The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1907-08-31

the cadence of its creaking by Ten
rocks to the minute, but still she KEPT
her eyes intent upon her work, wnicn,
for a knitted stocking, seemed TO neeo
an unusual amoyNt of attention.
As for Joseph, the look of astonisn-
ment, then CONSERVATION tnat came
over his face was pitiful to see. ne
brought down his feet from ther
MACE of ease. half turned In his cnair
till he could see his aunts rigid eA-
preston. and exclaimed in voice In
which al, the trouble of his face was
reproduced:
.Alone! Why, aunt, what's the mat
ter7 What have / done? Amt
tended TO the wood, and amt / helped
YOU wash, and amt done everything
for yer that / could? Be yer sick OF
seem me round? Why, Aunt" his
| voice broke as his eyes filed, why. |
aunt. didn't know wasn't a-pleasin'
/ yer"
The, cadence Of the chair increased
) vet again (the only outward ev'ospe-
of the inward Disturbance, ana MARY
waited a moment before answering.
"'Tain't you, Joe," she said nnaiiy;
Jt's me. / guess. But tell yer, Joe'
I've been thinking it over all summer,
and II I am an old woman amt quite
laid on the shelf yet. and amt ago
in to be, neither"
AS she talked her feelings overcame
her timidity Of speech, and now she
set forth her views with the force OF
ten months of pent-up feelings, while
moor Joe listened and looked as
though the end of the world had come.
mo. sir. / amt quite bedridden
vet" she went on. Here I've been
a-runnin' this house for 40 years, and
never a day but what was glad there
want no man botherin' round. VINO
q dug the garding and planted 1t, year
= in an wear out, before you came!
= did. Who threw IA the wood an piled
. II up in the shed every fall? ! did.
: Who's drawed the water pail at
time all these years, and who even
laid the shingles on the ell an barn
e ten wears ago? / did. did. Joe Ger
% rish. and you know it. Now do you
% think I'm a-goin' to see my nome
le taken right out Of my hands, an me-
of a-dependin' on somebody else? Well
al amt"
4. "But the 'rangement, auntie, tn
: 'rangement," said poor Joe, graspinl
like a drowning man at the only stray
- in sight; you know the 'rangemen
~ was that / do the work around an
ne make my home here the rest OF m
IN DAYS. and that sometime when 20
be get through, aunt, l was a-goin I
IS have the place. Want that the undel
be standin', Aunt Mary?"
MT "Providin', Joe, providin' that at tn
end of a year everything was satisfa'
y. tory. Want that what said? D'on
- you agree to that, now? Tell, me, nov
~ didn't you agree to that?"
Gu Eyes. l agreed to 1t, aunt, agree
IN tn IL. but never once 'spected "
want satisfied. with me- I've tried a.
full hard to please yer. Aunt. I've trit
,ur awful hard
ZEN Turned out! Joe looked around
de. the homely, old-fashioned furniture
tn the kitchen. Around the kitchen
- ewes travelled and into the sittin
~ room. and everywhere were to be SCI
n'i evidences of his hardness with hal
uaer and saw.
md oh. but it was hard to be turned
by now, Not but that he could contin
in 70 do odd jobs and so earn hvi
avs from the more pretentious neighbor
ks. his services were always IN demai
., But the old house had become home
him. To sit down at night and DR.
OF his heavy boots, put on his war
CIR roomy slippers and after supper, W
'ner Dick on his knees or close beside 81
exi- think over his thoughts all by n
ths self, was Joy enough and to spare.
ilip little realized the inner emotions
his aunt. He little imagined as he
thus in pleasant and peaceful thou
that though outwardly calm, she
saving that he made her nerv'
.n0 with his sulky ways"
tues A year before he had come nc
sses from Indiana, q man 81 years old,
-ern- nothing but a pair of willing ha
zens and a clean name. His aunt, i'll at
life time. was nearly 20 years older,
:. +o feeling that she had lived alone
enough. had proposed that Joe m
or his home with her, with the UNI
oren standing that sometime the nc
pre- .honld be his. Thus had the place
lould come home to the old man, and
ocu- happy had he been in this haveI
re- refuge that he failed to see the st
n ON that was rising, and when at las
,oo,s broke he felt for the while that
elves spirit broke as well. So. with only
stars to see, he cried like child
night before tired Nature at last
tened way and sleep claimed her own