The Nevada County picayune. (Prescott, Ark.) 190?-current, 1919-03-06

opened 1t ana reaO aloud tneSe WORDS
In large type at the top of the page:
"Silas Wright Elected to the q. S.
Senate"
"Well / want to know" Uncle Pea
body exclaimed. "That would make
me forgit it If I was goin' to be
hung. Go on and read what it says"
read the choosing of our friend
for the seat made vacant by the res
ignation Of William L. Marcy, who
had been elected governor, and the
part which most impressed us were
these words from a letter of Mr..
Wright to Azariah Flagg of Albany,
written when the former was asked
to accept the place:
II am too young and too poor for
such an elevation. l haye not had
the experience in that great theater Of
politics to qualify me for a place so
exalted and responsible. / prefer
therefore the humber position which
l now occupy"
THAT'S his way" said Uncle Pea
body "They had hard work to con-
vince him that he knew enough to be
Surrogate"
'Big men have little conceit-ayes ~
said Aunt Deel with a significant
glance at me.
The candles had burned low and I
was watching the shroud of one Of
them when there came rap at the
| door. 1t was unusual for any one to
70 in 10
| we were a bit startled. Uncle Pea
body opened it and old Kate entered
| without speaking and nodded to my
aunt and uncle and sat down by the
| fire. Vividly l remembered the day
Of the fortune-telling. The same gen.
tie smile lighted her face as she
| looked at me- She held up her hand
with four fingers spread above it.
ayes" said Aunt Deel, there are
four perils."
My aunt rose and went into the
but'ry while l sat staring at the
| ragged old woman. Her hair was
white now and partly covered by a
worn and faded bonnet. Forbidding
as she was 1 did not miss the sweet
ness In her smile and her blue eyes
when she looked at me. Aunt Deel
came with plate Of doughnuts and
bread and butter and head cheese
and said In voice full of pity:
"Poor OIL Kate-ayes! Here's some
thin for te-ayes !"
She turned to my uncle and said:
peabody Baynes, what1l we do
I'd like to know-ayes! She can't
rove all night"
"rn git some blankets an make
a bed for her. good 'nough for any
body. out in the hired mans room
over the She'd" said my uncle.
He brought the lantern-a little
tower of perforated finland put a
lighted candle inside of it. Then he
beckoned to the stranger, who fol-
lowed him out of the front door with
the plate of food In her hands.
"Well l declare It's a long time
since she went up this rOad-ayes y
said Aunt Deel, yawning as she re-
sumed her chair.
"Who is Of Kate?" l asked.
ooh, just a poor OF crazy woman
wanders all 'round-ayes"
"What made her craZyr'
"Oh, l guess somebody misused and
deceived her when she was young
ayesi It's an awful wicked thing to
do. Come, Bart-go right up to bed
now. It's high time-ayes"
IT want to wait It'll Uncle Peabody
comes back" said l.
"Why?"
T-Tm afraid she'll do somethin
to him."
Nonsense! or Kate is just as harm
less as a kitten. You take your can
die and go right up to bed-this min
ute-ayeS!"
l went upstairs with the candle
and undressed very slowly and
thoughtfully while l listened for the
footsteps of my uncle. / did not get
into bed until | heard him come in
and blow out his lantern and start
up the stairway. AS he undressed
he told me how for many years the
strange woman had been rowing in
the roads ''up hill and down dale,
thousands an thousands O. miles"
and never reaching the end of her
journey.
In a moment we heard a low wall
above the sounds of the breeze that
shook the leaves of the old ''popple"
tree above our roof.
whats that?' l whispered
81 guess it's OF Kate ravin'," said
Uncle Peabody.
1t touched my heart and 1 lay lis
tening for a time, but heard only the
loud whisper of the popple leaves.