Custer County Republican. (Broken Bow, Neb.) 1882-1921, 1907-07-04

Hiram Rogers. slowly after another
swallow of coffee.
You don't say!" exclaimed his
wife. "A fever? Well, l don't know
| as it is to be wondered at l won't
say that she amt neat. seeing she's
your only sister, but she does live so
| budgetty and cluttered up"
shes so rheumatic, 1t must be
hard for her to keep her house in or
der" said Abby Rogers, aged IS, from
the end of the table. II saw In
through the window once, and l just
ached to get in and clear up for
her"
Abby had a firm, round, pink-cheek-
ed face and the crinkly hair that Is
said to denote energy.
How came you to look In at the
Window" demanded her father,
sharply
81 went to get the yellow kitten
out of her pear tree. She helped me,
and seemed very kind, but when
thanked her she said she had only
| done II because she didn't want a
Rogers kitten in her pear tree"
Hiram Rogers chuckled. That's
Seliny all over" he said.
Poor Seliny! l can't say that
ever thought twas just right for your
father to cut her off with $500 be-
cause she wouldn't give up Alvin
Getchell," said Mrs. Rogers. reflect
lively TO her husband.
| 'Nn nlwaUc pnpapf RI do cOnat IN In, "
| towards making 1t up to her. Horace
and l." said Hiram Rogers, unwont-
edly communicative, and reaching for
another doughnut, III she hadn't been
so cantankorous and the property
hadn't run down so. We've had about
all we could do to get along" He
shuflied little uneasily as he spoke,
Il suppose Jane Leggett is nursing
Aunt Seliny." said Abby, slowly.
she's old and almost blind. She
won't make things any neater."
Land! ! don't suppose your Aunt
Seliny would let anybody NEEDLE with
her things, anyway" said Mrs, Rogers,
rising from the table.
"'Riah! Uriah!" called Abby, clear
ly but cautiously, at the back door.
Her brother Uriah, II, and as tall as
his father, thrust his head out at
the hen-house door, and obeyed Alb
by's mysteriously reckoning finger,
II want you to go down to Aunt
Selinys with me" she whispered.
Uriah was apt to argue-and agree.
Abby looked back as she climbed the
orchard wall and saw, as she expect
ed, that he was following her.
Jane Leggett lived at the poor
house, when there was no one who
would give her home for her care
In sickness.
II will take the responsibilities
you will please say nothing" said
Abby.
Abby fell upon the kitchen first.
"Who would have thought that 1t was
a kitchen, with a box or budget In
every corner?" she said, with uplifted
hands.
Abby restored the boxes and bud.
| gets to their places conscientiously,
after she had cleaned the corners
where they were piled-in the kitch-
en-. In the shed she was not quite so
scrupulous. She said to Uriah that
they might have a bonfire and burn
the rubbish that was piled up in the
loft-moldy feather pillows, moth-eat-
en- rags and broken baskets and
boxes.
The loft was formed of three or
four rough boards placed across the
beams of the unfinish, shed. 1t was
covered thickly with dust and fes-
| TONED with cobwebs.
Uriah did as he was hidden with
out remonstrance.
Aunt Seliny's fever was a slow one.
1t was four weeks after the cleaning
day that Jane Leggett was, one morn
ing, discovered automatically climb.
ing the orchard wall and breathlessly
struggling up the orchard slope.
Shes most had a fit" she an
nounced. She want well enough
to get up, but she would, she was so
anxious about her things She knew
somebody had been meddling with her
things, and she's been harping on it
ever since. So get up she would, and
| had to tell her that you had been and
cleaned up for her. She's going on
about her attic. She says you hove
out her attic"
Her attic?" echoed Abby, amazed.
THAT place that she had UP aloft
in the shed. She said twas all the
attic she had, and nobody want
nothing without an attic She keeps
wringing her hands and saying
she could have borne anything
but to have her attic hove out.
She calculates to go to Carmel Mon.
day, to see her second cousin Mirandy.
that's sent for her to come. She hasn't
been away from home for Is years.
but she says she's so upset by the
loss of her attic that it doesn't make
any difference what becomes of her"
Abby dropped upon the window seat,