The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1904-03-12
"SURE SIGNS"
BY ADELE BARNEY WILSON.

BY ADELE BARNEY WILSON.
Come right in, Miss Bridgeford.
Glad to see you. I told Melancthon
I knew you'd stop in on your way
home from school, and the little old
lady hustled about to set the cushioned
rocker in pleasant spot by the open
window.
"a case of te1epathy?" queried the
school teacher, laughing, as she seat
ed herself in the comfortable chair,
took off her sailor hat, and leaned
back restfully. She made pretty
picture in her pink print dress and
white collar.
"No; something more sure than
that. None of those superstitions for
me. I dropped my scissors and the
point stuck in the floor, and 1 never
knew that to fail to bring company.
Then 'twasn't but little while after
that my left eyebrow itched. That
means a woman coming. If it had
been the right I d have thought may
be twas the minister, and would have
put on my second-best dress. I'm
real glad, though, twas you, for you
always cheer me up, and I've been
dreadful worried all day."
"What has happened, dear Mrs.
Perkins - The teachers voice was
full of sympathy.
"Nothing's happened yet, but it's
bound to. I sneezed twice before /
got up this morning, and that means
you'll hear of a death before night.
And I'd been dreaming of muddy
water, and that's sure sign of trou-
BILE. Let's see, there was another.
Oh, yes. Last night saw the new
ps}Rel ssve aas ass s So as 5s Tires hi t.
wondering what was coming. Seems
to melI've had my share without any,
thing new, but I suppose 1 can bear
more, for every back is fitted to it's
burden, they say" Mrs. Perkins re-
sumed her darning on the ragged heel
of bright red sock.
"I have some good news to tell you
about myself" said the girl. would
you like to hear it 7"
eyes. I'm always ready to rejoice
with them that rejoice, even if can't t
expect any good fortune myself" and
the little lady was all attention.
cts simply this" Miss Bridge
ford explained, with a pretty blush.
"that I'm to resign at the end of this
term to be married and go back to
live in the city"
"I'm real glad, Miss Bridgeford, !"
and there was no mistaken the hearth
ness of her tone. II hope you're go
ing to do well. What's the man S
name?"
"Mr. Bascombe."
"Bad, very bad p cried Mrs. Per-
kins, look of real anxiety over
clouding her momentary smile.
Didn't you ever hear,
".Change the name and not the letter,
Change for the worse and Dot the better
If you'v got any other beau I wish
you'd reconsider. Now, I might
have married Silas Hinnan. He was
courting me the same time with Me-
lancthon, and a good sight better
looking he was then, too. But ]
wouldn't have him because my name
began with H. I was Hartwell.
lust look at Silas now He's been
| in the poorhouse for over five years.
Of course, 1 IN not saying Melancthon
and are any too prosperous, but we
own this little place, and he has his
pension, and Annie has sent us hun
dred dollars of her salary every year
since she began to teach, and so we
are pretty comfortable"
"There isn't a neater, prettier
house all the way from the four cor
ners' school to the village" !" said the
| girl. "Your garden, too, always looks
so we'll kept. 1t must yield you a
good deal besides, doesn't it?''
Eyes, but it would do lot better
if Melancthon would only put things
in the the right time of the moon.
But he'll never pay any attention to
me about that. Twas all his fault
that I saw the moon through glass
last night. He seems to love to plague
me. Say, Miss Bridgeford, do you
sweeten your tea before you put in
the milk"
'I never drink it." she replied,
laughing, and wondering at the ir-
relevant question.
"Well, in case you ever should be-
gin, I'll tell you always to put in the
sugar first, or you'll be crossed ir
love. I'm worried about that name
Bascombe, you see. Now, don't look
so unbelieving, for I could tell you 9
lot of cases. There was Miss Spring
er, who But here's Melancthor
coming from the postofice. Seemed
like I couldn't wait any longer to know
what that bad news was, and since
nobody had come to tell it, it mus
be in letter. 1 made him go ear
lier'n usual so I could have it cvel
with"
The old man greeted Miss Bridge
ford cordially, hung his hat on its &C
customed hook, and prepared leisure
| ly fashion to read the newspaper
His wife watched him moment anx
iously, then asked:
| s'Was that all the mail?"
~