Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1906-06-20
MISS HEPSY'S
COM PANY *
By NINA PICTON
lcopyright, 100, " Joseph D. Bowles.D

tCopyrlght, lsOs, Wy Joseph D. bowles'D
mis- Hepsy's t hev comp'ny fl
Christmas" said Widow Greene to hel
next-door neighbor, who had just
stepped in.
How so?" asked Lucinda Grimes, in
surprise.
'Jes' so" sneered the widow. Cant
seeh thing be? VIII you tell me ei
any woman's goin t buy hull turkey
goose, a raft O. vegetables an sech
like, t feed her poor lone self? No, !
tell you; ans she a-eatin' evry day
like bird, peckin at this an that, as
If 'twarn't good 'nough f'r her. I've
been riled sometimes at tn likes O.
her a-settin herself above her kind
an she a-ownin' less than you an me.
Why, tn only thing good 'nough men
tionin' is that there blue chiny someun
give her when she was a girl. An.
laws alive! she sets 'nough store by it;
it only sees tn daylight once or twict
year"
Miss Lucinda, for her own part, liked
Miss Hepsy. A good Christian woman,
was her verdict, as she retrospected,
remembering the care Miss Hepsy had
taken of her when she was down with
the rheumatic" and the careful super
vision and fulfilment of the household
duties.
Il like Mis- Hepsy," ventured little
Miss Lucinda.
Eyer do? HIN! Well, Pm glad yer
do; that's all I've got t. say bout it.
HIN, you know no more bout the
world than a sparrer, Lucindy, an
you a-pridin' yerself on KNOWN SO
much 'rithmetic an Biography"
That's got narthin' t do with tn
world, though"
at amt? I'd like t know what jog
raphy is but knowledge O. the world"
She cast look of supreme pity at Luz
cinda.
well, know 'nough t. have char.
ity," spoke up Lucinda, now fairly
awakened into defense of Miss Hepsy,
IAN I'd cut my tongue out sooner n
talk 'gainst my neighbor at Christmas
time!"
Eyer would? Well, who's a-talkin'?
I'm sayin' nuthin' 'ceptln' what's true.
Mis- Hepsy never had no love fr me,
nor l fr her. We stay t hum, an
minds our own business"
Miss Lucinda looked sksptical as to
the truth of the last assertion; she
wondered IL the widow knew what she
was saying.
A cart was coming up the road. The
pike was hard and frozen, and the
wheels ratified noisily
That's Mis- Hepsy's cart now" said
the widow, drawing the striped blue
curtains trifie back; "and the boy,
Seth Crane, s drivin', an there's two
trunks in it, Lucindy! Some nn's on
the back seat, an it's man an girl,
Lucindy." And the widow fairly
trembled with excitement. II must find
out who 'tis," said she, pursuing her lips
with firmness. as II a lifetime depended
on the knowledge.
What! Be you a-goin'?" asked her
hostess, as Lucinda drew her Scotch
plaid shawl about her slender little
figure, and tied the dark-green bonnet
strings more firmly under her chin.
eyes, it's a gittin' late, an I've Z
git tea f'r mother" And with stin
handshake and a hurried step, Lucinda
Grimes passed out.
Down at Brookdale Miss Hepsy's
cOttage-the guests were safely indoors
seated before the broad chimney
place, from which the crackle and glow
Of the pine logs sent forth a cheerful
welcome. Miss Hepsy was resplendent
in blue gown and the pearl brooch.
and earrings that had lain away In
the old morocco case for a 12-month.
Her soft brown hair would not be
smoothed down, but shared her excite,
ment, and every minute or two came
rebeIliously out Of place.
The tall man leaned against the man
tel, and surveyed her with look Of
pride. To him, she looked like the
same girl that he had parted from
years ago, and that he had been faith
full to, In spite OF fate and its. deter
mining influence. Every time he locked,
at her, Miss Hepsy's face beamed, and
a color as modest as girls arose in
her soft. white cheeks. Miss Hepsy
was to celebrate Christmas very joy
fully this year, and it was only three
days on. Tressar--her only sisterf
ehild--had run down for few dayA
and was quite alive to the coming oc.
casion @t
Tressa Mayhem loved romances, a.
any girl Of IL loves them. John Raw
son HAD called for her, at Miss Hepsy's
suggestion; for Miss Hepsy believed
too firmly n him to think he would be
captIvated by, the black curls and bright
eyes Of her niece.
"We'll have t. invite tn neighbQrs,n
said Miss Hepsy. They'd never for.
give me. There's Lucindy Grimes, q
good little thing al ever lived, an Js-
rushy Martin; an tn Coilinses, Parson
Blair an his folks, an'-an'--"
"Why do you hesitate? Are there So
many more?" asked John Rawson, feel
ing trihe timid in anticipation Of the