Norwich bulletin., 1914-05-16

pure and simple, and although not ex- actlv a man fater, still she often made the remark, with a kind of pride. that no man had ever looked at her as though he would like to. marry her" But one summer when was spend- ing a few weeks with. her an event took place which caused her to take back that saying and to never more give it interpance.
 Aunt Betsey's garden was full of thrifty vegetables and the dear old fashioned flowers -pinks. lavender sweet Williams, fragrant, purple shade. blue bottles, hlacs-what visions the partial catalogue con- jures up. for those who are happy as to remember the Virginia flower bord- CTS of the days that are no more! Cinnamon, damask and white roses were in prodigal bloom; arbors or multifora, the leaves hardly visible for the blossoms, and all varieties or as for their lives-spanned the
 walks: the tender grapes on the trellises gave forth a goodly smell l had no play-fellows, but 1t was mid May weather birds, bees and butter flies roamed and basked with me in fragrance and sunlight-and- l was twelve years old!
 I knew the grounds, and the accom- modations offered by certain sprawling apple tree for a climber who loved to read even. better than to loiter laziiy garden alleys. It was no objection to a country girl that 1t shaded the pig pens.
 Miss Betsey Crump's pigs lived bet ter-the gossips said-than some of [ her human neighbors. A stream of
 living water ran through the inclosure which was filtered down with clean straw every day. There were, per- haps, twenty sturdy swine in the section overlooked by my reading room, all stretched out in digestive sloth after the momgorge. The tree was hung thick with apples. no big ger than green silk buttons with diS-
 proportionate blossom ends. I pelted the dozing animals with these for @ few minutes, then discouraged by their fmpertudbality, reopened my book and settled down satisfedly in
 curving crotch, my back against the trunk. was deep in the interesting chapters when heard voices beneath me Aunt Betsey. key basket on arm, sunbonnet on the back of her neck was scaning the pigs. AIr. Jeemes Cooke, ways at her. Both leaned on the top rail of the sty.
 He was a tall, loose jointed, slab sided man of sixty, and still wore a wisp of rusty crape on his left arm and a dusty band on his hat His  came up as if on stiff hinges when he spoke He had stub nose. mar row forehead and lantern jaws; his hair was like hens nest grass" in color and dryness, and his yellow green eyes had an uncomfortable trick of rolling up under the upper lids in | the most unexpected manner, as if a
 cord had slipped from a pulley wheel | below. He had inherited large l plantation and many negroes from his l father: his family was good his dis position amiable and his wits all to loose ends, when he was at his best My aunt discoursed volubly upon the points of her famous Berkshires and he seemed to hearken, chewing the end of a red bandanna handker- ] chief he had taken from his hat. Pres ently she turned so abruptly upon him that the pupils. of his lack-luster orbs disappeared into cover.
 Maybe you don't care much for
 the new breed o'pigsT' said she sus- piciously.
 We'll, don't take so much interest in 'em as thought in some other sub- jectks," rejoined Jeemes. stuffing the bandanna to the far corner of his
 mouth, and dealing intermittent bites on it for punctuation points. "1 find it mighty hard for to fix my intelleck ] on most things, no days,-seems fir He sighed ponderously and big Berkshire, unc1osing one eye, respond l ed alphabetically. so exactly in the 1 same key that I giggled inwardly. You're billious!" said Aunt Betsey I incisively "Calomel's what you need. Followed by salts-senna, or maybe. l jalap." "'Tain't bilousnessi" Jeemes changed the bandanna to the other l end of the thin-lipped mouth. It's want of congeniality. that's what 'tis! And sympathy: go down to the ter , baker fiel early in the morning. Plenty of terbaker, onions, and a l few wriggles, making b'lieve pull 'em l off, but not a bit O sympathy. go | to the stables and pat the horses and l feed the dogs. No eongeniality thar! l I go to the pastur n count the cows i n sheep n lambs m try to furget my i troubles in rearing the calves. Nc i congeinalty thar!"
 ] 'T should think there would be,' 1 Aunt Betsey struck in dryly at this 1 point.
 Jeemes ground steadily at the ban 1 danna and meandered on.
 | "Thars whar you make your mis- I take! No more in the chicken-yard l Though O will say I've got as fine a 1 lot O poultry $ I ever see. Seventy 1 young turkeys n twice O many chick
 ems. n forty young Muscovies, to say ! nothing O puddleducks-''
 You ought to raise geese! That might help some" Jeemes held on his way with ominous l perseverance.
 1 Nothin' O that kind ken help me 1 Miss Betsey!" laying a lean hand on l the firm sunburned one that grasped | the uppermost rail of the sky.
 1 Miss Betsey, the clock struck l jess got to your house. Next time ii l strikes, twill strike 2!"
 | Of course twill, you looney! You
 didn't suppose 'twould strike F, did you? What in the name of o'common cried the irate spinster throwing of 1 his fiatby hold.
 He grabbed feebly at the fingers ! that had clutched the key basket. ! fancied in the impulse to fell him ! with it.
 1 Q Betsey Crump, can't you onder- | stan my feeHn's? Wy it come to me 1 at 1 o'clock last night, when I herrd my clock strike. You're one by your
 l self in your house, n I'm one by n.y.
 | self in my house. Why can't us tive
 ] hitch horses-be made one-j'ined ir i heart n in han? ''Blest be the tie that 1 to Scripter, you know. Won't you
 have me, Miss Betsey? Please say
 l you'll have mel"
 1 Never in my life, have I seen such
 another countenance as was bent upon
 | the suitor. Her nostrils dilated and
 l she literally gnashed her teeth upon
 1 the insensitive man, now turning
 1 the gnawed bandanna around in his
 hand to find an unbitten corner. and
 grinning sheepishly.
 "Thave-you!" She spit the words
 ! out wllat-under-the-
 i-put-that notion into your--cracke ed
 vzIT