Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1914-03-06

Ing VIII some DeWluefmclI dI the
sun bathed earth aud cloudless sky.
Phoebe Wood came to the open door.
She was brushing grandpa's best hat
with deliberate energy.
"Now. Amelia she said. don't you
spoil gran pas day. He's feeling real
well. aud. Robins folks are expecting
him. and we're going 10 drive over just
as soon's | get ready. It's going to be
a beautiful day" She smiled encour
asingly at grandpa. whose wrinkled
face frightened in sympathy with her
rosy. smiling -countenance. Have you
had bad news. Amelia? l see your
black bunnit on the line"
Amelia coughed ~neryousiy. Il AIM
had any direct news" she said. with Il
side glance ut grandpa's retreating
form. hut the signs are bad.
dreamt of IL white horse last night.
and yesterday | see a mourning
white dove amounting OF your cher
~ tree. and Jim Rellers' dog p'inted
his nose directly at gram pa and howl
ed. and them'S all signs of death. My
ear rung dreadful when | got up this
AuOFuiuS. anu ! hNNN ~ MI 'dA
news She sighed d%espondently
And whit had news did yon henri
demanded Phoebe with nnaccustomed
severity. lis 1t bad news because
gran'pa amt dead? Is 1t bad news he
cause he's we'll enough to drive over to
Chester, where be amt been for two
years? faint likely gran'pa will die
because Jim Boilers dog barked at
him, and ii you think u old white
hen looks like a mourning dove you've
got more imagination than you have
common sense, Amelia Skinner"
Miss Skinner was stepping down the
path with stiff dignity, her s%unbonnet
poked dejectly forward and her limp
skirts luttering. Phoebe watched her
In silence for a moment and then fol
lowed her with slow. numbering move
ments of her great bulk of flesh. When
they reached the gate she laid a detain.
ing hand on Amelia's thin shoulder.
"Amelia." she said commiseratively
II wish you didn't take such a lot OF
comfort believing in signs and dreams
and such things. It's dreadful heather
ish, and | eve knew any of your bad
signs to come true anyway, and | de
clare you've upset me more'n once.
You don't seem to know many good
signs either. but I've heard so much
about good signs and bad signs and
dreams and weather signs and snakes
and black cats and bowling dogs that
l feel just the same as old Mr.. PEBBLES
down to the mill-the only sign | be
lieve in is the dollar sign,' and her fat
shoulders shook %mirthfully.
Amelia's face peered out of the sun
bonnet, wrinkled with unusual emotion
1--WE had good reason to believe in bad
signs" she said bitterly. "And /
sha'n't change my belief till l have
good reason to-"
Phoebe watched her curiously as Shit
recrossed the road. "Amelia's terrible
changed she murmured ,reminiscently
"She used to be so pretty, and she was
real shapey. too, and now she's like a
clothespin she's that thin. And always
a-moping. | wonder If she and Madi
son Cook didn't have a quarrel or some
thing. Everybody thought it was all
settled between them, and all of a
sudden he went out to Ohio and Anne.
liza just moped at home with Aunt
Pheemie. | guess Aunt Pheemie just
drove all her beliefs into Amelia, and
Its made Amelia just as queer rs she
was. and | guess Aunt Pheemie didn't
like Madison n too well. I'll bet she
was at the bottom of the trouble If
there was any. All right, gran'pa. I'm
coming
With prudence born of infinite faith
In premonitions Amelia carried the
bonnet and veil within doors, for. in
spite of the blaze of sunshine and can
opy of blue sky without. the prophesy
of rain remained to be fulfilled. and
probably there would be need of the
bonnet, for indeed it was inviting ca.
lamity to take Grandpa Wood to Ches
ter in the face of an impending storm
and, above all things. behind a white
horse.
She busted herself about the house
mechanically noting the hundred and
one omens of good and evil that were
manifested in the course of the morn
ing and which were interpreted by hel
according to Aunt Pheemie's teachings
Finally Amelia dropped a fork. She
knew company would inevitably fol
low. and she buried to the front room
and opened the windows. AS she peer
ed through the Stats of the blinds she
saw Pheemie Wood and grandpa driv
ing by. Old white Bess was hitched
to the buggy, and grandpa's face wore
a beatiic smile of contentment.
The tortoise shell cat watched hei
b~linkingly as she ate her lonely dinner
She spilled some salt and hastily threw
a pinch over her left shoulder to avoid
a quarrel. When she found two spoons
in her saucer she was visibly excited
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