Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1914-02-03
|TheSiIyer Wedding.

|
chung to his coat.
"Tll bring you that present to-
night" he murmured, and hurried
down the steps.
Mrs. Pother turned and went into
the house. Dear mel" she sighed,
"What shall do to celebrate?"
II tell you, num-" suggested the
colored girl. ION my silver wedding
day cleaned up the back attic"
That's good scheme" assented
Mrs. Pother, with smile. II think
I'll try It,"
Martha hurried kitchenwards and
| Mrs. Pother went slowly upstairs. The
back attic was a forlorn place. Dust
clothed the rafters; dust was on the
! picture of the old homestead down in
| Maine; dust bathed the pile of furni-
ture budding under the caves.
TWENTY-FIVE years." whispered
| Mrs. Pother, looking at the picture of
| the room in which she was married,
and wiping it off with her handker-
chief. ut seems like yesterday"
well, we'll now begin, num- de-
clared Martha, brandishing broom
and dustpan.
"Wat a minute" unused Mrs.
Pother. II was thinking"
Don't do it." warned the old col
ored woman. "It's sure to bring
ghosts. 1t was just the same with
me- l thought too much of my sus-
| band"
"Fve got a very good husband,
| Martha" said Mrs. Pother. softly.
But it don't pay. Nothing makes
a person grow old like remembering
the days when they was young. I'm
going to work"
Martha ratified the chairs across
the floor, and spanked the seat of each
| Justify with her buster.
81 think l like them better with
the dust on" interposed Mrs. Pother.
"The dust means lot, somehow"
That's why I'm brushing it away"
retorted Martha.
THAT bureau was part of our we'd
ding SET" said Mrs. Pother, wiping
her left eye with the corner of her
apron.
II don't believe in wedding SETS"
enunciated Martha.
"And that's the chair he won at
the whist club"
"Scand 'lous!" shifted Martha, CIV
ing the chair vicious slap.
"And there's the dear old Chippen-
dale table he gave me when l was in
school, 1t was the first thing he ever
gave me-"
Then II I were you I'd burn it, or
give it away, or sell it,"
How can you talk this way, Mar
tina? l have more associations with
that table"
"Just the reason" asserted Martha,
why you oughtn't to have it round.
'Sociations is no good, and l think
they generally is what makes all the
trouble in families. / don't believe
Mr.. Pother's got any 'sociations."
Men never have any,"
That's whar they're right. They
don't do no good at all. What's max
ing you cry, now? It's 'sociations.
tell you-nothing but 'sociations."
I'm all right, Martha"
"All right, indeed! All right to be
crying over dusty old table with one
leg gomez"
1T isn't that, Martha"
II tell you know what it is. It's
sociations. I had 'em awful on my
silver wedding, and know"
What did you do?"
II just took all the ISOLATION things
and throwed EN-"
But couldn't do that. Oh, could
mott"
you just try it once and see If it
don't cure them 'sociations. l tell
you," she whispered, "sell this yere
| old table and see If you don't feel bet
ter right away"
What would he say?"
Say? Why, he wouldn't never
! know the difference"
81 think you're right, Martha" ex-
| claimed Mrs. Pother, suddenly, drying
her eyes, you take it right down
and tell a messenger to take it to the
| antique shop and sell it,"
Martha was gone. Mrs. Pother sat
down on the trunk, half sorry that
she had been induced to part with
the cause Of her sentiment. Present
ly Martha returned to her, and they
went downstairs together. Mrs. Poth-
er felt very unhappy. She thought Of
| going to buy the table back The
| afternoon waned. Could she receive
her husband on that night of all
others, with the first pledge of his
love gone, sold. The hours drifted
past. Supper was waiting. She was
afraid he would not come. At last
| she heard the dear double.knock and
ran to let him in. He smiled.
1--WE brought you the present" he
| said. Pr.
Mrs. Pother laid her hand on his.
| is ia table" she asked.
How did you guess?" he exclaim-
ed.
AN antique, a Chippendale?" she