Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1909-04-23
HER TRANS.
FORMATION
BY EDNA FOSTER.

Jhere was no response from the
half-dozen men mending a big net
which was spread out upon their
knees; they did not cast the fly to
catch the floating gossip Of the town,
but allowed it to drift toward them
by the great law Of chance. Captain
Tracy was not dismayed by the sill
ence; he knew his listeners, and he
stepped into the room and made
ready to divide his spoils.
"Hymeny Bass has always been q
terrible meek sort; she has had a
large. wide idea of the cap'n and bis
judgment; she's believed he was so
great that when he went east the
west would tip up, and that his opin-
ions we're inside information from
the very keyhole of the universe.
Now ] think his ideas on a subject
are likely to hit about as near as the
Farmers Almanac comes to getting
the weather right. There is always
a pretty wide range to allow room
to turn. Hymeny hasn't bought a
yard of calico or baked a cake that
he hasn't supervised for forty years.
She would no more dare to set a
bureau angling than she would dare
&c set fire to public buildings. The
whole house is full of ruts in the
soors where she has stepped in her
lwn tracks,"
This is the beatenest net | ever
undertook to fix up" said Captain
Fen, breaking a moments silence.
The remark was clearly calculated
20 break the tension of the room.
which breathed curiosity unex-
pressed.
But she's out of bondage now"
continued the narrator. "She's gone
up into the conning-tower, and Cap'n
Enss is only firing when he gets the
If lal And Mary says she is wig
tagging an everlasting message Of
freedom to them that can under
stand"
1t is a regular vamint of a net"
said Captain Ben, answering him
alf and performing the act known
as logging over" Every man work.
ed industriously and dissembled
we'll
Its all along of a present they
got from the old Bass property.
When the estate was divided there
was a bed and two chairs for Elmiry,
a pung ami a ox-goad for Jonathan;
but Hymeny wasn't named in the
regular will, and she got only long
ish kind of looking-glass.
THE cap'n is tall. and he has al
ways hung the mirrors so high that
Hymeny hasn't seen herself since
she was married, and when the cap'n
came home and brought the glass he
set 1t on the floor. tipped back
against the wall, till he could get
chance to buy a cord. Hymeny, It
seems.-according to Mary.-saw
nerself for the first time in years
They do say she gave kind of a yelp
and stood like one stunned; she had
to get acquainted with herself all
over.
So one day she up and away over
tRfr. aflids hkNefgaggd Bei8S tevths
er to make her a false front.
"Hymeny is a changed being
BOYS. when that front came home.
Hymeny perked 1t up on her head
fine as you please, and Mary was In
there, and said she seemed to under
90 a kind Of a Transforming. bloom
ing process. She sat up straighter,
and the first words she spoke was
to contradict the cap'n, and three
times she upset him in aggermint,
and then Mary very wisely got up
and came home.
Now, did any Of you ever hear
any kind OF a superstition as to false
hair? Mary and | kind of remem-
ber something to the effect, that II
sombings are taken from a persons
hair unbeknowst to the person. that
the person getting that hair. as
switch, will develop all the traits OF
the person that 1t belonged to here
tofore."
II guess you will have to say them
words over again, and say 'em slow
er" said Captain Jed, nudging his
neighbor.
well. to put It palmer. the hair
in that front piece belonged to Mis-
'Niram Cay, and Hymeny has seemed
kind of possessed of her ways ever
since. She has got the cap'n COM
pletely cured of bluster. Why, she
set out yesterday that he must take
her to that menagerie that travels
through here every year. Mary was
there, and stood near them when
they we're looking at the bear. lily
menv took her sunshade and sort oi
poked into the cage to wake the beai
u. and the cap'n told her not to
Mary said she sort of tipped up hel
head and said. pretty firm, cap
Bass. l have wanted to poke the AMI
mails for some years. This year
shall pokel' and she did.
The net was mended and the mel
rose to 90 to the shore. Captain
Tracy was satisfied with the interes
he had created. for. by freemasonr
of the eyes, he knew the sentimen
of the little circle. Captain Be
lagged behind "You-you don
think" he said. hesitatingly' "tha
, this ere Betsy Spooner is going
work up much Of a trade In thi
! own. do you?"
'Haw! haWl" derisively laughe
/ Captain Tracy. as he climbed th
hill.
Il guess It's nothing but his eV'
SIP" said the man to himself. 10
, | comforting tone. Il don't s'pos'
anyway. that Mis- Miriam would haV
a whole lot OF eombings."
cement-Proteeted Iron.
mha nee 80 oaruauf N nrofect irf