St. Tammany farmer., 1906-05-12
MISS HEPSY'S
COMPANY x
By NINA PICTON
Copyright. 1905, BY Joseph B. Bowles:,

stepped in.
How so?" asked Lucinda Grimes, in
surprise.
"Jes' so,'' sneered the widow. "Can't
sech q. thing be? Will you tell me e1
any woman's goin' t buy hull turkey
goose, raft o. vegetables an sech
like, t. feed her poor lone self? No,
tell you; ans she a-eatin' ev'ry day
like bird, peckin' at this an that, a.
II '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 1t;
1t only sees tn daylight once or twict
q 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. Ia
Il like Mis- Hepsy," ventured little
Miss Lucinda. .--
'Yer do? HIN! Well, I'm glad ye1
do; that's all I've got t. say bout It
HIN, you know no more bout the
world than sparrer, Lucindy, an
you a-pridin' yerself on KNOWN sc
much 'rithmetic an jography."
That's got narthin' t. do with tn
world, though"
1T amt? I'd like t know what jog.
raphy is but knowledge O. the world.
She cast look OF supreme pity at In.
cinda.
well, l know 'nough t. have char.
ity," spoke up Lucinda, now fairly
awakened into defense of Miss Hepsy
"an' I'd cut my tongue out sooner 4
talk 'gainsr my neighbor at Christmas
time!"
Yer would? Well, who's a-talkin':
I'm sayin' nuthin' 'ceptin' what's true.
Mis- Hepsy never had no love f'r me
AOA / ACls we 6l0y AuAs esA
minds our own business"
Vi Miss Lucinda looked skeptical as tc
the truth of the last assertion; she
wondered II 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 a trifle back; land the boy
Seth Crane, Is drivin', an there's two
trunks in it, Lucindy! Some un's on
the back seat, an it's man an girl
Lucindy." And the widow fairly
trembled with excitement. Il must find
out who 'tis," said she, pursuing her lips
with firmness, as If lifetime depended
on the knowledge.
What! Be you a-goin'?" asked he1
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 q gittin' late, an I've t
cit tea f'r mother" And with stihI
handshake and a hurried step, Lucinda
Grimes passed out.
Down at Brookdale- 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 cheerful
welcome. Miss Hepsy was resplendent
in q 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
rebelliously out of place.
The tall man leaned against the man
tel, and surveyed her with a look OF
pride. To him, she looked like the
same girl that he had parted from
years ago, and that he had been faith
ful to, in spite Of fate and its deter
mining influence. Every time he looked
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 OH. Tressa-her only sisters
child-had run down for a few days
and was quite alive to the coming oc-
casiOn.
Tressa Mayhem loved romances, as
any girl Of IL loves them. John Raw
son had called for her, at Miss Hepsy's
suggestion; for Miss Hepsy believed
too firmly in him to think he would be
captivated by the black curls and bright
eyes Of her niece.
'sWeM have t invite tn neighbors,' y
said Miss Hepsy. They'd never for
give me. There's Lucindy Grimes, q
good little thing 40 ever lived, an Je-
rushy Martin; an tn Collinses, Parson
Blair an his folks, an'-an'-"
why do you hesitate? Are there SO
many more?" asked John Rawson, feel
ing q trifle timid in anticipation Of the
coming invasion by the neighbors.
mo, was just debating whether I'd
AK Widder Greene. She's never liked
me, think, but twould be mean T.
slight her. She'd never get over talk
ing, too"
IF she's that way, 1t seems to me
it's best to have little charity, and
ask her." replied John.
do, auntie, I'd like to see her." ex-
claimed Tressa, her curiosity compati-
BILE with her years.
At eight o'clock Seth Crane made the
rounds Of the village and delivered at
every door an invitation to Miss Hep
sy's Christmas night.
And John Rawson returned to his
room at Junction house, full OF great
peace and love toward all men.
Snow, auntie, all over, everywhere,
aoolD caid TrnaSa "a she iumned ont