Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1907-06-27

1lTam INOSeTs, 6lonlgt ailSi ohoShcA
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
cay that she amt neat. seeing she's
YOUR only sister, but she does live SO
budgetty and cluttered up"
She's so rheumatic, it must be
hard for her to keep her house in or
DER" said Abby Rogers, aged IS, from
the end of the table. Il saw in
through the window once. and 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.
Il went to get the yellow kitten
out of her pear tree. She helped me,
and seemed very kind, but when l
thanked her she said she had only
done it 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 l
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.
I'VE always meant to do something
towards making it up to her, Horace
cdly communicative, and reaching for
another doughnut, 'if she hadn't been
SO cantankerous, and the property
hadn't run down so. We've had about
all we could do to get along" He
shufled a 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! l, don't suppose your Aunt
!Beliny 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 Abb
by's mysteriously reckoning finger.
Il want you to go down to Aunt
Seliny's 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 a home for her care
in sickness.
Il will take the responsibilities
you will please say nothing" said
Abby.
Abby fell upon the kitchen first.
who would have thought that it vas
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
1oft-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 unfinished 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.
"She's most had a fit" she an.
nounced. She want we'll enough
to get up, but she would, she was Sc
anxious about her things. She knew
somebody had been meddling with her
things, and she's been harping on il
ever since. So get up she would, and
I had to tell Rer 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 alof
in the shed. She said twas all tn,
attic she had, and nobody wan
nothing without an attic. She keep
wringing her hands and sayin,
she could have borne anythini
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'
been away from home for Is years
but she says she's so upset by til
loss Of her attic that it doesn't max
any difference what becomes of her.
Abby dropped upon the window sea-
as Jane Leggett hurried back dow
the orchard slope. The firm, rounde
cheeks under the sweeping cap wer
not pink, but scarlet. And the SWEEP
Ing cap became a thinking cap for q
much as an hour.
Father, Darius Blake says carpei
terlng is slack" began Abby, and he
mother pulled hel dress to stop her.
Don't go at him that way; you
give him a stroke, or something" sh
whispered. But Abby went on, in spit
Of her mothers warning twitch.
$50 he will work at q low pric
And ! want Aunt Seliny to have q
attic"