West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1907-08-29


alono this winter
There. a was QUIT The lines be-
came a little more rigid. II anything
and the old woman's rocker increased
the cadence OF its creaking by ten
rocks to the minute. but sill she kept
her eyes intent upon her work. which,
for a knitted stocking. seemed to need
an unusual amount Of attention.
AS for Joseph. the look OF astonish
ment. then CONSERVATION that came
over his face was pitiful 70 see. He
brought down his feet from their
place Of ease half turned I'm his chair
till he could see his aunt's rigid ex.
preston. and exclaimed in voice In
which all the trouble OF his face was
reproduced:
Alone! Why, aunt. what's the mat.
ter? What have I done? AIM I
tended to the wood. and amt helped
YOU wash. and amt done everything
for yer that I could? BE yer sick OF
seein' me round Why. Aunt" his
voice broke as his eyes filled, why.
aunt. / didn't know wasn't a-pleasin'
yer"
The cadence of the chair increased
yet again tthe only outward evidence
OF the inward Disturbance. and Mary
waited a moment before answering
Tain't YOU. joe" she said finally;
ITS me. ] guess, But tell yer, Joe.
I've been thinking Il over all summer.
and II / am an old woman amt quite
laid on the shelf yet, and l 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 pentup feelings. while
poor Joe listened and looked as
though the end OF the world had come
NO, sir! ! amt quite bedridden
yet she went on. Here I've been
a-runnin this house for 40 years and
never day but what was glad there
want no man botherin' round who
dug the garding and planted II. year
in an year out. before you came? !
did. Who threw i'm the wood an piled
1t up in the shed every fall? did.
Who's drawed the water pail at a
time all these years, and who even
laid the shingles on the ell an barn
ten years ago? | did. did. Joe Ger
IRISH, and you know IT, Now do you
think I'm a-goin TO see my home
taken right out OF my hands. an me
a-dependin' on somebody else? Well.
| amt"
But the 'rangement. aunde. the
'rangement," said poor Joe, Rrasping
like a drowning man at the only straw
In sight; you know the arrangement
was that ! do the work around and
make my home here the rest OF my
days. and that sometime when you
get through, aunt, / was a-goin 10
have the place Want that the under
standin, Aunt Nary"
"Proyidin', Joe, providin' that at the
end Of a year everything was sltisfac-
tory. Want that what ] said? Didn't
YOU agree to that, now? Tell. me, now,
didn't you agree to that?"
Yes, agreed TO It, aunt. agreed
to II, but never once spected yer
want satisfied with me. I've tried aw-
ful hard TO please yer. Aunt. I've tried
awful hard"
Turned out! Joe looked around at
the honely, old-fashioned furniture OF
Atf hlAtlfls AlONNu inc hllGntn Ills
eyes Travelled and into the sitting
room. and everywhere were 10 be seen
evidences of his hardness with ham
mer and saw
Oh. but IL was hard 10 be turned out
now Not bu' that he could continue
TO do odd jobs and so earn living
from the more pretentious neighbors:
his services were always i'm demand
But the old house had become home TO
him. To sit down at night and draw
OF his heavy boots put on his warm.
roomy slippers and after supper with
Dick on his knees or close beside him.
think over his thoughts all by him
SELF. was JOY enough and TO spare He
little realized the inner emotions OF
tis aunt He little imagined as he sat
thus in pleasant and peaceful thought
that though outwardly calm she was
s-ying that he made her nervous
nth bis sulky ways"
4 year before he had come home
from Indiana. a man G2 years old. with
nothing but a pair OF willing hands
and clean name His aunt. in at the
time. was nearly 20 years older. and
feeling that she had lived alone long
enough had proposed that Joe make
his home with her. with the under
standing that sometime the house
should be his. Thus had the place be
come home TO the old man. and so
happy had he been In this haven OF
refuge that he failed 20 see the storm
that was rising. and when at last 70
broke he felt for the while that his
spirit broke as well SO, with only the
stars to see. he cried like a child that
night before tired Nature at last gave
way and sleep claimed her own.
December came and went. II was a
hard month. Great storms piled the
streets and country. city and shipping
suffered. Joe Gerrish in his one little
room kept his diminutive stove fierce
ly going. and before IT he rubbed his
hands gleefully "a snug little harbor,
a snug little harbor." he repeated over
and over again. as II TO make up with
human cheer for the cracked walls.
the bare, rough floor and the scanty
furniture
So the weeks passed The 9th Of
January was clear and bitter. and that
night down go The house Of Hose 4.
group Of hrcmen was clustered about
the stove idly talking when suddenly