The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1871-12-08

thing | sex, when | opened the kitchen
door, was old Hank Slater Settin' there in
my rockin' chair He and Josiah wen
both drunk aS-as AeqS." said Nahby, Slan-
dering an innocent animal IA her taste ia;
a Simile.
They'd tracked the mud all over my
clean floors. The co0kin'-stoye was jammed
lsll ci wood, roarin' like sil possessed.
wonder they hatln't bunaed the house uT
before | got there. And they'd got my
best teapot out 60 heat some water, aud
the water a all blrd away, and the bottom
come out, But the worst was 60 see my
husband a-o0nSOrtin' with such scum o
the earth as that miserable, low-liyed Hank
Slater. | tell You, squire, was @ad,
Just tinns that kitchen door wlde open, and
sea |.
a. Git out Of this house, Josiah Gould
aud don't never let me see your face inside
ont again
"SeE he, meek as Moses. Where shall
go 20, Nabby 2
"SeE |, i don't care where you 60 10
so longs YOU don't eome near me. I've
always ben a respectable woman, and
don't want none of Hank Slaters friends
round my house.
"WrllT r queried the squire, as Nabby's
narration came % pause.
/ "Well, said Nabby, in rather a Subdued
tone, "he went oa. And he hain't come
back. And | want a divorce
Now, Nabhy, demonstrated the squire,
"yoO don't want divorce. | know YOU
bstteF than that You are not the woman
10 give Josiah up, and let him 90 20 the
bad, without a struggle. You ieel littlC
yexed with him now, and | don't blame
YOU. Ii is hard, very hard But you
know you took him for better or worse.
Do YOU think. yourself it's quite right q
break your contract because it proves the
worse for you-becanse you are the stOng
one and he the weak one Of the two
! That don't srike INC as good Bible doc
trine, Nabby eve that are strong ought
TO bear the intirmities Of the weak, and
Rot TO please ourselves, you know.
"Well, dunno,n said Nabby, twisting
the corner OF her shawl du9iously. Il
hadn't thought ont in that light, must
say. Its so agg aVatin' 10 have such 4
man for husbapd. Besides, dunno's
he'd come back now il wanted him 70.
Hasn't he been back AZ all ~
why, YES, he did come once, for n pair
Of pautRloous. But didn't take no notice
OF him.n
Now, Nabby, you may depend upon il,
il wasn't the pantaloOns he was after. He
wanted 20 see il you wouldn't relent. II
be comes again, be little pleasant TO him,
and III warrant he will stay. Give him
another chance. Nabby. Josiah isn't the
werst fellow IN the world, by any means,
He has his redceming traits, after all,
believe he will DO better IL you win try IL
help him. You know Josiah is one chat
bears good deal of encouragement, Nabby
swell. squire, I'll think il over. Any
how, I'm obliged 10 you You talk 50
sorter comfnrtin' to n body. You're yoar
mothers own son; just the same good
heart. Would you be able to eat some ot
my cheese, squire ~
~Tfy me, and see, Nabby,n said the
squire, smiling, not imperyious 10 Nabby's
compliments. Nabby made her exit just
NJ Mrs. EIosley rushed in, full Of wiicly
indignation that the squire had been al
lowed to see "client."
Nahby's nome was over az tho Cor
ners,n three miles from the village. She
walked rapidly along in the fast-thickening
darkness. with the steady, strong gate be-
coming the Self-rcliant woman that she
was. Yet even her unimaginatiye nature
was not proof against the depressing infu-
ence of the chilly. raw November evening.
The wind whiStled through the bare tree
branches which creakcd and groancd mourn
fully, and waved wildly up and down in
the dim light overhead. The wind seemed
to cherish a special spite against Nabby.
Ii blew her bonnet OF and her hair into
he's eyes. struggled madly with her for her
shawl, took her breath away, and firmly
resisted her every step. Finally, il began
TO send spiteful dashes Of cold rain drops
in her face-rain that seemed almost 10
free1c as il fell.
4" Josiah used 10 come after me with an
umbrella when was caught out in the
rain,r thought Nabby. "He was always
real kind and good 10 me, after all |
dnnnois he ever give me cros word in
his lie, even when he'd ben drinkin'."
Here the driving. sleety rain and pierre
\ ing wind pounced down upon Nabby with
renewed ferceness, hustiing her madly
l around IN nenu sn Elee.
AN awful night TO be homeless, Nabby,
something seemed to say.
al don't care,n said Nabby TO herself,
beginning to feel cross again and generally
i'll used as she grew wetter and colder.
q 1t serves him right. He's made his bed,
and be can lie in IT,"
At 1.-THE Corners the light streaming
cheerfuIly out into the night from other
homes made Nabby's little house look par
ticularly gloomy and uninviting. Nabby
frrnbIed under the mat for the door-key,
fumbled with stiilened fingers for the key
hole. and. finally succeeding IN unlocking
! the door, felt her way in through the little
iientry.
There is always something uncanny"
abont going alone at night in n dark and
shut-up houe. Even people Of the best
4 regulatedminds experience avague suspicion
Of something behind them, sense Of posi-
bic ghostly hands about to clutch them in
the darkness. Nabby was a woman, like
! Mrs. Edmund Sparkler, with ia no nonsense
about hers" but, nevertheless, cheerful
/ tale she had read only yesterday in the
| Chronicle, about a burglar aad lone wo-
man, kept coming into her head, and she
carefully avoided the thick blackness OF
the corners and the pantry door as she
4 CROPPED around the kitchen for candle.
OF course the fire had gone out.
Il 1.-Two heads are better than one, il one
is A sheep's head" Nabby might have been
heard muttering out ia the wood-house as
she stopped painfully down picking up
chips; by which oracular utterance sus-
peet she was thinking what good supply
Of kindlings Josiah always kept on hand
tfor her. and how much more comfortable
il was in the old times coming home 10 a
house bright with light and warmth and
Josiah's welcome.
For Josiah cherished the most profound
admiration for Nabby-an admiration not
! lunmineled with awe. He thought her a
\ most wonderful woman. She was just as
I. beautiful TO him now as in the old counting
days. before the brightness and quickDess
of the black eyes bad degenerated into
sharpness, before the smiling mouth had
acquired its hard, firmly set expression,
before there were any wrinkles in the
smooth forehead. People thought Nabby
had done well in marrying josiah Could
4 pleasant, good-natured young fellow that
every one liked young mechanic not
very rich yet, il was true; bat, with a
GOOD trade and such wife as Nabby, there
seemed nothing to prevent his figuring as
"onc OF our first citizens"
ANY body can be somebody in this coun-
\ try if they are only determined. But that
was exactly the difficulty with Josiah.
| NJ xx-og dafarrnsnad about arv tb;r,v