Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1907-05-30

There was a tremor OF suppressed
excitement In the usually placid man.
ner OF Mary Pritchett as she picked M
the morning paper and began TO
search halffurtiyely through its l6
big pages. Finally her eyes ioeussed
themselves upon paragraph on one
OF the inner sheets. and Miss Prltch.
etrs habitnal eomposure returned as
she read with evident satisfaction the
contents OF the item.
Sue" she said. presently, "stop
ciatterin' those plates for minute
and look at something in this paper.
Then We can have a good quiet talk
while We wash the dishes"
Mrs. Sue Stubs set down the tray
OF breakfast dishes which she was in
the act OF carrying to the kitchen, and
came to her sisters side. Ever since
she could remember Mrs. Stubs had
obeyed when her sister spoke.
Here II Is" said Miss Pritchett,
pointing with toilhardened fore
finger, the first advertisement un.
der Personal"
The little block OF print which met
Mrs. Stubs expectant eyes read as
follows:
WANTED. by a Maiden Lady OF for.
TYNE. In comfortable circumstances,
Helpmate who understands farming.
Address p. 27l2 Seventy-ninth ST.
La" gasped Mrs. Stubs, why,
that's this house,"
YES" replied Miss Prltchett calm.
ly. that's this house; and p that's
mo-"
You. Nary" queried her sister
dumbly.
"Em-ha." was the brief response
Il decided yesterday mornin' on mat
rimony. mailed this ad. to the Herald.
and came down myself by the night
train and surprised you. expect to
take him home with me day-after-to-
morrow. reckon thar I'll get some
replies by this afternoons mail"
Mrs. Stubs mild blue eyes were
round with astonishment She gazed
in speechless wonder at the elder sis
ter whom she had regarded all her
life as the very personification Of all
that is wise. prudent and sensible.
The full. rosy face. with its shrewd,
kindly gray eyes, and square, deter
mined Jaws. the carefully brushed
chestnut hair, the ample figure. of
Mary Pritchett were all as usual.
Doubtless. Mary knew what she was
about.
Sue" commanded the prospective
BRIDE" take those dishes to the kitch-
en-, and I'll tell you all about 1t. No,
let me take the dishes; you'd drop
them, Japanese teapot and ALL"
We'll, you see. Sue. it's this way"
she began Ave minutes later as she
carefully polished the plate which Sue
had automatically washed and handed
her. THE farm Is pretty big place,
bigger than any one person. man or
woman. ought to try to manage. The
crops have to be looked after and sold.
the livestock attended to. the house
kept tidy, and hundred other things
done. can't follow up and oversee
the hired men like a man could.
Things that ought to be done
amt done, and things that are done
amt done right; and, in short,
everything gets so snarled up now
and then that ! guess Brother John
must roll over and over in his grave.
II was all so different during his life
time. Until two years ago, when the
doctors killed him trying to cut out
what the good Lord never intended to
be cut out-no, don't tell me, Sue;
you know as well as / do that people
never had appendicitis when we were
girls. and wouldn't have 1t now but
for the doctors AS | was saying, I'M
til two years ago there was no finer
farm in the county.
$50 you see, Sue, that need help
er with the farm, but that is not the
reason that I'm doing what am. I'm
very lonesome, too, all alone in that
big house; but that's not the reason,
either. The real reason is that need
protection"
Mrs. Stubs looked up in half
amused surprise. The determined face
and robust figure Of Miss Pritchett
were not those Of the ordinary timid
| female.
"Oh," said their possessor, serenely,
"I'm able to take care of myself I'M
der most circumstances. But there are
two things that | just can't stand.
Ones cockroaches, and the others
burglars. / don't have any reaches
about the place, but with burglars I'm
regularly ha'nted. There were seven
burglars last year, and there have
been nine up to date, this year. SO the
habit seems to be growing To be
sure. they don't get much. but Just
the same can't bear to have them
hanging around. The last one came
two nights ago. I'll have to tell you
about that burglar separate.
ut was about one o'clock, | reckon.
when | thought / heard shutter
swingin in the wind, and went down
stairs to fasten 1t. You remember
that one can see from the back-stair-