The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1914-08-21
A'You're a Horrid, HeartIess Little
Bcy!"

Ttol u ub LUdl We Gull ntl llS DdD9s
Herel Where"
But he was gone. Signing heavily,
the matron put the meat in the icebox,
and then made her slow, numbering
way into the front hall, or community
room, where the sisters were gathered
in a body to await the new arrival.
WAL, say!" she supplemented,
after she had finished telling her pitt.
ably brief story. "thar's trouble
enough to go around. hain't thar"
Aunt Nancy Smith, who never be.
1ieved in wearing her heart on her
sleeve, shifted and thumped. her cane
on the floor.
you young folks" she affirmed, her
self having seen ninety-nine winters,
while Abigail had known but paltry
sixty-fve, "yew alters go an cut yer
pity on the skew.gee l don't see
nothln' to bawl an heller erbout. |
say that any man what can't take
kere o. himself, not ter mention his
wife, should orter 80 ter the poor.
house."
But the matriarch's voice quavered
even more than usual, and as she I'm
Ished she hastily bent down and felt
In her deep skirt pocket for her snuff
box.
Now the Ama2onian Mrs. Holman,
widow for the third time, made sturdy
retort.
That's jest like yew old mads-al'
IL. l.. 81. Lei loot
bet never would have let one of my
husbands go ter the poorhousc. 1t
would have mortified me drctful. 1t
must be purity poor sort of woman
what cant take the care of one man
and Eeep a roof over his head. Why,
my second Oliver e., used ter say"
oh" Miss Ellie wrung her hands.
cant we do sometime"
81 could do aplenty," mourned Miss
Abigail, "ef / only had been savin.
Here | git salary o four dollars
month. an not one penny laid away
"Yew iergit." spoke some one gently,
that it takes consida able ter dress n
matron proper
Aunt Nancy, who had been sneezing
furiously at her own impotence, now
found her speech again.
Were Il nice set ter talk erbout
dewin' somethin'-a passed. o poor ole
critters like us!" Her cackle OF en-
Uttered laughter was interrupted by
the low. cultivated voice Of the belle
OF the home butterfly Blossy.'
We've got to do something" said
Blossy firmly.
When Blossy spoke with such de
cision every one Of the sisters pricked
up her ears. Blossy might be "a shall
ler.pate;" she might arrange the
golden.whte hair of her head as be
fitted the browning glory of a young
girl, with pufis and rolls and little
curis, and-more than one sister sus
pected-with the aid OF rats" she
might gown herself deliberately in the
mended iinery OF the long ago, the
better years; she might dress her
lovely big room--the only double bed
chamber in the house. for which she
had paid q double entrance fee-in al
sorts of gewgaws, little ornaments
hand.painted plaques OF her own pro
ducing, lace bedspreads. embroidered
splashers and pillow-shams; she might
even permit herself sutton who came
twice year more punctually than the
liue.storms, to ask her withered little
hand in marriage--but her heart wa,
in the right place, and on occasion sh'
had proved herself q master hand a
'fixin' things"
Eyes" said she. rising to her fee
and ninging out her arms with an elo
;auent gesture, we've got to do some
thing, and there's Just one thing to do
girls: take the captain right here
,here"-she brought her hands to thu
lacee on her bosom-"to our hearts!
At first there was silence. with thu
ladies staring blankly at Blossy ant
then at one another. Had they hear'
aright7 Then there came murmur
and EXPLANATIONS, with Miss Abigail
voice gasping above the others:
what would the directors say"
what do they always say when VI
ask a favor?" demanded Blosey
"'How much will 1t costT It won
cost cent"
won't, chr" snapped Aunt Nancy
sIIow on earth be yew goin' to With
him? / haint had q second dish Q
peas this year."
Some men eat more an some less.
remarked Sarah Jane, as ill-favored
spinster as ever the sun shone on
generally It means 80 much grub te
80 much weight"
Miss Abigail glanced up at the eel
Ans yhila Lazy Daisy. who had q