Daily public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1892-191?, 1912-10-26

hCl NAuI sllo WIN pluuhlbS AAOh O'SAJ
body who ever heard the story.
This woman was known the coun'
ty over as Aunt Patsy Mitchell. Aunt
Patsy lived alone in a big red brick
house that was set down in the mid
| die Of an immense yard. The yard
at one time was well shaded but the
trees had been felled one by one until
nothing remained standing but a few
cedar trees and one monstrous oak.
This oak stood in a corner not far
from the front fence. 1t was the
most perfect specimen of fine, sym
metrical forest tree to be found In that
part of the county, and Aunt Patsy
had always been very proud of it. It's
a grand type of endurance, she had
often been heard to say. Why, per-
feet as that tree is, it ought to be
standing 500 years from now Know
ing those to be her sentiments, the
surprise OF the neighbors was UNI
bounded when it was learned that
Aunt Patsy had sent for two wood.
cutters and had ordered them to
chop down the oak tree three feet
from the ground.
"a few days after the tree had been
felled and dragged away ! was walk.
ing past Aunt Patsy's house with
Walter Craig. Craig was man who
had managed my fathers farm for
several years. From the top Of his
head to the sole of his foot Craig
presented very peculiar appearance.
but his most striking single feature
was his mouth. That organ was
kept wide open day and night, sleep
ing or waking AS we neared the
house we saw Aunt Patsy standing
at the front gate. We went up and
stopped on the other side.
AUNT Patsy said Craig, I don't
want to be pryin', but I'd like to know
what you had that tree whacked over
for?'
"T reckon she said, there's q
whole raft OF people hereabouts d
like to know that very same thing
"T reckon said Craig, there is
"'Well,' returned Aunt Patsy, 7
don't wish any Of 'em any harm, so
do hope they won't hold their
breath till they find out. Not but
what they're goin' to some day, for
they are. but they'll have to bide my
time"
Craig nodded respectfully. And
what you goin' to do with the stump,
Aunt Patsy?' he asked You ought to
have that drug up by the roots
"T oughtn't do anything Of the
kind retorted Aunt Patsy. I've made
all my cal'lations regardin' that
stump, and / certainly don't cal'late to
have it drug out
That was in the fall All winter
the oak stump stood in Aunt Patsy's
front yard, bleak and drear, but
early in the spring two men who were
used to clearing Off were called in
for consultation, and Aunt Patsy gave
them instructions to burn out the
heart OF the stump. A week later the
only thing remaining Of the prize oak
was an outer shell about four inches
! thick.
I'm goin' to get some bees said
Aunt Patsy, when Craig and | stopped
at her gate soon afterward and asked
her about the skeleton. I've always
wanted swarm, and | callate to
turn this stump into a hive for EN-,
| I'll have the top rooted over. 1t
seems to me it'll be q real handy place
| for EN-
THE following day Aunt Patsy went
into town. She was gone week, and
when she returned she was provided
with a box full of chlsels and other
! tools, of whose use even the village
carpenter was ignorant. When the
first warm spring days came Aunt
Patsy began her work on the unique
beehive. For two weeks she labored,
cutting and chiseling the hard wood
with rare skill and patience. BY and
| by It became apparent that the side
OF the hive facing the turnpike was
| taking on the semblance Of a human
face. Aunt Patsy smiled grimly when
Craig leaned over the fence one night
and asked her whose portrait she was
carving.
Its the face OF the man I'm goin'
TO marry she said
THAT report spread rapidly and
thereafter Aunt Patsy's open-air
studio was thronged with people anx-
ious to discover through the Inca
ments of the sculptured face some
clue to the identity of the intended
husband. I don't know anything about
the work OF professional sculptors,
but we saw before us, as II in life,
the squirting eyes, the fiaring ears,
the high forehead and the gaping
mouth of Craig. My bare feet scarce
~ touched the turnpike as I ran
home to tell the news. found Craig
out back Of the orchard blowing.
"Craig' l gasped, it's you. Aunt
Patsy has been carving your face. It's
you she's going to marry
Craig dropped the lines and his
mouth flew wider open than ever.
"'She's left your mouth open just
like that l screamed She says that's
where the bees are to go in at
"Craig said never a word even
then. He left the horses standing
in the furrow and ran out to the pike
and started toward Aunt Patsy's on
the lope. 1t was past noon when he
returned.
Its all up with me- he said, sol
EMMY. Tt does look like me. II
really was me she had fixed her mind
on. II I'd only known
"'What would you have done. Craig
II you had known asked.
ct guess mebbe I'd asked her first,
said Craig"