Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-07-28
The Argus Daily Short Story
The Willow Teapot-By Clarrissa Macde.
Copyrighted 1870 By Associated Literary Presa

Although the Horner sisters had
lived in the same house for forty
years, during twenty of those long
years they had not exchanged word.
No one in Rosedale knew why Adj
gail had suddenly taken up her resi-
dence in the north wing of the old
house and Sophia had settled her be-
Iongings in the sunny south half. AT
the time conjecture had been rife. but
the nine days wonder had settled into
a strong conviction that they had dis
agreed over the ''propty." for it was
shortly after old Judge Horner's
death that the estrangement began.
Every Sunday morning the sisters
stepped primly down the graveled path
to the gate and in wordless silence
wendell their way to church and up
the aisle to the Horner pew. In vain
had the pastor demonstrated with them
singly and together. While open To-
reason and conviction on every other
point, they were dumb regarding the
cause of their wordIess strife.
1t was June now, and Sophia was
digging among her pansies. She was
slight and pale, with a pleasant, mild
face that now and then startled one
by settling into firm lines around the
mouth. Abigails features were cast
in a sterner mold. and the lines about
her mouth were deeper. and this char
acteristic feature in both sisters was
known as ''Horner spunk." land it was
generally agreed that ''Horner spunk"
was ct the root of the trouble.
Abigail stood under the cedars with
a copy of the county paper in her
hand. She was slowly reading an ar
ticle for the fifth time:
The Rev. Paul Weemers. pastor of the
Park Methodist church. New York. will
preach IN the First church at RoSedale
Sunday evening next. 1t will be re-
membered that the First church of Rose
dale was Mr. WeemerS' first charge. and
his return will be the occasion of much
pleasure TO his old friends and parishion-
ers. Mr.. Weemers will be accompanied
by his wife
She looked across the lockwood hedge
into Sophia's garden. The news would
interest Sophia as well as herself
Abigail thought of this as she stood
there looking at Sophia's STOPPING
form. There was n certain stern in.
tegrity about Abigail that urged her
TO break the long silence and to i'm
part the news she had read to her sis
ter There was an underlying tender.
ness. too. toward her younger sister
that the bitter resentment of years
could not destroy. She resolved that ,
Sophia should not be taken unawares.
She leaned over the hedge and drop |
ped the newspaper under Sophia's
nose.
Sophia sQueaked with surprise as the
paper ratified among the pansies. and
there was blank astonishment in her
nearsighted eyes as she lifted them TO
gaze upon the grim. uncompromising
face of her sister.
The latter pointed to the paper with
an old time gesture of command. and
Sophia. adjusting her spectacles. |
sought the wrong page with agitated
eagerness. Then she turned the sheet,
and presently a nervous cluck and the
dull reddening of her cheek announced
that she had found the item. In her
excitement the younger woman spoke. |
"He will CALL" she said softly, as if to
herself.
The next day was Saturday. and all
day long Sophia's lavender muslin
hung on the clothesline. bending and
styaying in the soft west wind ike |
misty wrath of Sophia herself. Abb
gail looked sternly upon the dress. She
had been on her way to the front
chamber to look over a well preserved
summer silk. but the sight of the dress
seemed to proclaim the boldDess OF
Sophia-a holiness that was unexpect-
ed and that seemed TO rouse stern
maidenliness in the older woman She
Redeemed darkly and went hastily
downstairs again.
In the solitude Of her own front
room she sat and thought The stern
upbringing of the Horner girls had
discouraged the coming of suitors. and
it was not until after their fathers
death that Paul Weemers came to
preach at the First church. He had
been equally attentive to both sisters.
and it was perhaps natural that each
should believe herself to be the pre-
ferred one and the other an interloper.