Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-04-23
MISS HEPSY'S COMPANY @
 By NINA PICTON
lcop, right, ieos, by Joseph E. Bowles.D

| Copyright, lsos, by Joseph E. Bowles.D
 "Mis' Hepsy's t hey compny fl Christmas" said Widow Greene to her next-door neighbor, who had just | stepped in.
 How so?" asked Lucinda Grimes, in surprise.
 "Jes so," sneered the widow. Cant sech thing be? Will you tell me ef any woman's goin' t buy hull turkey a goose, raft O vegetables an sech ] like, t feed her poor lone self? No, 1 tell you; ans she a-eatin' ev'ry day l like bird, epeckin' at this an that, as ! if 'twarn't good 'nough fr her. I've 1 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 I give her when she was a girl An, laws alive! she sets 'nough store by 1t; it only sees tn daylight once or twict /, a 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 i taken of her when she was down with 1 the "rheumatiz," and the careful super 1 vision and fulfilment of the household | duties.
 q like Mis- Hepsy," ventured little | Miss Lucinda. ! Yer do? H-m! We'll, I'm glad yer do; that's all I've got t say bout it. H--m, you know no more bout the world than a sparrer Lucindy, an you a-pridin' yerself on knowin' so much rithmetic an jography."
 That's got narthin' t do with tn ] world, though
 "It aint? I'd like t know what jog raphy is but knowledge O. the world" " I She cast lock of supreme pity at Ln- cinda. ,..s Well, know 'nough t have char i ity," spoke up Lucinda, now fairly 1 awakened into defense of Miss Hepsy, 1 "an' I'd cut my tongue out sooner n ! talk 'gainsr my neighhor at Christmas | time!"
 "Yer would? Well, who's a-talkin'? |? I'm sayin' nuthin' 'ceptin' what's true. Mis- Hepsy never had no love fir me, nor I fir her. We stay t hum, an minds our own business" | Miss Lucinda looked skeptical as to the truth of the last assertion; she wondered if the widow knew what she was saying. .,.
 A cart was coming up the road. The pike was hard and frozen, and the wheels rattled noisily. -..
 That's Mis- Hepsy's cart now," said ] the widow, drawing the striped blue curtains a trifie back; "and the boy, Seth Crane, s drivin, an there's two trunks in it, Lucindy! Some un's on the back seat. an it's a man an girl, Lucindy." And the widow fairly trembled with excitement. T must find out who 'tis, said she, pursing her lips with firmness, as if 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. "Yes, it's a gittin' late, an I've t git tea fir mother" And with a stiff ,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 liepsy was resplendent In blue gown and the pearl brooch and earrings that had lain away in the old morocco case for 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 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 it's deter mining influence. Every time he looked at her. Miss Hepsy's face beamed. and a color as modest as a 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. Tressa-her only sisters child-had run down for a few days and was quite alive to the coming oc- casion.
 Tressa Mayhew loved romances. as any girl of 17 loves them. John Raw son hau called for her. at Miss Hspsy's suggestion; for Miss Hepsy believed too firmly In him to think he would be captivated ty the black curls and bright eyes of her niece.
 "we1l have f invite tl neighbors." said Miss Hepsy. They'd never for give me. There's Lucindy Grimes. a good little thing as ever lived. an Je- rushy Martin; an tn coilinses. Parson Blair an his folks, an'-an'-"
 -why do you hesitate, Are there 90 many more?- asked John Rawson. feel ing trife timid In anticipation of the