The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1914-08-07
CHAPT I.
The Tea Table.

The Tea Table.
Angeline's slender, wiry form and
small, glossy gray head bent over the
the last bit OF leaf from the canister.
The canister was no longer hers. nei-
Their the teapot, nor even the battered
old pewter spoon with which she
tapped the bottom OF the tin to dis.
lodge the last flicker OF tea-leaf dust.
The three had been sold at auction
that day in response to the auction
GERS inquiry, What am bid for the
LOTT"
Nothing in the familiar old kitchen
was hers, Angelina reflected, except
Abraham. her aged husband. who was
taking his last gentle ride in the old
rocking chair-the old armchair with
painted roses blooming as brilliantly
across its back as they had bloomed
when the chair was first purchased
forty years ago. Those roses had
come to be source Of perpetual won
der to the old wife, an evor-prescnt ex-
ample.
Neither time nor stress could wilt
them n single leaf When Abe took
the Grst mortgage on the house in
order TO invest in an indefinitely locat-
ed Mexican gold mine, the melodeon
dropped one Of its keys, but the roses
nodded on with the same old sunny
hope; when Abe had TO take the sec
ond mortgage and TCnahy Gold be.
came forbidden topic of converse.
ton. the minute hand fell OFF the par.
lor clock, but the flowers on the back
of the old chair biossomed on none
the less serenely.
The soil grew more and more bar
rem as the years went by; but still the
roses had kept fresh and young. SO
why, argued Angy, should not she? If
old age and the pinch OF poverty had
failed to conquer their valiant spirit,
why should she listen to the croak.
ing tale? II they bloomed on with the
same crimson Haunt of color, though
the rockers beneath them had grown
warped and the body of the chair
creaked and groaned every time one
ventured to sit In 1t, why should she
not Ignore the stiffness which the
years seemed TO bring to her Joints.
the complaints which her body threat.
ened every now and again to utter,
and fare on herself, hardy perennial
bravely facing lifc's winter-time?
Even this dreaded day had not TAX
en- one fraction of a shade from the
glory OF the roses, as Angelina could
see In the bud at one side of Abra.
hams head and the fullblown flower
below his right car so why should
she droop because the sale Of her
household goods had been somewhat
Disappointing? Somewhat? When
the childless old couple, still sailing
under the banner of a charity-forbid. /
ding price, became practically reduced I.
TO their last copper. just as Abe's /.
joints We're "looscnin' up" after a five
years siege OF rheumatism. and de. /.
cidcd TO sell all their worldly posses
sions, apart from their patched and I
threadbare wardrobes and few mea.
ger kecpsakes, they had depended /
upon railins at least two hundred dol .
lars, one.half Of which was to secure
Abe a berth in the Old Mems home at |
Indian Village, and the other half to .
make Angelina comfortable for life. II .
u little lonely. in the Old Ladies' home .
in their own native hamlet of Shore. ,
Vile. Both institutions had been gen.
erously endowed by the same estate, .
and were separated by u distance OF
but five miles.
Might as wal be five hunderd with
my rheumatic an yer weak heart"
Abraham had growled when Angy first
the plan as the only digni.
fed solution to their problem OF living.
But" the little wife had rejoined,
'itll be a mite o comfort a.knowin' a
body's 80 near, even eff yer cant git
tew en-
Now. another solution must be found
to the problem; for the auction was
over. and instead of two hundred dol.
lars they had succeeded lii raising but
one hundred dollars and two cents.
THAT air tew cents was fer the
inwardly mourned Angy,
AN it's wuth double an tribbie, fer
It's been good friend ter me fer nigh
On ter eight year"
"Tew cents on the second hundred"
said Abe for the tenth time. I've
1t over an over. One hun.
ierd dollars an tew pesky pennies.
An ! never hear man tell SO many
lies in my life as that air auctioneer.
Yew'd o. thought he was sellin' out
he empery O. Rooshy. Hy-guy, It
sounded splendid. Fust of I thought
he'd raise us more n we expected.
An mebbe he would have tew, Angy,"
/ bit ruefully, "ef yew d "a let me
ldyertise n little Roonpr don,