Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 3, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 January 1919 — “Acting Up” [ARTICLE]

“Acting Up”

By LINCOLN ROTHBLUM

7* Syndic***.) Mirandy Jenkins folded her checked gingham apron triangle fashion. «bd. tucking the corner in at the belt.'rested her arms on the fence railing. It was summer time in the outlying farm districts of the town of t’arrollton and the air was redolent with the green odor of alfalfa. Mirandy distended her nostrils to get the diffusing fragrance. On the crest of the hill, topping the road which led past the house, appeared a none mo st rung horse. It dragged with lagging-feet rig of doubtful origin. It would have -been difficult to tels the occupation of the driver who sat beneath the ragged and sagging-'top if not for the sack which lay at his feet labeled in letters of warning size. “U. S. Malt." As the outfit started down grade the man raised his crushed hat and made an effort to brush the upstanding hairs Into place. A“ribbon" tie was next adjusted and to its already numerous stains were added a few more from the dusty hands. When these offices had been performed, he shifted the reins from his right to left hand and waved in recognition of Mirandy’s fluttering handkerchief*- ■ “Mornin’, Mandy," was his greeting, as he drew up before the gate. “Mornin’, Seth. Any mail for meT “Nothin’, ’cept the county newspaper. How’s y’r grandpatv?” “Poorly, poorly. Seth. The floc t | 1 <rAr ** _ “Then we’ll get married. Mandy, and no puttin’ it off again. Eh?” , Mirandy binshed as if this were the flrat time' the subject had _been broached to her.“La, Seth, .how you do talk,” was the flirtatious response; “but it just seems like we'll never get there. First it was grandmaw who kept us from getting married, what with being so sick and cantankerous, and then you lost y’r. job —and of course we couldn’t get married til you was appointed this route, and now it be my grandpaw sick and ailin’ ami eatin’ up the revenue." Seth spat out a generous quid of tee hacco and after -rephtcing it with a fresh supply, shook his head resignedly. “Well, I’ll be ‘found tomorrow, ■ t ~ n long.** • “So long Seth. I’ll be expectin’ you.” And Mirandy’s workworn figure drooped as her eyes followed the, departing buggy. Sentenced to the hard, manual drudgery of a badly managed farm before securing even such elemental education as- the village offered; saddled with aged grandparents who fought off every innovation which might have lightened her labors, and forced by eternally present financial straits to forego any pleasure which involved the expenditure of money, Mirandy’s youth had slipped away almost without her knowledge, until she found herself well on the road to forty with a vapid complexion and toil-hardened hands as her only assets. But in this sacrificing and unheralded martyrdom, to which she had given herself with neither complaint nor hope for reward, there were two pinnacles of joy. One was Seth, to whose everlasting credit must be said that none of the obstacles which had - delayed Ins wedding to Mirandy bad lessened his fidelity. Mirandy crept into bed. where despite the straw tick she soon fell asleep, She arose unrested. The morning sim, scarcely awake, suggested another round of toilsome ' takks, Perlmps every morriiug it-was the thought of Seth which hastened the plw.ays rapid dressing and the chores were well completed as she retreated to her bedroom to “fuss up” before waiting at the fence. . • ; y Bat this morning Seth was destined to wait himself into impatience, for no aproned figure leaned against the gate as he drew up. ' So he walked to meet her. “Mornin’, Mandy." “Momin', Seth. Any mail for me?" “Nothin’- ’cept jhe county newspaper. But I got a letter, an' seein’ as yon might as well get used to openin’ iny mail now, I brought it to you.” Mirandy smiled at the subtle compliment in a style Seth dubbed “pritty.” . ■ “Why, It’s from the government,” Mirandy exclaimed as she took the Envelope with Its franking privilege stamp. Anything official frightened her, but perhaps it was woman’s intuitive premonition which foretold the bad news her face so patently reflected. “It says, Seth,” she muttered, “IL says you got to get—you got to get an auto if you wgnt to keep>y’r job.” -And so to rteet the government's changes for efficiency went Seth’s entire savings. And though the nev system augmented his salary, he soon found that the price of gasoline ran higher than that of oats. It was again summer in Carrolton. Mirandy was very happy this morning, for bed not the wedding date” been set just six months off? Six months is a very abort time when one has been waiting nigh on twenty years. “Mornin’, Mandy.” ’ A "Momin’, Seth. Any mail for me T “Nothin' ’cept the county newspaper," and then with a mock air of surprise “I declare, why here’s a Letter for you,” just as if he had not nearly yielded to the temptation to it rto since Lt had been pffcfed in his ■ »

mail sack at six o c<bck that morning, v «a IcttOr for meeclmed M+rfthdy, But Mirandy’s astonishment at - getting a letter did h*;t equal her amaze-. nu*nt as she rend its contents. on the letterhead cf an'a Horney. it ran: “Yoqr unjple. Ezekiel Ban'Ctt, died inteslate. ■ AA "wde surviving In 1 !I, >mt urr t*ntlth'-iT To the li<f left «bn- u-lH vitit Vtill shortly to secure the necessary signaL ture. * ■ > i h«*tt Mtmruly tiid a thttr-r unheard, of.? She kissed Seth. “Me cAn get married right off now." she gurgled, “get mnrrirrt. Seth.' don’t you bear?” Fof Seth was already'chug<-hugging' down .the road. Mirandy stared at the letter. ' The next niorning the customary exchange of greetings was omitted as Mirandy abruptly asked, "Now we got the money, won’t you want to be gettin’ married?” ' ’ Seth looked up as he rolled a stone -with tlie toe of his boot. His answer came hesitatingly. “Can’t you see, Mandy, if 1 was to marry you now, without a cent o£ my own. folks’ll be sayin' I was marryin’ you for y’r money.” “Have you got a mind?" Mirandy asked sarcastically. Seth stood aghast. This was their final quarrel. Then one morning Seth did not find Mirandy at the gate. Sire was sick. The doctor had ordered an alarming array of pills and-medicines and although Seth faithfully sat at her-bed-side every evening, Miranfly refused to get well. Seth went about like a shadow of his former self. Never before had he realized Just how very much Miraudy meant in his life. And then came the relapse! Mirandy was dying. The doctor confessed he eould uo nothing. Seth sat by the bed and held the worn hands in his own warty, calloused ones. What could he do? Oh. if he eould save her I “Mandy,” he called suddenly, "let s get married.” Mirandy stirred. “I. heard the doc tellin’ you.” came in a weak, faraway volee.- "that I be dyln’.” Tears unchecked traced grimy routes down Seth’s tanned cheeks. Mirandy went on. "Folks'll think if you married me now you'll be wantin to inherit my money.” “Oh, Mandy,” Seth choked,* “what do we care ’bout folks ’round here? I want to ’tend you like a husband while y're here." Mirandy turned over at the unusual sentimentality of Settys speech. “All right. Seth. then we’lf.get married,” she answered with a smile. And Mirandy seemed to improve at once. Perhaps it was Seth’s husbandTy’Tkre. or jtdfhffps ft 'tws■‘•■just something else,' but Mirandy got well with surprising rapidity. r , "jt was. after the wedding. MTrandy, seated on the arm of Seth’s chair, nervously straightened the edge of the lace doily pinned on the coarse, horsehair upholstering. "I got a confession to make,” she said. Seth looked up and took the clay pipe from his mouth. He thought in twenty years he had learned everything in Mirandy’s life. “I wasn’t dyin’ that time, Seth.” she smiled, “the doc helped to make y’ see you needed me. I was just actin up, Seth.” - . Anti then Seth did a thing unheard of. He kissed Mirandy.