The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1907-08-03


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 cciisternation that came
over his face was pitiful 10 see. He
brought down his feet from their
place of ease, half turned in his chair
till he could see his aunt's rigid eN-
preston. and exclaimed in a voice in
which all the trouble Of his face was
reproduced:
"Alone Why. aunt what's the mat
ter? What have ! done? Amt !
tended to the wood and amt helped
you wash, and amt I done everything
for yer that | could? BE yer sick Of
seein me round9 Why, Aunt" his
voice broke as his eyes filed why,
aunt, didn't know | wasn't a-pleasin
yer"
The cadence Of the chair Increased
yet again (the only outward evidence
OF the inward disturbance), and Mary
waited a moment before answering,
"Tain't you, Joe" she said finally;
"lt's me. ] guess But tell yer, Joe,
I've been thinking it over all summer,
and If am an old woman ! amt quite
laid on the shelf yet. and amt ago
in to be, neither"
AIS 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-runnln this house for 40 years, and
never a day but what was glad there
want no man botherin' round. Who
dug the garding and planted 1t, year
in an year out, before you Gamer
did. Who threw in the wood an piled
It up In the shed every fall7 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. l did. Joe Ger
rish. 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,
l amt"
But the 'rangement, aunue, the
'rangement," said poor Joe, grasping
like drowning man at the only straw
In sight; you know the 'rangement
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' to
have the place. Want that the under
standin Aunt Mary?"
"Providin', Joe, providin' that at the
end Of a year everything was satisfac-
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 it. bnt l never once 'spected yer
want satisfied with me. I've tried aw-
full hard to please yer, Aunt, I've tried
awful hard"
Turned outl Joe looked around at
the homely, oldfashioned furniture of
the kitchen. Around the kitchen his
eyes travelled and into the sitting
room, and everywhere were to be seen
evidences Of his hardness with ham
mer and saw.
Oh, but Il was hard to be turned out
nowl Not but that he could continue
to do odd jobs and so earn living
from the more pretentious neighbors;
his services were always in 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
his aunt He little imagined as he sat
thus In pleasant and peaceful thought
that though outwardly calm, she was
saying that he made her nervous
with his sulky ways
A year before he had come home
from Indiana, a man g. years old, with
nothing but a pair of willing hands
and a 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 to see the storm
hat was rising. and when at last it
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
light before tired Nature at last gave
way and sleep claimed her own.
December came and went II was a
lard month. Great storms piled the
streets, and country. city and shipping
suffered. Joe Gerrish in his one little
Dom kept his diminutive stove fierce