The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1909-07-22
pathetic Dear me." and a sOrrowful
shake OF her gray head.

were gone. Dear me, dear mey'
1T doesn't matter about me, grand
ma," Dorothy said. II am sorry only
OH your account. l can teach or sew
or work In a store or do something
else, and we can be very cozy and
comfortable In our two snug little
rooms. There will be some money left
for you after the note and the mort
gage are paid"
1t was decided that there should
be a public sale or vendue OF the ef-
fects not needed for the new home to
which they were to 60. A ''vandoo''
was usually attended by everybody in
the neighborhood, and the occasion
was semiholiday. So there was gen.
eral interest when the posters appear
ed announcing that Mahala ]. Pickett,
executrix Of the estate Of Ira w. Pick
EFT, would on Oct 10 offer for sale
such and such carefully described
articles.
Mrs. Pickett had q sorrowful duty
In indicating the things she consented
to sell.
"They shan't have my mahog'ny
chist OF drawers, nor my haircloth
sofy, nor my flowered carpet, nor my
two big rockin' cheers that my father
and mother begun housekeepin' with.
And they shan't have-oh. dear, dear!
There's nothin' do want 'em to have!'
Poor old lady! She found that even
the simplest and most ordinary Of her
belongings were dear to her.
There's that green cupboard with
the glass door. Dotty," she said. Il
s'pose It'll have to go. We've got the
red one, and s'pose We shan't want
two. And there's that old oak chist
up In the attic-it might as well 90,
and reckon Rachel Day II bid 1t in.
She wanted to buy 1t Of me once,
thirty years ago. can't bear to think
Of her havin' any Of my things. and
I'll warrant she'll come and bid In the
very ones hate to part with most"
Perhaps she won't come to the sale
at all. grandma" said Dorothy.
Eyes, she willv' replied Mrs. Pickett
positively. Il know Rachel Day. She'll
be here to glory over my trouble. It'll
be twenty years this fall since she
and l spoke, and she 4eter come to
Jour grandpa's funeral. and l know
from that that we shall never speak
ag'in. I'd an idee she'd come then.
Such good friends as We used to be-
girls together and so intimate that we
had our dresses and bonnets just alike !!
And for twenty years we amt spoke,
! though we've met hundreds Of times.
Dear NE, dear me!'
Sweet Of face and gentle Of manner
rs Mrs. Pickett was, she was woman
Of strong prejudices and great firm
ness. She never sought quarrel and
never continued one long ii forced In
to it. She simply and for all the time
dismissed her enemies from her friend
ship and affection.
"When I'm done with anybody" she
said, I'm done with 'emr'
Acting on this unkindly and unC Chris
tianlike principle, she had dropped !,
friend of her girlhood and early wo-
manhood twenty years before the
death of her husband.
Her son had quarrcied with the only
son of her dearest friend. Mrs. Rachel
Day. The mothers had unwisely taken
up the matter, and not even the conf
mon sorrow that came upon them in the
deaths of the sons In after years had
served to bring them together. Each
had waited for the other to speak, and
both had kept silence.
| Mrs. Day came to the vendue, as
Mrs. Pickett had predicted.
Mrs. Pickett sat in the big rocking
chair on the little porch and watched
the progress Of the sale through a
mist of tears. ~
Other friends came and spoke words
of cheer and sympathy, but Rachel
Day, prosperous and happy. kept aloof
Occasionally she glanced toward hel
old friend as she sat on the porch, q
pathetic figure in her widows weeds
her gray head bowed and her handker
chief often at her eyes, but II Mrs
Day felt sorry for Mrs. Pickett she die
not say SO.
"Going, going, going, gentlemen ant
ladies'! -Four and a half has been Of
fered for this solid oak chest, as goot
as it was the day 1t was made. Foul
and a half I'm offered. Who'll make 1
five? Five, FIVE, five-who says 1t
Are You all done, ladies and gentle
men? Third and last call and-solt
for four and half to the lady wifi
the brown silk dress and black lac'
shawlv'
The lady with the brown silk dres
and black lace shawl was Rachel Day
Mrs. Pickett fancied she saw CLEAN
Of triumph In the eyes of the nev
owner Of the chest.
Mrs. Day bought several Of tn
things offered, and Mrs. Pickett adde'
to her sorrow a sting Of resentmen
and injured pride with each purchas
Rachel made.
'She does 1t only to aggravate me,
Mrs. Pickett thought. But let her &
. on II it docs her any good. kin hol
spite long as anybody, but l wouldn'
show 1t in such way as this, II wa
Rachel Day"
The vendue came to a close early |
the afternoon, and the people departe'
taking their new possessions wit
them. Mrs. Day was the last to g
and when she drove out Of the farm
: yard her wagon was we'll laden wit
the. things she had purchased.
: Mrs. Pickett broke down entirel
when she and Dorothy were left alor
In the almost empty house. Mr.. Pafa
had given them until next week
complete their arraugemeuts for lea