The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1907-10-17

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I She was heated, tired and yexed
that day, or the speech might not
nave been quite so Rain. BY and
by, when she was rested and the
kitchen in it's wonted order, she
would make the particular kind OF
waffles grandpa liked for supper, and
feel comfortable sense Of having
thereby balanced ell accounts.
| Well taken care of the old man
certainly looked as he sat by the win
dow that day, and everything about
the substantial farmhouse bore proof
Of the same kind of care. The room
was spotlessly clean, and every chair
in it's appointed rlace. "Mathy's a
prime manager" he always said of
her; but som times he had weary
feeling of being managed too much.
| He watched Christy pass down the
walk and turn in the direction of
Beck's. Maybe they were right, and
Debby never would send. r. cloud
had come over the summer day, and
the world looked strangely empty and
| lonesome. Debby had been the one
girl among all his boys, and it had
hurt more than the fathers heart had
acknowledged even to himself when
she married and left the old nest,
though that was before her mother
died.
/ Since then-well, they all thought
he would be so well off with John! :"
He supposed ho had been-"Only
Marthy's so busy, an l s'pose old
folks is hard to put up with some
times!" he murmured. 1t was usual
ly as one TO be "pu' up with" that he
thought of himself here. But at
Debby's-she had her mothers ways,
and there were little children in her
home, too-a tiny girl named after
Mary. He seemed to feel the cling
| ing Of the soft arms about his neck,
and new life with the touch. No, it
could not be that Debby did not want
| him; Martha did not know
| Christy, at the corner of the gar
den fence, looked back, saw the face
| at the window, and walked more
| slowly. What did he see, she won
| dered, in those long hours of gazing
down the road? Old friends? Old
| days, when he was the centre instead
of the outside of everything: How
strange it must seem to be stranded
so while life's great busy stream
| flowed by! She had never thought
| of it before, but she could not shake
| off the thought now; and when the
| matter of the currants had been set
tied. she broke away from Mrs. Beck's
neighborly gossip, and walked home
| ward by way of the village. That, at
least, could not hinder Aunt Martha.
The postoffice was but one corner
| OF the village store, and the post
| master and merchant in one answered
her inquiries with the easy familiar
| ity of old acquaintanceship
Cant show you some dress
goods, Miss Christy? Letters? Not
any for your folks to-day. No; that
letter for the old gentleman hain't
got here yet. He's expectin' strong
as ever, reckon?"
A laugh completed the sentence,
and was echoed by the three or four
loungers who had dropped in for the
afternoons news. The subject seemed
| indeed to awaken unusual hilarity in
two occupants of a seat on the gro
Gerry counter; and one-a red-faced
youth, with bristling hair and very.
blonde notwithstanding an ex-.
PLANTATION: Fact is, Bufham, the old
fel-gentleman called for his mail
little bit ago, while you was out.
He got letter this time for sure"
There wasn't any for him." said
Mr.. Bufham in startled incredulity.
well, he got one all the same, and
we didn't NEEDLE with the United
States mail, either" laughed the
| joker, with a significant wink. "We
spied him when he was way across
the bridge, you see; and, of course,
we knew what he was after; so we
had time to get one ready, Jim and
me. You ought tc have seen how he
grabbed it, and went off spry as
cricket"
Christy's flashing eyes and fam
ing cheeks made Mr.. Bufham's appre-
ciative laugh die suddenly in fai1t
gurgle, and he turned upon the man
a glance of mild reproof THAT was
goin' too fur, Jim-a letter too fur.
OF course, no offense wasn't meant,
Miss Christy; only bit of joke"
But Chisty tarried for no apollo
gies. Poor grandpa! She saw how
it all had been-how the doubt awak-
ened by Aunt Martha's words had
made the silent waiting intolerable,
and he had slipped out to take the
long walk, SO hard for him now,
alone. She could well believe that
he had snatched the proffered letter
| eagerly; it would seem like life to
him. And to think it was only e-lcl
mockery at best! How could it ap-
pear only funny" to those men!
How dared they call such a thing a
joke! Her heart was hot with indig-
nation and pity as she hurried down
the street, anxious only to overtake
the tired, tottering feet which some