Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1904-12-30

her.
Maria Thacher!" she calculated
: sharply
Yes. it's me, Sally. Hide me. hid
me, quick!"
For-the-goodness / CUES
you're crazy. Maria!"
mo, but I'm on the verge-Pm OF
the totterin' verge!" grpaned the New
Years caller IF you don't let m'
have a place to hide in before they
come, l shall topple clear over the
edge, Sally"
"They? Who Gomez
The selectmen. They're coming
to carry me to the poorhouse. They've
been a-threatenin' an a-threatenin'
Then they came; l saw them through
the front window. | had just time
to run out o. the back door over here.
Sally Cooper get up otf'n your knees
land look at me- When we was little
! together you lister be maxim believe
the whole time; now you make believe
! you was me, and they were comm
to take you to the poorhouse. Make
believe your heart was broke. Make
believe you'd ruther lay down an
fold your hands an die, an you would
We. only there wasn't any money left
to bury you with"
The shrill, excited voice came to n
sudden stop, but the low ceiled little
kitchen seemed to ring with 1t still.
1t rang in Sarah Coopers ears. She
had not closed her eyes, or swayed
dreamily in a rocking-chair, but she
had made believe it ALL There had
been time, standing there facing the
little weird. wild figure of her New
Years caller.
Maria Thacher," She caught the
shrunken shoulders with her strong.
gentle hands, and pushed the little
figure before her into the other
room-"you lay down there on that
sofy and rest you! Don't think about
selectmen and poorhouses again, and
don't you worry I'll see to every
thing"
But they'll find me here! wisht
you'd hide me. Sally shrilled the
broken voice.
I'm not going to hide you, Maria"
calmly; you're going to lay right
there in plain sight. I guess you've
got as good a right to stay out in the
open as anybody. Now you drop off
"a little mite of sleep will do you
/ sight O. good. l tell you I'll see to
She was gone instant
y. before the excited voice could
vail again. And she had closed the
loor behind her.
Halfway across the kitchen floor
he encountered two men. They
TODD awkwardly, hat In hand, and
miled alphabetically at her.
Good morning, Mrs. Cooper"
Good mornin', Sally" The older
We come right in after we'd s
nocked couple o. time. We calcu $
lted you didn't hear" ,,
why, Mr.. Vose! Why, Uncle Silas!
Walk right in" The little fun wrin- :
les were in Sarah Cooper's gray eyes. !
[ wish both O. you a happy New !
ear! 1t was real neighborly in you t
, call on me, but you made a mis- c
ike in the door. I don't receive !
lew Years calls in the kitch-"
"Er--er--wait. Mrs Cooper" inter-
Dstu lllt iiClNOuoiy.
is needful We
re out this morning in our official
lpacity--er, capacities--to perform Z
ainful duty"
"Oh, does it hurt?" smiled the little n
ostess, wickedly. II never made a {;
ew Yearc call myself, but l didn't N
oppose it bur-" :
Sally" laughed Uncle Silas, you 1
st quit your foolin'! We're in solemn ?
rnest 1t amt always a pleasing u
lty to take poor innercent soul to II
e town house"
Then don't take me- promptly. p,
because, Uncle Silas, no KNOWN but B,
my would object!" N
You piece O. mischief! You amt n
owed up much since l trotted We on F,
v knees an We tied yer blue ha'r Il
1bon into my whiskers an let me b,
to meetin' with it thar! But Sc p,
,us, Sally, we're looking for poor Al
aria Thatcher. She's got to the last Cf
d of her rope, an has been starvin NJ
rself on nothin' this nobody knows S ~,
W long"
Poor Maria!" Sally was serious r.,
ough now. Ct
Yes, yes, poor soul! It'll come hard re
a Thatcher to go thar, but she'll be Su
ok care of an have a warm room NJ,
; victuals-somethin' she amt had Su
ely. The towns got to Interfere. III
easant or not pleasant. it's mat FL
O. duty" l Ky
Yes. duty, Mrs. Cooper" echoed Te
! younger selectman, with impor- Te
1t stress on the little word. I'VE 30
led to find-er-Miss Thatcher at Ke
: place, and so came over here to Pc
Iuire for her." R 5a
Yes, she's here. She's layin on on
sofy and 1 hope to goodness she's Ca
,pped off and can't hear us talking. Dc
r heart is broken. Uncle Silas,
. Vose." Pn
Poor little SOUL" Ro
And she'd have taken her time for We
ng out o. the Lords hands If Po,
red been any money left to be Coz
led with. Wicked? Yes, but we POI
IT any of us know what it's like to Les Les
a Thatcher and come on the town. Ho
ybe we'd all be wicked. Now, what Ha
rant to say is, Maria Thacher amt Ha
ming on the town while I've spare Hal
m and pies on my pantry shelf! Ia Ia,
IS coming on me. I haven't seen LaI
ny yet but I know Pliny. Now l Lar
re to haste my chicken again." r rn;
When Pliny Cooper came home at Spr
IN. the whole little house he =
pped into was savory with good.
I'M smells. and a smiling wife in a
tie apron with edging four inches
p met him at the door.
Happy New Year. Pliny! You
10 home inst on the minute. the