Middletown transcript., 1908-04-11

Doh Y, ACA y SIlCO 4oOSC' uou
she explained. It sounds as if
we were just-waiting. [
They are, said the old lady the
next evening to the young min
ister's wife, just waiting. They
must think me an una -commo-
dating old woman.
Now, Aunt Hale, demonstrated
Sally Patton, if you would only
consent to know Rose.
No, interposed the old lady.
She can ride by my door though
I think I've put a stop to that
but she sha mt come..inside it. I've
a few rights left.
She shook her beautiful thick,
white curls as she said this, and
struck her cane sharply on the
polished floor.
Like an echo the big brass
knocker fell.
Sally started a leaned for
ward, looking through the front
window.
It's Rose Carter, Aunt Hale,
she said, with a sort of timid
frmness. Hortense is out, I
think. Shall I go to the door?
If you will be so kind, Sally, as.
sented the old lady, with great
composure.
In here? asked Sally, brightly,
No, replied the old lady, who
was enjoying herself.
She lifted her fine, deliberate
voice a trifle, and the fire in her
eye sprang high. You will please
say that Mrs. Hale regrets that
infrm health compels her to
deny herself to strangers.
Rose heard. She blushed.
scarlet,-that was the girl in
her,-but her head went up, and
the fire in her hazel eyes leaped,
too. Between these two fires
little Sally Patton halted.
To her relief, Roses humor
came to rescue the situation.
She smiled, held out her hand,
broke into lively words of greet
ing, and all owed herself to be
sent away with perfect good
nature that assumed the old lady's
message to be as polite as it
sounded.
Within, the old lady hardened
irately to the invaders fresh
young voice. Twenty years back
the house had rung with such
voices. She grew suddenly
homesick with the worst home
sickness there is, for one cannot
ever turn and journey back into
any past, however dear and pas
sionately longed for.
Therefore Sally. re-entering,
did not find the old lady looking
as triumphant as she expected.
She was rather cross to Sally,
who was her relative by marriage
and who came in for the privi-
leges of relationship.
You ought not to be alone,
aunt, said the little woman, as
she rose to go. st. John frets
over you all the time.
The old lady frowned. I lived
here by myself during a Civil
War, she said.
But began Sally. She STOP
ped, distressed. 1t hardly seem
ed tactful to suggest a burglar or |
a stroke of paralysis to an old |
lady just as you were leaving
her by her lone self. 1t does |
make US uneasy, she concluded, |
lamely.
On her way down the path she
saw Rose cantering through the
long meadow, and watched her
wistfully. She was the only mar
ried woman in Sally's experience
who kept the light-hearted fresh
ness of girlhood. Sally herself
could not manage it at all, with a
trio of little girls to bring up on
five hundred dollars a year, and
rent free. She was learning to
do white embroidery for an ex-
change, however, and hoped to
manage some day.
In the meadow Rose met Terry
tragically.
1ou'll take my advice next
time, madam, he said.
Rose winked back the tears,
1t does look as if we had it ALL
Terry boy, she murmured.
Let's chuck the whole thing
then, suggested Terry, ,cheerfully.
There are plenty of other
good old places-without dover
rights.
Roseturned, looked back yearn.
ngly. I just couldn't give it up.
Then, said Terry, you're as