Middletown transcript., 1904-07-16

- angle of light which revealed
the residence of her nearest
neighbor, the widow Half.
Mrs. Halstead sat upon low stool
beneath the window in decidedly un.
comfortable posture, getting a erick in
her back in her endeavor to obtain
fairly good view of proceedings in and
about the aforesaid premises.
"There knew he would never gel
by without she'd waylay him." she
whispered, as Hiram Halstead's old gray
nag stopped before the opposite gate, il
response to the beckoning wave of hand
from the door of the east wing, and pres
emily its owner came tripping down tht
walk, with a feecy white fascinatol
wound coquettishly about her head, con
cealing the fact, which was becoming
plainly apparent to all close observers
that the widow Half was really getting
gray.
"Wants a quarter of pound of tes
or five cents worth of pepper, likely
She's always wanting something impor'
tant if Hiram sets out to 60 to town
alone. She would manage to git along
without them if was along"
"For goodness sake do believe she
is asking him to take her along p she
easped. as uncle Hiram looked guiltily
over his shoulder in the direction OF his
own home, and waited while the widow
tripped back into the house.
81 wonder if Hiram's born nat'ra ?''
she whispered Indignantly as the widow
came out again arrayed in imitation seal
skin, and stepped daintily into the old
box cutter, accepting uncle Hiram's awk-
ward attempts to tuck the horse blankets
about her, with profuse thanks. Then
he guided the horse into the road and
hit him a resounding whack with the
hickory whip-stalk, from which the
braided lash had long been severed.
"Trying to cut a swell !' said Mrs.
Serena, sarcastically, as the old gray gave
a spasmodic jump, settling down into an
ambling shack as they disappeared down
the road.
Presently she clambered up from her
painful position and went out OF the cold
front room and closed the door. The
kitchen fire had burned out, and only
a few Goals smouldered in the gray depths
of the ashes. An involuntary shiver
crept up her back and she pinned
shawl about her shoulders before pro-
ceeding to kinde it.
Hiram's old blue swankv lay on a
chair where he had dropped it to don
his ancient brown overcoat, which was
always kept for use on holiday occasions,
such as going to town or to church.
"Shiftless coot Always leaving some
thing under foot,'' she muttered, giving
it spiteful toss into the corner. Then
she took her mending basket from the
corner stand and sat down by the stove,
with her feet on the hearth. But she
did not thread the great darning- needle
from the ball of brown home-spun yard
or take up Hiram's butternut-colored
sock, whose heel, disfgured by gaping
hole, stared her pathetically in the face<
Instead she clasped her hands over her
knees and stared into the fire.
Occasionally she glanced up at the
kitchen clock, whose hands seemed to
crawl around the smoke-stained dial.
Once she arose, and going to the window
looked anxiously down the snowy road
toward Davisburg, but seeing no one,
she went back with sniff of disgust
and picked up the mending basket again.
This time she went restlessly to work,
but it was not Hiram's sock which she
drew from the basket. She took instead
a long black stocking Of her own and
searched the heel and toe for thin places
in need OF repairs, poking the neglected
sock into the bottom Of the basket, where
it would cease to be source of annoy
ance. A
Finally she arose and put on the tea
kettle and proceeded to skim two pans
of milk, which she set on the stove to
warm for the two small calves which had
lately been added to the stock of kline.
Then she sat down again.
The twilight shadows were creeping
into the room when Hiram Halstead
came up the kitchen steps, pausing to
sweep away every particle of snow from
his feet with the old stub of broom
always kept there, before presuming to
step in upon the white kitchen floor.
Then he opened the door softly and came /.
in, waiting to take off his overcoat ard
Sunday cap before coming to the fire.
It's going to be master cold night,
sereny," he said, glancing at his vile
in timid, deprecating way but she
kept on drawing the long length of yarn
through the heel of her stocking, and
did not reply.
"Here's the spool of white thread and
The spool of coarse black you wanted"
he continued, taking a small parcel from
MS pocket and dropping it into Der lap. !
where's the hooks and eyes? You
orgot them, suppose, having such agree
able company along" she said sarcasti-
ally, unrolling the small parcel.
II declare, Sereny, clean forgot the
hooks and eyes," he said, distressed
ook on his face. Il thought there was
something else, but | couldn't think
what it was"
It's wonder to me that you remem-
'ered anything. l thought it likely
'ou'd keep right on and sleigh ride all /
he afternoon, you had such a high
oned pardner and sucll foxy team"
he said in manner that always partic-
llarly exasperated her husband.
son, we'll! if you want to git up ON
our ear. Sereny, you can most pys find
to begin about" he said, de-
ectedly, picking up his swanky from the
orner.
II s'pose this here's the calf milk 2'' he
L 4 /