Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1905-01-12

had sue a Shivery-Shaky SpelI as IL
might be goin' to have a stroke OF pal
sy. Either of 'em is likely enough;
might n or both OH 'em carry me on
any time" concluded Uncle Joachim.
"Oh, I hope not" replied Jack, CON
solatory, but alarmed, as he followed
Content to the sunny portico.
A trysting place that portico had
been for many a day. There the house
across the daisy field had just been
planned, and the promise given that
made it not "mine," but 'ours." Room
by room, window by window, it had
been dreamed and talked of, larger
and fairer than it now could be. in re-
atty, but that only Jack and Content
knew. Jack was skillful and energet-
ic; he had laid up some five or six
hundred dollars, and that was not all.
"You see, Content" he had said,
| gaily, when they talked Of it in the
| spring time, with the old apple tree
| showering it's pink blossoms aroun
them where they seood-"you see,
there is hat work for Regain, if it sue
ceeds, and I think it will. 1t is some
sort of a pumping apparatus. you
| know. He had got the idea in his head,
but wasn't workman enough to carry
it out. and so he came to me. l dug
| into it until 1 fancied I knew what he
wanted, and improved upon it a lit
| tie, maybe. I've spent all the time l
| could give, evenings and odd hours, on
it for nearly five months now, some
| times doing ana sometimes undoing;
but Regain is to pay me $4,000 if it
works as he expects it to. He thinks
I can do it."
Il think so, too," said Content.
SIT will be something nice for u.s."
remarked Jack, thoughtfully. "But
we won't say anything to any one
about it yet a while, until we are sure.
There is no need, for we have enough
for a little home, even without that"
Uncle Joachim and Aunt Prissy were
not very worldly wise. They thought,
Or Miss Prissy did, that love and ever
the smallest home promised consider.
able material for happiness; and her
eyes twinkled with tears and smiles
behind her old spectacles while, in one
breath, she wondered how h was
fever goin' to do without Content"
and in the next if they hadn't better
be huntin' up rags to cut for a carpet
for Contents flOor-against she has
one."
Uncle Joachim was as nearly con.
gratulatory as he knew how to be, but
dep~recatory also.
Il don't see why you two shouldn't
as anybody, s'posin' there is any such
thing, which is doubtful" he said
ANY way, it's risky, very risky; like
as not you won't enjoy yourselves
It'll be a great afliction to have Con
tent leave us, but it'll be a load of my
mind to know she's safe out of thu
house. It's a dangerous place to liv'
in, this is, keepin' a post Office as W
: do. Counts of folks Robin the mails
keep comm all the time, and I've jus
a feelin' that ours I'll be robbed, too
| some night, and we all murdered il
5 our BEDS"
"Dear me! I shouldn't think it woult
t be worth WHILE" exclaimed Aun
Prissy, unselfshly, scanning the mat
: ter in the light Of a speculation. "Ou
mail! Why, 1 don't believe there
ever more'n ten dollars in the Who'll
), ont at one time, and mostly there ain
:, anything"
t THAT don't make no difference
/ Prissy-no difference" persisted Uncl
t Joachim, with a doleful shake of th
i head. "You don't know the sight g
wickedness there is in this world.
e tell you there's plenty of folks tina
would do most anything for ten do
S lars.
"Well, WE'LL" succumbing to supe,
n ior wisdom, maybe it's so; but it doe
e seem dreadful low wages for any b,
man being to do such work as thu
for. I s'pose there comes some tin
d for most all of us, though, when tt
.e Evil One comes along our road an
t. asks what We'll sell ourselves for.
i, we're willin' to do it at all, 1 don
II know as it matters much about tt
t, price,
g, AS the days passed by, and Jack
iC pIiAc-WOIh, as uc lduSuluSly cdlle
Is it, babe more and more fair to pro,
I'd successful, he and Content conjur'
IS, golden plans for the fair little hon
n kingdom it should bring them-ho
O. they would add to this and beauti
lp thst-talking it over, evening aft
evening, in the soft twilight.
Its just about DONE" said Jack, o.
s day, stopping for a moment at t
door. "Regan wants me to take
down to the old stone quarry and t
D. it. It's a sort Of quiet place, a.
IS. there's always water there, you kno'
SO I guess I'll go this afternoon"
I'D "Oh, I do hope it will be all rigl
a. just what you expect of it," exclaim
p Content.
at Bid it good speed, then," he sa
with a hopeful smile, turning aw
:" down the narrow garden path, VIII
.ty the sweet fact watched him from t
doorway.
sh- The sky was wondrously blue abo
lot his head that day, and the whole cal
.ct, marvelously fair in the golden s,
M light. Every rustic Of the leav