The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1905-04-05

q Mis- h"itihS siue Pot@n'
4 + their feet on the same
Sko~ wooden footstool. They
were sewing on a long, straight gray
garment.
Somebody's always had to bring up
Jane Anne Leach's sewing" Mrs.
Thomas remarked, a smile broadening
her face.
You couldn't expect a woman to
sew on her own shroud," Mary Martin
observed. pensively.
Not afterwards" Mrs. Thomas re-
burned. dryly. Still. there amt many
that wouldn't have had something laid
by besides a magenta barege and a
Aowered muslin. But not Jane Anne!"
"She spoke to me about it that last
afternoon" said Mrs. Martin, mildly.
t'Said she'd been meaning for some
time to sort of plan it out; that she
had a plenty to do with, only hadn't
got about it."
AIRS. Thomas smiled again, under
standingly, but not d~isagreeably. "Oh,
Eyes" she said. Jane Anne always
had a ple%nty'-plenty Of everything"
a after all, what we're making up
was her own cioth!'
Mrs. Martin spoke with gentle heat.
You needn't snap me up So" Mrs.
= Thomas said, coolly. II had a soft
spot for Jane Anne, same's you had.
But you know as we'll as you want to
that she was all ARSON nothing"
81 don't know as I'd call it airy"
Mrs. Martin said, with waTering de-
fiance.
THAT'S what I call it." retorted Mrs.
Thomas. Now take that night ten
years ago, when I went over to Jane
Anne's and found her rocking and
looking on while Louisa Morse was put
ting her poor old buds into a trunk.
Louisa she says, I wouldn't put
That light delaine on the bottom; it
muses. awful easy. It's seen its best
days, but it looks nice by lamplight,
and I may want to dress up some even
fngs.'
"'You SPEAK IS if you were going
away 1 says.
81 am s'she. but didn't tell where.
II kind O. wondered, same s anybody
would, for knew she'd no money for
travelling. and that none Of her folks
had any to give her. so finally I asked
= her. She didn't answer right off, and
her head went down. Then she perked
up.
= my medical adviser has been tell
ing me for a long time that I needed a
change, and I've decided to take one
s'she.
":Where are you going?' I asked.
"She sort O. hesitated. I'm going to
the p%oorhouse tomorrow she says,
then frightened up. 4 do hope you'll
come and see me soon,' she says
you'll most always find me, and Id be
so glad to see you. Lucy
"If that wasn't airyw challenged
Mrs. Thomas. do you suppose any.
body else would call going to the poor
house "a changer"
"Jane Anne could have gone to heI
Cousin Heman's." Mrs. Martin said
quickly, but" with unconscious irony
"she preferred the p%oorhouse."
Il don't blame her: Heman's wife al
ways was a terror" Mrs. Thomas has
tened to say. Il never felt above Jane
Anne. We went to school together
and her folks were as good as anybody
once. 1t wasn't thIt. But somehow
she always hit my funny-bone."
"She didn't hit NINE" said Mrs. Mar,
tin, reddening.
"What!w Mrs. Thomas lively coun'
tenance expressed amusement and sur
prise. "Not when we called at the
poorhouse to see her, and she asked il
we wouldn't like to meet Mrs. Peter
son. who had just arrivedT"
"No."
"Nor that time when she said she
Thought a little music would be pleas
ant, ard had in old Joe Jennings tt
play 'Ye Banks and Braes' on his
mouth organ"
mo"
y Nor that afternoon when LouiSa
took over the blanc mango, and Jane
ANNE sent some up to that weak mind
"A Su SCOll gin, luul lucy always hcpt IL
the garret when there was visitors
with Miss Leach's compliments" Miss
Scott was not feeling quite as we'll a:
usual, she said. Now. don't you cal
that a little mite airy?"
II call it fine manners"
II $50 do I; too fine!'
Mary Martin raised her fine. woman
~ eyes to her companions face, the1
dropped them frightened. 81 admired
Jane Anne-and enried her." she said
softly.
"Envied her? With all you've got"
I've got things. but I amt Ell
dowed. lane Anne was. Id Civ
everything I possess if I could stant
out on my front steps and ask peeps:
in the way she could"
"She did make you feel kind o
= pleased with yourself and everybod,
else Mrs. Thomas admitted.
I They stitched on silently for a while
then Mary Martin spoke with the al
tboritT of a shy woman reused.