The Utah County Democrat. [volume] (Provo City, Utah) 1898-1909, 1908-12-05

tufted surface. AS she prepared to
string the heaped.up crock" OF pared
and CHARTERED apples for drying. she
cast a glance toward her visitor. lean.
ing back in deep rocker and luxuri-
ously munching an old-fashioned, pink.
lily golden Bellhower.
No indeed" she said. resuming the
conversation that had, In the exigen.
cies OF properly pairing the apples.
been temporarily dropped: "no. In.
deed; II wasn't from lack of chances
that your Aunt Maleety stayed what
these harum-scarum children calls tn
old maid s'pose they's hardly a girl
In IN whole village has as many
beaux as | used & have when was
a girl myself-an' shouldn't be a
might sprised but what | could have
few now, ef | wanted EN-"
The brightness OF her eyes, unhld.
den by the specs" that nearly always
rested upon the top OF her head. the
dainty flush that mantled her unwith.
cred cheeks, and the wavy coil OF
sllvery hair that crowned her like an
argent aureole, robbed the words Of
any hint of undue self-estoem; and the
whole life OF Aunt Malta Adams, as
sound and sweet as her own apples.
and as golden as the pumpkin pies
that filled her kitchen shelves on
baking days, seemed well calculated
TO round out the bleak existence OF
even the most hardened OF homeless
/ bachelors.
But, thank my stars"--this with a
mellow chuckle that took from the
words their seeming selfshness--"T
afays managed { escape tn tempter's
snares. Not but what had one or
two pretty close shaves: but alays
got away safe. an glad enough am
OF t.
THE very narrerest escape ever
had" she continued. leaning back In
her chair and letting the string OF
quartered apples fall into her white.
aproned lap, was the last: | never
lowed things to git so ser Gus again.
Draw up your chair here, SOS en-
talk to you 'thout havin' { boiler clear
cross this barn OF room, an I'll tell
you bout II,
1T was way back at tn beginnin'
o. tn war. you might say, an, OF
course, was Twin on tn old farm
then, with father an mother ! was a
slip Of a thing, just passed 20, but I'd
been havin beaux for three-four
| years. Folks married a sight younger
them days'n they do now. Well. | was
just passed 20 when he commenced
comm { see me. He? Sure 'nough
course you don't know nothin' bout
who he was. His name was Elihu
Greene, an he come into our neighbor
hood summer o. go. Fine. big man he
was, putin or more stylen dog, an
OF course, all tn girls was mighty soon
settin' their caps for him. was bad
as tn rest, too, for all I'd had a lesson
or two that should a. let me know
better.
Father never could 'bide Lihu-
father was mighty set in his likes an
dislikes. Called him a bounty jump
er. an a refugee, an sech names, an
declared at that Greene was toe
green FIR his stummick.' Mother, too
had kind o. pick az hlm--said he's
too out in tn wind f'r her But who
ever heard of girl payin' any heed
Z what her parents said bout any
man she took a fancy to?
"'Lihu had fine head o. hair, blacl
an glossy, an he wore II cropped of
square in tn back an tn ends tucked
under Then he had Il fixed 'rount
over his ears an reached up In a cur
In front, an so slick with bears grease
an bergamont that father sale
once: A ny'd want a life Insurance
policy Z ever It III on that head HI
was tn first man that ever wore burn
sides In this part o. IN country; Dun
dreary's, he called 'em, long an flow
in an as glossy black as his hair was
For all his whiskers an hair was 81
black he didn't have young-lookin
face: but all the girls laid that L
secrit sorrer or some deep trouble
he'd had back at the east. where h
give out he come from.
THAT slick hair ought to've turned
me against 'Lihu. same's II did moth
err First time he come TO see me sh'
had 'nough o. him. The best room II
our house was papered--one o. IN
mighty few in tn township, too.
en- shut my eyes an see that pape
now; delicate, fady sort o. green 1
was, with stripes O. some kind O
whey pink flowers runnn' up an
down tn walls. Lihu, he come In an
took a chair an tilted back against IN
wall, lookin' so fine never dared /
hint at mother maybe wouldn't lik
Il. When he went away there was
spot as big as your two hands on tina
fine green wall. where tn grease
rubbed OF his head. SO there he was
with mother an father both maxim
mock o. him, an me dead set an
anxious T. have him waitin' on me.
"Well. things went along all tina
summern fall 'Lihu went { board a
tn next place . father's said h
couldn't stand the little town (th
village wasn't half as big then as ii
now. an put In most o his tim
-.ras.lA- LIZ. .--4-l+@
girls, who was Almost fightln' Z Sc
which'd cit him For all he neye
seemed TO do any work. he alays ha
money nough. Father said he 'peere'
4 keep pretty busy doin' nothin an
prosperin' at tn job. Spite O. all th
sour looks an short answers fathe
an mother give him, he'd come { Sc
me every Sunday night. an prett
often he'd GIT In an eyenin' between
An III admit, ! was thinkin' prett
seriously o 'Lihu; his whiskers, az
shiny hair, an his fine clo'es an pitt