Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1915-04-16

painted by her own hand. photo
graph of Capt, Samuel Darby, the man
who had remained obstinately devoted
to her since her days of pinafores.
The picture betrayed that Captain
Darby wore a wig designed for a
larger man. and that the visage be-
meath was gnarled and weather-beaten,
marked with the signs Of a stubborn
and unreasonable will.
Even now the aged belle could hear
him saying: Here | be, come Ground
ter pop ag'in. Ready ter hitch?"
Samuel's inelegant English had al
ways been source of distress to
Blossy; yet still she stared long at
the picture.
! Six months had passed since his last
visit; tomorrow would be the date OF
his winter advent.
Should she give the old unvarying
answer to his tireless formula?
She glanced around the tiny room.
Ashamed though she was to admit 1t
even to herself, she missed that ample
and coy chamber which she had 80
freely surrendered to Abraham and
his wife. She missed 1t, as she felt
they must crave their very own fire.
side; and the thought that they missed
the home that she might have had
the home that she still might have.
Again she brought her eyes back to
the portrait; and now she saw, not the
characteristics which had always made
1t seem impossible for her and Samuel
to jog together down life's road, but
the great truth that the face was hon
est and wholesome while the eyes
looked back into hers with the prom
Use Of an answering care and affec-
ton.
The next morning found Blossy
kneeling before plump little leather
bound, time-worn trunk which she kept
Der. The trunk was packed hard with
bundles of old letters. Some her
younger fingers had tied with violet
ribbon; some they had bound with
pink; others she had fastened togeth-
er with white silk cord, and there were
more and more bundles, both slim and
stout, which Blossy had distinguished
by some special hue of ribbon in the
long ago. each tint marking different
suitor's missives.
To her still sentimental eye the col
ors remained unfaded, and each would
bring to her mind instantly the pic
| ture of the writer as he had been In
hn dow pryt m
| eye alone there were no longer any
rainbow tints in the little old trunk;
for every ribbon and every cord had
faded into that musty, yellow brown
which is dyed by the passing of many
years.
| Abraham discovered her there, too
engrossed In the perusal of one of the
old letters to have needed his creak-
ing steps upon the stairs.
Didn't see yer, till most stumbled
on yer" he began alphabetically. Il
come fer the apple-picker. Thar's a
handful of russets in the orchard yit,
that's calc'latin' ter spend Christmas
up close ter heaven; but Say,
Blossy." he added more loudly. since
she did not raise her head. "yew seen
anythin' O. that air picker?"
Blossy glanced up from her ragged
edged, crackly billet-doux with start,
and dropped the envelope to the floor.
For the moment. so deep in reminis-
cence was she. she thought Captain
Darby himself had surprised her;
then, recognizing Abe and recalling
that Samuel's winter visits were inva
riably paid in the afternoon, she broke
into shamefaced laugh.
"Oh, Is that you, Brother Abe
Don't tell the others what you found
me doing. These" with a wave OF
her delicate, blue-veined hands over
the trunk and its contents, ARE al
old love letters of mine. Do you think
I'm silly old goose to keep them
cluttering around so long?"
''Waal"-Abe with an equally dep
recatory gesture indicated Angy'i
horsehair trunk in the far corner Of
the loft-"yew amt no more foolisher
guess. over yer old trash n me an
Angy be a-keepin' that air mimi
stock of mine. One lot Is wuth 'bou
as much as t'other."
Recovering the envelope that she hat
dropped, he sQuinted at the superscrip
ton. Not meanin' ter be inquisitiv,
or personal, Sister Blossy," teasing
twinkle appearing in his eye, but THU
looks dretful familiarity. this her,
handwritin does. When l run tn,
beach-yewve heard me tell of n,
time was on the life-sayin crew
over ter Bleak Hill fer spell-m.
cap'n he had fist Jest like that
Useter make out the spickest. span
nest reports. Lemme see," the twink,
deepening. didn't the gals say yev
was 'spectin' somebody terday? Law
amt saw Cap'n Sam1 fer ten yea
or more | guess on these here pop