The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1907-10-26
THE SECRET OF HAPPINESS.
By FRANK n. SWEET.


The brown hat had just been satis-
factorily adjusted on the mat of brown
curls, and Christy was turning away
from the glass, when a quavering
voice asked "Be ye goin' to the vii
lage, Christy? ?"
mo, grandpa over to Beck's farm
for Aunt Martha"
"Oh p There was a sigh of dis
appointment in the long-drawn mon
osyllable. "You amt goin' nowheres
nigh the postofice, then 7"
''Not this time," answered Christy
mechanically. Grandpa was always
asking about the postofice whenever
anyone stirred from the house, and
she did not give the remark much
thought. He was sitting in his favor
ite place by the window, the soft sum-
mer breeze blowing his thin white
hair about his face, and there was a
wistful look in his faded eyes as they
turned from their long, watching down
the road to the girlish face.
"Well, s'pose faint much matter !;
only thought if you was goin'-"
''She amt p interposed Aunt Mar
tha promptly, and her voice, always
brisk to the verge of sharpness, had
a decided tone of impatience. II
want Mrs. Beck to know about the
currants; and if Christy goes way
round by the postohice, there won't be
time to do anything about 'om to-
night
'I amt askin' her to go, Martha.
1 don't want to bother nobody; only
there might be letter from Debby's
folks-if she was a-goin'.''
The gentle, deprecating tone struck
Christy. The wish was only one of
grandpa's notions, Of course but it
would be very little thing to crafty
it. So she answered with careless
good nature: ''I don't mind the walk
1 might go that way"
But Aunt Martha was not so COM
plant. mo; you can't, Christine.
It'll take you most an hour longer.
and l can't wait. Besides, there's
no sense in it; there won't be no let
ter there if you do CO."
"Maybe there amt Martha. I
don't want to bother nobody" re-
peated the patient voice. IT had a
kind of feelin' there'd be letter to-
day, but I amt noways sure. Never
mind, Christy."
There was look in Christy's brown
eyes which boded rebellion, and to
that the hurried housekeeper address
ed her expostulation There's no
sense wastin' time any such way,
Christine. I reckon if that letter
should happen to get to the Office it
would keep over night but it's been
five years a-comin', and hain't got
here yet and 1t never will"
A sudden whiteness swept over the
worn old face. A look Of utter hope
lessness for moment blotted out its
eagerness, and the old man looked
from his 6augnter-in-law to Christy,
as if questioning the truth of what he
had heard. A memory mercifully
treacherous had, perhaps, prevented
his realizing how long the waiting
had been, and the sharp fact smote
him like blow. Then hope slowly
reasserted itself.
"Tis a long time" he faltered.
"But there might ha' been reasons.
They might ha' been hindered spell
what with work and sickness, and
such but you know Ephraim said"
eyes, / know" admitted Mistress
Martha hastily, with as near an ap-
proach to penitence as it was in her
nature to feel. "But all Ephraim
said didn't mean anything. And I
wish to goodness he hadn't said it !"
she added the minute she was safely
In the kitchen again; and out OF hear
ing. "It's enough to pester a body
to death !'
"What did he say 7" asked Christy,
carefully fitting the lid on the little
basket she was to carry. That "let-
ter from Debby's folks had been to
her merely a familiar household phrase
running back into the midst of her
childhood. She had classed it with
grandpa's rheumatism, and other in-
frmities of age, and it had never be-
fore occurred to her to inquire seri-
ously into its origin.
"Why, twas when Ephraim was
here-that last visit he made. He
was goin' away, and he had to say
something, you know so he asks
father how he'd like to come out and
visit them a spell and fathers face
chirks all up, and he says: First
rate So Ephraim laughed and says
he: so you'll be all ready, then,
when we send you letter that we're
comm after your And I declare
for it, he's been watchin' for that let
ter ever since-crazy to see Debby /;
sure that Debbv wants him, and was
gettin' ready for him.
"I don't s'pose Ephraim ever
thought about it again, and he would
not be likely to lay out money any
such way as comm to him. He amt
so anxious to get an old father-in-law
on his hands; though don't think
'twould be more than fair if they did
have the care of him spell, even if
they do think Johns the best off. |
amt sayin' anything against father"
-as Christv's face darkened-
don't grudge him what he has, dear
knows. I'm always willin' to take
good care of him, too, though aim t
his own daughter, as Debby is. Any
way, that kind of letter has never
come, nor many of any other kind.