Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-04-01

cant t1gure tnat tnere ii De Ieu
cent saved out of the wreck, and
how's that gal Irene going to get
along?"
shell have to get married." re,
piled the village cooper. -,
"Si Warren, don't talk like fool!
was the reproving exclamation. IN
the first place, the girl Is handsome,
ain't she?''
"Yes, purity good looking
And she's been sent away to
SCHOOL,"
YES"
"And always had good clothes?'
'Wall?"
well, do you s'pose she's going to
fall in love with anybody in or around
this town of Long HIP
But why not?"
.Why not? Can you make barl
out O. straw? Can you make gal
like Irene Stewart fall in love with
an old widower with six children on
his hands?"
"But there are young men," pro-
tested the cooper.
Eyes, there is Dan Sicily, OF the
dairy. He's got one eye and pair
OF ears that stick out like saucers
nailed to his head Dan hain't to
blame. but what gal is going to fall
In love with him? There's Pete
Blakely, the young butcher. They say
he can kill calf as well as another,
but he's bow-legged. half-deaf, and
isn't making over a dollar day.
There is Nose Ridder, who works in
the saw mill and knows jest nuf that
GeorEe Washington hain't president
Of the United States today. Do you
mean to tell me that John Stewards
orphan gal is going to fall in love
with him?'
wall, what in creation is she go
"T1l tell you She's got an aunt,
who Is widow, living over in Medina
county, and the gal is going there to
live with her until"
Until what?'
Until the right Teller comes along"
Miss Irenes Aunt Synthia lived on
and ran farm. She was hard
worker and a strong-minded woman,
and she had married almost without
love, and certainly without romance.
Her neighbors said she was hard
hearted and a driver, and seemed ut
terly without pity, but they We're mis-
taken. She had loved her brother
John, and when his only child drove
up to the gate she took her in her
arms and said: you poor child,
you, but you shall have home with
me for life, and I will be kind
! mother to you!"
Much had been said about Aunt
Cynthia's stinginess, but when she
learned that her niece was coming to
live with her she had bought parlor
organ, music, a new carpet. and even
several books Of fiction she had seen
advertised. She had gone so far as
to use a part of the tax money she
! had laid away in the kitchen clock to
send away for a brass bed and real
mattress, the first thing of their kind
sstO be used for ten miles around. When
farmers and their wives drove up and
came In and asked to see the wonder
ful exhibition, Aunt Cynthia stood up
very straight.
was bound to have 'em IL had to sell
/ cow!" she said proudly
And your niece is an orphan?"
"Yes. Mother died five years ago
and her father only lately. Poor
John! He was a merchant over at
Long Hill. He sold calico so cheap
l110S AO 'OAoIOO W uAAA AANA~o
and left this girl all alone"
And you are going to give her
. homer
II Just am that"
But can she do housework?'
'sIf she can I shan't let her. beyond
Smelling few peas now and then. !
don't take in orphans to make hired
help OF them!"
nT&sr vorv kind Of Won -
well, mebbe it's and yet it's only
doing ones duty. Besides, am grow
if,4 old and am lonesome without
anybody to talk to. And say, don't
YOU ask her anything about her
father. don't want her feelings
hurt"
The lapse of time is the remedy for
all our griefs. After three months
had passed Miss Irene was like her
old self again, and there was song and
laughter In the house.
a quarter Of a mile below Aunt
Cynthias farm house and near the
highway, was giant oak tree. the
farmers spoke of it as the old oak
free. and It was landmark to be seen
for miles and miles.
Miss Inez had sat and gazed at that
towering tree for an hour at tlme,
but it had never occurred to her to
make a closer acquaintance until one
afternoon when she had reply to
indite to the letter of girl chum.
she would do her writing at the foot
Of the old oak tree.
s'Look out for tramps and snakes!
was the caution from Aunt Cynthia,
as the girl started down the road.
Ii there sentiment and romance
about big trees? Does a man as
woman feel that there is? II not
why was it that farmers hired
man in the state of Ohio took his
discharge sooner than put the ak
to q magnificent old elm which he
could remember back almost to his
babyhood?
AS the girl drew nearer and nearer
to the old oak the more it appealed to
her, and when at last she reached IL
she stood with awe in her heart. More
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