
bomb but she certainly did and all
three women sat down and stared hope
| lessly at one another. Maria had already
got the money for the hogs and talked to
| the man who lived on the farm across the
road. and he had promised to look after
the stock, slop and feed the pigs and shut
the chickens in at night, so that the var
minis couldn't get at them; but Mandy,
the baby of the family; strong and self
! 70 &c t.trn hut nnlx
they had left her ont of their plans en-
tirely. Even Maria was at her wits for
minute; then she said, persuasively:
.'Could you stay with her, Mrs. Winter
bottom?"
The motherly old soul hesitated for an
| instant. and then said heartily: Eyes, I'll
stay, Mary Jane and Marthy Ellen can
take care of things to home all right 1t
amt like as though we had men folks
pesterin' round fer meals"
| '.Of course" Maria began, hesitatingly.
''we-yeu know-oh, well, We don't ex-
| pect you to do it for nothing" she blurted
out brayely, but Mrs. WinterbottOm
stopped her.
II reckon I can do that much for my
country and her. flag" she declared.
didn't have no husband to let go, nor no
sons, so l amt done much toward helping
1 maybe this can be put to my account"
| Then they all wept little, as women
will, and it was settled.
| 1t was hard. anxious, fast work getting
ready, but Maria was practical and de-
| cisive, even to despOtism. She settled off
hand what they would and would not
| take, and before train time three women,
each carrying well-filled carpet-sack
| and an umbrella, and all three draped in
| long linen busters, got out of the spring
wagon and seated themselves on the plat
| form to wait for the train. One was
| thick-set, stout, but active, and Wore a
| slate-cOlored bonnet. Another was slight
and girlish, wore gayer colors in her bon
net, and had an expression of sadness on
her fower-like face. The third was Maria.
tall, commanding, clear-eyed and vigor-
ous-not so much color in face or bonnet
as Annabel. but more than her mother,
and easily the dominant spirit of the trio.
1t was long, weary. eindery grimy
night ride to Indianapolis, and then to
Columbus, and three weary women came
out in the shabby lunch railway dining
room at Columbus in the morning to get
some coffee to drink as they ate their
lunch.
The ride through Eastern Ohio did not
differ so much from that through Indiana
as to be deeply interesting. but as they
approached the Ohio River the hills began
to rise into mountains. 1t was all wide,
new, beautiful world to the three women,
darken entirely their pleasure in this first
dip into new and unknown world. They
crossed the river in the evening. when the
glaring fires in the ironwOrks and glass
factories of BenwoOd and Bellaire and the
roar and crash of the machinery filled
them with establishment.
Looks like the place the preachers
tell about" gently sighed Mrs. Klegg.
Don't it. just echoed Maria. slope
Jeff Davis and all his crowd have been
here to get some idea of where they'll
spend some thousands of years"
'Oh. Maria,' shuddered Annabel "And
just see them long, fiery snakes running
in and out after them men,
"Yes. ard they amt half rs big and
savage rs 1 hope them'll be thatll chase
Jeff Davis ard catch him every minute
of his life
They slept fitfully and as we'll as they
could, sitting in their seats. while the
train thrashed around the sharp curves
and labored up the mountains 1t was
very rough travelling in those days on the
railroad, especially one which had been
torn up as often and rebuilt as hastily as
that one. When the morning came they
were on the summit of the Alleganies,
and. tired as they were, their eyes drank
in the wonderful scenery around them,
with the Cheat River falling away into a
bottomless gorge. and the sharply-sloping
peaks, fort-crowned. towering toward the
clouds. Everywhere the mountan-sides
wera Scorre1 with FORTS and braa SfyrorLs