The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1916-04-27

was stilIed In silence she went to
and fro and at last to bed.
Tabby Trotters tongue certainly was
still that evening.
The next day Mrs. Ames happened
into Tabby's kitchen.
81 want to borrow some eggs. :
don't know what's got into my hens"
she explained, sitting down by sun
ny window.
"How many?" asked Tabby.
"a dozen will do If you can spare
en-"
Certainly"
Sally Ames took her little basket of
eggs and set it on the floor beside her
chair. whats the news, Tabby?"
Tabby was making sugar cookies. She
deity rolled out sheet of yellow
dough and cut out the circles with
star shaped cutter.
"What's the news?" repeated Mrs.
Ames.
Haven't heard any," said Miss Trot-
| ter.
81 thought perhaps you'd heard when
Annie Smith was going to be married.
heard she was making pillow cases."
Haven't heard" said Tabby tersely.
whats the matter with you. Tab
by?" ..
Nothing"
eyes, there is"
"Why?"
"You don't say much. You're mad
about something, Tabby Trotter."
I'm not mad. I'm glad"
Mrs. Ames picked up her basket and
| opened the door.
"Come and see me when you've got
time" she called back. "Pll want to-
hear all about your cousin Ellen's op-
| eration.''
Him. responded Tabby in non
committal manner.
Sally Ames hurried home much per-
| turbed.
At the dinner table her family mark
! ed her preoccupation of mind and made
inquiry.
ooh. laww she sighed. 81 don't know
| what's come to Tabby Trotter. She's
close mouthed as can be. Can't get
word out of herr" III :.
Her husband laughed indulgently.
THAT'S like you, Sally. The other
day you complained because she talked
too much. Tabby's cheerful little
SOUL
At that moment Tabby looked any
thing but cheerful as she sat on her
back doorstep sewing. Once in awhile
her gaze shifted from her work to the
quiet bay which Tapped the sand be-
yond the back fence. On the sand was
| a rowboat tied to stake.
Out on the bay a motorboat chugged
| slowly from shore to shore. With her
eyes closed Tabby could have told you
| that it was David Martins boat and
that he was in it, perhaps going over
to the village for supplies and the
mail. for David's place was on neck
of land jutting into the harbor, and
| the shortest way to the village was by
water rather than by the highroad.
The boat vanished around a point
of land, and Tabbys needle stopped
| flying to and fro. A tear dropped, anu
Lucu duOlACL, anu dhOehSA 49,
ed on the white seam.
The chickens that loved the SOUND OF
| Tabby's voice stood alOof, wondering.
Her black cat purred questions that
remained unanswered.
A saucy catbird in the blackberry
bushes that was wont to hold Animal
ed conversations with little Miss TrOt-
ter challenged her in vain while ne
tilted to and fro on a twig.
"Tabby Trotter crying? they all
seemed to ask. why, she is the most
cheerful friend we have hereaDouCs.
Tabby never cries."
After that every one noticed a great
change In Tabby Trotter. She became
very silent. She rarely spoke except
in monosyllables, and her friends won
dered what had happened.
They missed the pleasant cheerlness
Of her voice. As Mrs. Berry remarked
one day at a Farther Lights meeting:
I'D rather hear Tabitha talk too mucn
than not at all. / miss her merry
tongue. l hope no one has been SO
unkind as to repeat what Mrs. Ames
said about her.
Sally Ames looked uncomfortaDle,
and Fanny Bond blushed fiery red.
But no one answered the, remark
Its Fanny Bonds work, thought
the minister's wife resentfully
A few weeks later there came
fierce summer storm that dashed the
harbor into fury of whitecapped
waves and bent the trees to the
ground.
As darkness came on TaD1tna lighted
many lamps to make her rooms cheer-
full. and. opening her old piano, she
poured out her long repressed feelings
in song after song.
Once as she paused to turn over the
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